Tweed Bar damages VMR vessel during yacht rescue

8:37 PM Tue 4 May 2010 GMT

'Tweed River Bar - one of the most dangerous on the east coast' .

A rescue vessel trying to negotiate the Tweed River bar, known as one of the worst on the east coast, has been damaged during the rescue of a yacht.

Point Danger Volunteer Marine Rescue's main vessel was out of commission after taking on 'monstrous conditions' on the Tweed River bar early Tuesday morning.

Part of the ship's bow caved in after taking on waves as high at 4.5m about 4am while responding to the calls of a yacht in distress.

The skipper and three crew members on the Point Danger One escaped without injury.

Tween River VMR Radio Officer Chas Turner - photo Tweed News - .. .

Point Danger VMR radio operator Chas Turner said there was no time-frame on when the vessel would be fixed.

'It will be out of commission for a while, but I'm not sure how long,' Mr Turner said.

'Even though the vessel was damaged the crew continued on with the mission. That's how determined they were.'

He said it was a reminder of how dangerous crossing the Tweed bar could be.

The vessel in distress, 28-foot ketch yacht Meaanee, left Southport at midnight bound for Broken Bay before reporting a fire in the engine room about 4am while off the Tweed coast.

The yacht, with two people on board, was accompanied to Cook Island where it was secured to a buoy. It returned to the Tweed River about 11.40am yesterday.

The Point Danger One will be docked at the marina at the Ivory Tavern in Tweed Heads where it will remain until repairs can be taken out.

Following a recent survey of the Tweed River entrance, authorities decided there was no current need for dredging.

The Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project is a sand transport system that collects sand from the southern side of the Tweed River entrance and pumps it under the river to outlets on the northern side.

Point Danger VMR captain Bernie Gabriel previously said the bar could be dangerous, but there was minimum risk to river users if they were cautious.

by Patrick Williams, Tweed News/Sail-World Cruising