A sailing yacht reported water ingress east of Schleimünde at around 9.40 pm on Thursday 23 July. According to the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service, the boat was approximately four nautical miles off the harbour at the time. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre then alerted the sea rescue vessel “Fritz Knack”, which set out for the scene shortly afterwards.
Contact is lost; second DGzRS boat sets sail
According to the DGzRS, telephone contact with the yacht was lost shortly after the initial report. The rescue coordination centre therefore could not rule out the possibility that the situation on board had deteriorated, and consequently also alerted the “Hellmut Manthey” from the Maasholm station.
By the time the sea rescue team reached the yacht, the crew had already bailed water out of the boat. The two young men were reportedly so soaked that the crew took them aboard the “Fritz Knack” and provided them with dry clothes. A rescue worker then boarded the stricken yacht and steered it whilst it was being towed to Maasholm. According to the DGzRS, the boat and its crew arrived safely at the harbour there at around 11.30 pm.
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Why a leak can quickly become critical
This incident illustrates how quickly a boat can take on water and become a maritime emergency, even without strong winds. According to the DGzRS, there were only light westerly winds of around three on the Beaufort scale at the time of the operation. In such situations, it is not only the weather that is decisive, but above all how much water enters the boat and how quickly. This is precisely where the danger lies: even small openings can force more water into the vessel than standard bilge pumps can cope with.
If water is entering the boat, the crew must act immediately. They should start all available pumps, clearly assign tasks and inform the rescue coordination centre of their position, situation and the measures taken. It is equally important to reduce the vessel’s speed and to check or close the seacocks, provided the situation allows.
How to deal with a water leak properly:
Cause of the water ingress unknown
It is not yet known where the water entered the eight-metre-long yacht. The incident off Schleimünde ended without serious consequences. However, it also shows how quickly a technical problem on board can turn into a genuine emergency.
Fabian Boerger
Editor News & Panorama
