At 03h00, Thursday, 04 May, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were placed on alert following reports from the 30 foot yacht Mafuta, with 3 male crew onboard, sailing from Cape Town to Durban, reporting rudder failure.
In calm seas the crew were attempting to fix the rudder and NSRI Shelly Beach remained on alert.
Later during the morning the casualty yacht crew reported fixing the rudder but reported that they were now experiencing motor mechanical failure but they were continuing to sail in light winds towards Durban and NSRI Shelly Beach remained on alert.
On getting closer to Durban at 17h15 NSRI Durban were activated and the NSRI Durban sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer II was launched and rendezvoused with the yacht 8 nautical miles South of Durban, a nautical mile off-shore of The Cutting, and the yacht was taken under tow and towed into the Durban Port Marina without incident where she was safely moored and no further assistance was required.
Then at midday, while continuing to monitor the yacht Mafuta, NSRI Shelly Beach launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Dawn to rendezvous with the yacht Dusky, with 3 male crew onboard, sailing from Cape Town to Durban, to deliver additional diesel as a precaution with the yacht heading towards Durban in near windless conditions and fearing that they may not have enough diesel if they have to continue under motor power.
The extra diesel was transferred onto the yacht without incident off-shore of Ramsgate and Dusky continued on towards Durban.
