At around 3.35 p.m. on Tuesday, a 45-foot yacht made an emergency call. The crew of seven was in distress on the Flensburg Outer Fjord due to a broken mast.
With wind speeds of over 30 knots and waves around two metres high, the mast broke above the lowest spreader. As a result, the crew was unable to get the sails completely out of the water and secure the rig appropriately. Lines also threatened to get caught in the engine's propeller. As a result, the sailing yacht drifted eastwards at around three knots over the ground without propulsion and unable to manoeuvre, according to a statement from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS).
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Initially, the rescue boats "Ursula Dettmann" and "Werner Kuntze" set course for the damaged yacht. When they arrived, the 14 metre long and four and a half metre wide sailing yacht was about eight nautical miles east of the Kalkgrund lighthouse. Both lifeboats transferred a rescuer to assist the crew.
Sea rescuers in action for five hours
With the help of special tools, they first secured parts of the wrecked rig before towing the yacht ashore south of the Falshöft lighthouse. There they managed to salvage the sails completely. The sailors were very exhausted and some were severely seasick.
The rescue cruiser "Fritz Knack" then took over the rescue operation at Pottloch and towed the yacht into the harbour of its Olpenitz station. The operation was completed at around 8.30 p.m. and the crew of the sailing yacht remained unharmed.
Other maritime emergencies:
Rig check: precaution is important
Rigging faults can be life-threatening - and expensive. So check, check, check - down to the smallest detail if possible. Damage to the mast profile and standing rigging, including the loss of all sails and considerable damage to the deck, fittings and electronics, can quickly cost between 30,000 and 100,000 euros for a standard 42-foot yacht. For older boats, this can mean a total economic loss.
Even the smallest deficiencies in the rigging, such as a pin in the fork terminal that is too small, worn shroud mountings or a bent or missing splint, can result in a mast breakage. According to Pantaenius, this insurance broker has handled around 500 claims in this context in the last three years alone.
