Family tell of ordeal on stricken yacht

The family were rescued from their stricken yacht by a French Navy Zodiac. Photo / Brett Phibbs

As massive waves crashed onboard and the yacht rose up almost vertical at times - the mast had snapped and rigging was tangled beneath the hull - father-of-six Charles Bradfield had no choice.

"For the sake of my children I am prepared to abandon ship."

Mr Bradfield, wife Joy and the children had spent days battling up to 40-knot winds and 4 to 6m swells in their Chico 40 boat, after two months at sea on a family adventure to Tonga.

"My family are my pride and joy," Mr Bradfield said back on dry land yesterday.

"My pride," he said motioning toward his children, "and my Joy", toward his wife.

When the mast came crashing down on Tuesday - the boom within inches of striking Tom, 13 - Carenza was stable but immobile. But the Bradfields were seasick and exhausted, having barely slept since striking strong southwesterlies the weekend before.

Rugged up in thermals and wet-weather gear, the skipper and his five eldest children were taking it in turns to man the helm in pairs, while Mrs Bradfield cared for 6-year-old Rebekah and cooked.

The yacht's forward bulkhead was cracked and the strobe light and wind instruments had gone down with the mast.

On striking rough seas last weekend, family members reduced the sail area to a minimum - "just enough to keep the boat steering and powered up".

"We were punishing the boat with every wave," said Mr Bradfield.

Yesterday all agreed the "rogue 10-metre waves" were the scariest.

Said Josh, 18: "You would look at the wave coming and then hold on and then it would be like 'doosh'."

The family - Rebekah, 6, Abby, 10, Tom, 13, Emma, 14, Matt, 16, Josh, 18, mother Joy and father Charles - set off for home from Tonga about midday on Wednesday last week.

When the mast snapped and the rigging tangled on Tuesday, it was time to call for help.

They put on lifejackets and gathered valuables before 16-year-old Matt activated the emergency beacon.

Then, using a fishing rod and wire to rig a high frequency radio aerial, the Bradfields called for help.

French rescue vessel La Glorieuse got wind of their distress call and vowed to arrive in four hours and twenty minutes. In the meantime, a Royal NZ Air Force Hercules was dispatched from New Zealand to keep a vigil from above.

"It was almost like watching a bird circling over a dying animal. I almost want to cry thinking about it," Mr Bradfield said yesterday.

Communicating with the French captain, Mr Bradfield agreed it was safer to wait until morning for the rescue.

"The captain said 'the conditions are rough and it's dark, can you survive until tomorrow?'."

The next morning at first light, the family were rescued and it was time to say goodbye to Carenza.

With tears in his eyes, Mr Bradfield yesterday recalled pulling the "plugs", securing all floatable devices inside and battening the hatches.

"This was the first time I had to think about it. My family were safe on another vessel and I'd just scuttled my own boat."

Soon after from La Glorieuse, the Bradfields watched the 25-year-old yacht go down.

The ship docked at Auckland yesterday morning to a crowd of relieved friends and family.

Last night Mr Bradfield was already vowing to charter a boat "to get the children back on the horse".

He has invited the French captain and a crew member to dinner tomorrow.