Fed: Antarctic yacht crew told to stay on board

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2001
Fed: Antarctic yacht crew told to stay on board

HOBART, Feb 1 AAP - The owner of an Australian yacht crippled in the Antarctic today
supported a refusal by a French ship's captain to take aboard crew from the damaged vessel.

The French Antarctic resupply vessel L'Astrolabe rendezvoused with the 19-metre Spirit
of Sydney last night, and a couple of crew members asked to be taken aboard.

Given that crew members on the Spirit of Sydney were not in distress and the French
skipper was running a working ship, Don McIntyre said he understood the refusal.

"The captain rightly and politely declined and I support his decision," Mr McIntyre,
in Hobart, said.

"The captain is a good bloke who'd offered every assistance in an emergency, but he's
in charge of a working ship and they wanted to go on board as passengers."

The Spirit of Sydney, with 10 on board, lost its propeller and steering and was taking
water in pack ice about 50 nautical miles off the French Antarctic base of Dumont D'Urville
on Monday night.

Now largely repaired and free of ice, although still without an engine, the yacht was
heading back towards Hobart in good weather, Mr McIntyre said.

While it could not use its engine, it would only use sails anyway through the Southern
Ocean, he said.

The yacht was expected to reach the Tasmanian capital in a fortnight.

AAP dw/mjm/br e

KEYWORD: ANTARCTIC YACHT NIGHTLEAD

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