Central Coast 21 with 7.0m runabout in tow in Broken Bay

Two calls for help were received by Marine Rescue Central Coast first thing on Saturday morning (Nov 26). The first call, received by phone around 8:20 saw Central Coast 21 with Skipper Bren Weston at the helm, tasked to assist a 7.0m runabout reported with two persons on board and a mechanical problem. The boat was in Broken Bay off Bullimah Beach, at the western tip of Gerrin Point. The 3.0m seas made conditions difficult but the rescue crew located the vessel and it was taken in tow. The lumpy seas put extra strain on the tow line and a fitting parted. It was replaced and the tow resumed, however, the tow was again suspended when the rescue boat instruments showed the engine was overheating.

The second call was received by radio at 8:30 saw Central Coast 22 with Skipper Ian Radford at the helm, tasked to assist 6.0m runabout with electrical failure at Ettalong. This vessel was located and had reached The Rip Bridge on the way to Lintern Street Ramp when the rescue boat was directed to assist Central Coast 21 now at Box Head. The towed boat was asked to anchor and the crew promised to return as quickly as possible. Central Coast 22 hurried to Broken Bay and took over the tow from Central Coast 21 and the vessel was towed to Gosford Ramp

After some investigation the cause of the diesel engine overheating was determined and rectified. Central Coast 21 then went to The Rip Bridge and took the anchored vessel left by Central Coast 22 in tow, dropping the vessel at Lintern Street Ramp.

Max Landells (left) and Peter Fischer aboard Central Coast 22 control the tow from Blackwall

On Sunday at 09:30 the radio room received a phone call from the owner of a 5.0m runabout with mechanical failure off the north entry to the Blackwall Channel. He requested  a tow To Gosford Ramp. Central Coast 22  with Bren Weston and his crew attended and towed the boat to Gosford Ramp. Just 50m from Gosford Ramp the rescue boat was flagged down by a man and his two children aboard a 6.0m runabout. He said it was only the second time they had used the boat and the engine had failed. They were towed back to Gosford ramp where they had launched only a short time before.

At 12:55 a member of the public phoned to report a swamped boat off the old Iguana Joes Restaurant with people in the water. Ian Radford and his crew on Central Coast 22 were sent to the area and found a passing ski boat had taken two children on a floating ‘donut’ to shore and had the swamped boat in tow to Gosford boat ramp.