Yacht rescue delayed until tomorrow

Tossed like a cork, the Janette Gay huddles beside the Maunakea. Picture / RNZAF

An injured New Zealand couple, exhausted and adrift on a damaged yacht 780km from the nearest land, must wait until tomorrow for a rescue attempt.

A cargo ship got tantalisingly close to the couple yesterday, but moves to haul them aboard were aborted as swells reached up to 14m and winds hit 40 knots.

The failure meant Lyttelton-based Bruce Cox and his partner, Heloise Kortekaas, had to remain on their dismasted 9.7m steel yacht, Janette Gay, for another miserable night.

Appalling weather was forecast for the area, nearly 800km northeast of the Chatham Islands.

Besides missing its mast, the yacht has lost part of its cabin. Rigging torn from the mast was dragging in the ocean behind the yacht.

The 5000-tonne cargo ship Maunakea, which had been diverted to help the pair, nearly hit the yacht as it tried to get close in the huge seas.

And a liferaft with medical equipment and communication supplies earlier dropped from an Air Force Orion was lost in the weather.

The ship and aircraft were forced to leave the floundering yacht yesterday afternoon to refuel.

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand spokeswoman Heidi Brook said another Orion would fly over the yacht this morning, while the New Zealand merchant ship Southern Taire had been diverted to help, although it was not due in the area until tomorrow afternoon.

Until then, "unfortunately, our couple is out there alone effectively," she said.

Mr Cox has head, hip and back injuries and Ms Kortekaas has an injured arm, but friends have described the couple, who are in their 40s, as highly competent sailors with the experience to weather the trying conditions.

Waikuku Marine Radio operator Barry Groom, who was in regular contact with the pair until the yacht was dismasted and communications lost, said Mr Cox was very experienced.

"I would trust him with my life. He's more experienced than anybody in Lyttelton."

He said Mr Cox once took a tug and barge from Lyttelton to the Gulf during the first Gulf War.

His friend of eight years had set off for a holiday in the Cook Islands from Lyttelton two weeks ago.

"All he's done is run into bad weather. And every time he's made a little progress he's been belted back."

He said the pair were safe despite the extreme weather.

"The boat's built like a brick outhouse. You couldn't sink it if you wanted to."

The pair had just spent weeks refitting the Ganley Hitch-hiker craft to the "Category 1" offshore standard.

Evan Paterson, of Lyttelton's Naval Point Club, said Mr Cox acquired the yacht about three months ago and brought it to Lyttelton for a major refit.

"He has all the safety gear. They've just been unfortunate."

Ms Brook said the couple had medical equipment and some communications gear, including a distress beacon and a VHF radio.

"They will be exhausted. They'll be holding in there, but it will not be easy for them."

The couple sent a mayday early on Sunday.

Mr Groom said the wind should start to ease later today and there would be a lull when a rescue might be easier.

Air Force spokeswoman Squadron Leader Sue Connolly said the Orion should be over the yacht by 9 this morning. It would drop another liferaft and more communications and medical equipment.

She said the Orion would return tomorrow morning if necessary when another rescue would be attempted once the rough seas abated.