Kiwi "Ghost Ship" turns up in Australian waters

[The Bigfella]

NEW Zealand's "ghost ship" - an 8m yacht called Air Apparent that just kept on sailing - has arrived in Queensland 14 months after it was abandoned.
It was abandoned on March 25, 2008 off the north coast of New Zealand when the crew reportedly "mutinied" and set off a distress beacon. It has finally been recovered by fishermen from Bowen, Queensland, 1400km away.

The crew set off an emergency position indicating radio beacon - reportedly against the wishes of skipper and owner Bill Heritage - after the boat's battery died in 3m seas and 55km/h winds.
The skipper and his three crew were all taken off the boat by a Northland rescue helicopter.

On May 27 last year the Air Apparent was found drifting with its mast intact and its sail dragging in the water about 400km off New Zealand's North Cape.

In October it was seen near Norfolk Island by a French naval ship, whose captain said it was like a "ghost ship".

Mr Heritage told Insurance News the boat was "rather the worse for wear".

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25521593-12377,00.html

[floatingkiwi]

They abandoned ship 'cos their battery died?...

[peter radclyffe]

They abandoned ship 'cos their battery died?...
was it more efficient without the crew, thats some boat

[John B]

We had a thread here at the time. The whole thing was a bit weird.

A similar thing happened about two weeks ago when some Aussies abandoned their boat off North Cape after crossing the Tasman .. they took the chopper express. It washed up on a west coast beach about a week or so later.Might have been 90 mile beach.

[Captain Intrepid]

Another reminder of why you usually stay on the boat until you have to step up to the life raft. Your boat is the best life raft you have. There's many many stories of vessels being abandoned, and being found, tight and dry months later. Alas in some of these occasions, the abandoning crew have died of starvation/exposure in their liferaft.

[WX]

Well everybody knows that these sail boats are pretty useless when the battery goes flat...no amount of wind will keep the beer cold.

[John B]

IIRC....If I have the right one.... The crew, who were inexperienced basically mutinied and set off the epirb against the wishes of the skipper/ owner. Once that was done and the rescue guys arrived ,they all had the choice of leaving the boat or not .. so it became a peer pressure thing. They all left including the skipper. It happened really close to when Resolution went up on Barrier if anyone wants a mission to find the original thread.

[The Bigfella]

I seem to remember it that way too John. As I recall it, one of the crew was a union organiser too, which made it seem rather funny at the time.

[The Bigfella]

That made it easy to find

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77520&highlight=Union

[seanz]

Did anybody ever say what sort of boat it was?

[John B]

Compass 790.

[Paul Pless]

As I recall it, one of the crew was a union organiser too, which made it seem rather funny at the time.that is kinda funny:D

[peter radclyffe]

Well everybody knows that these sail boats are pretty useless when the battery goes flat...no amount of wind will keep the beer cold.
so thats why they jumped,
cant they turn it into a true beer advert