On Sunday afternoon, a sailing yacht threatened to break up in the surf off Norderney. The yacht, which was just over ten metres long and owned by a Polish crew, ran aground on a sandbank in the Schluchter sea inlet about one and a half nautical miles northwest of Norderney. In 6 Beaufort and waves up to two and a half metres high, the three sailors were in mortal danger, but were rescued from the dangerous situation in time and remained unharmed.
The German Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre operated by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) was informed of the emergency at around 3 pm. The volunteer sea rescuers from the Norddeich station were immediately alerted with the rescue boat "Otto Diersch". They immediately made their way to the distressed yacht. Despite the Sea Rescue Day taking place on Sunday, the rescue cruiser "Hans Hackmack" also completed its visit to Langeoog and travelled to the scene of the accident. More than 40,000 guests visited the DGzRS stations last weekend and experienced actual operations at some of the stations.
On the day of the sea rescuers: Yacht threatened in the surfto break apart
Meanwhile, the strong surf repeatedly lifted the sailing yacht and caused it to touch down again on the hard sandy bottom. The ship was in danger of breaking apart. The sea rescuers were therefore forced to act quickly but purposefully and immediately tried to get close to the boat in order to establish a line connection. "We had to be very careful not to get stuck ourselves," said volunteer foreman Marcus Baar, explaining the challenge. As the damaged sailing yacht drifted slightly, the rescuers seized the opportunity and quickly approached with the "Otto Diersch" so that a line could be thrown.
The Polish yacht was then towed into the harbour. The crew, consisting of two women and one man, survived the incident unharmed. According to the sea rescuers, the shipwrecked vessel would probably have been smashed by the strong surf a short time later.
Not an isolated case: Another yacht rescued from the surf- at night
Last Tuesday, four French sailors found themselves in a similar and also life-threatening situation in the North Sea. They also fell victim to a sandbank in the surf zone off Borkum at night. In north-westerly winds of 5 to 6 Beaufort and waves up to two and a half metres high, the crew were unable to free themselves from the shoal.
The rudder was already broken and worse was to come. This was because the strong surf repeatedly lifted the sailing yacht, which was almost ten metres long, before it touched down again on the hard sandy bottom. The sea rescuers from Borkum station were informed at around 10.30 p.m. and then freed the ship with the daughter boat due to the shallow depth. On the third attempt, they succeeded in taking the damaged yacht in tow and then bringing it into the harbour with the rescue cruiser "Hamburg". The four sailors were completely exhausted, but also remained unharmed, according to the DGzRS statement.
Other similar accidents:
Navigating in sea races and dangerous leeward wall situations: How to act correctly
The sea races between the East Frisian islands of Juist and Norderney in particular are considered very challenging, even among experienced sailors. The accident involving the Polish crew is not the first case in the Schluchter fairway. The last incident there was in May a Dutch couple narrowly escaped with their lives.
As the sea channels are treacherous and also vary from person to person, particular caution is required. Natural processes can cause fairways to shift constantly, which is why up-to-date information on the situation is necessary for safe navigation. According to the BSU, however, it is currently "only possible for water sports enthusiasts to find reliable information for navigating in the shipping lanes with considerable effort". The authority therefore generally recommends the following:
- Always sail with the tidal current.
- If you want to sail round the outside of an island, plan both Gatt passages carefully.
- Do not navigate in the dark or in difficult visibility conditions.
- In principle, every sea channel should be navigable in moderate, onshore winds of 3 to 4 Beaufort and the associated swell with incoming water and more than half tide. Exception: A high swell has formed.
- Always avoid the constellation of current against wind! From a wind force of 5 Beaufort it can be dangerous for sailing yachts.
- Pass the barre - a sand or mud bank - at high tide (plus/minus two hours).
- Always manoeuvre within the buoyed fairway.
- A sailing boat should only sail into a sea anchorage under sail if there is sufficient space to leeward at all times.
- When sailing downwind, if possible only sail under headsail to reduce the risk of jibing and windward yaw.
- An engine - if available - should always be ready to start or even run to keep the boat on course or to manoeuvre it out of a sudden dangerous situation.
In 2021, the BSU received a total of 65 reports of groundings in German waters involving leisure boats under engine and sail, 20 of which were charter yachts. In addition to overconfidence, lack of preparation, unfamiliarity with the area and technical failure are the most common causes of such grounding situations.
