Whitsunday yacht damage - the aftermath of Cyclone Ului

7:59 PM Tue 23 Mar 2010 GMT

'Whitsunday yachts beached - photo by John Wilson, source Courier Mail' .

Now the Cyclone Ului has passed, the yachting community of the Whitsundays is left to count the cost - and watch the ugly side of Australians come to the fore.

About 60 yachts and motor vessels broke moorings and were driven ashore on to rocks or foreshores during the cyclone. After decades of relatively quiet cyclone seasons, yacht owners were not prepared. Absentee owners have been devastated, first by the damage to their boats, then to the horror of looters and 'salvagers'.

Looters have been caught stealing gear from the beached vessels, and chased away as they pillaged wreckage in the aftermath of the Category 3 cyclone.

Water police warned off two scuba divers caught trying to plunder a sunken luxury boat in 20m of water, near Airlie Beach.

Boat owner Lin Fox, whose life possessions are strewn over rocks, told the Brisbane Courier Mail she had chased looters. 'I told them this was gut-wrenching enough. Just leave it alone,' she said.

Yachts, catamarans and fishing boats have been dashed on rock breakwaters or run aground in mangroves with wreckage strewn from Shute Harbour to Airlie Beach. Seven vessels have vanished without trace.

Frank Pap said his smashed luxury catamaran had been raided, losing a generator, GPS, a laptop and tools. 'I am too disgusted for words,' he said.'My whole life is smashed to pieces on those rocks, and some mongrel wants to come along and steal what little is left.'

Airlie Beach Water Police confirmed they had fielded 'lots of calls from people trying to claim salvage rights'. Senior Constable Neil MacMillan said: 'There is no such thing as salvage rights, it's called stealing.'

by Courier Mail/Sail-World Cruising

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