The skipper is a shipwright amongst his many talents and I know him from his days working in Cairns. He was attempting a solo circumnavigation of Australia in his 34 foot S & S when he hit a heavy swell with steep seas off South West Cape W A about 150 k out.
His yacht was falling of the back of these steep seas and crashing down the back of the waves. The result was that the 30 year old mast broke near the spreaders and he had difficulty cutting it away. The broken mast then punched a hole below the waterline and he was unable to stem the flow.
It is an S&S34 hull I think. The deck isn't a Swarbrick built one but might be a UK built Winfield boat or maybe a home built deck. This might be the first S&S34 to be sunk at sea. PS sorry 2nd, Alan Fenwicks Morning Tide sank up off Byron Bay 8 years ago.
I just looked her up on the S&S34 Association website and it is her. She was for sale last year so not sure who was owner/skipper. A fantastic example of an S&S.
