PORT ALFRED - YACHT TRAVELLING FROM ST FRANCIS TO MAPUTO HAD TO BE ESCORTED TO KOWIE RIVER

A yacht was safely escorted to the Kowie River near Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape, after its crew feared bad weather conditions in the sea, the National Sea Rescue Institute said on Saturday.

The NSRI Port Alfred crew were activated following a request for an escort on Friday at 15:26, said spokesperson Andrew Ingram.

According to the Port Alfred station commander, Juan Pretorius, the 38-foot catamaran, Papillion, was sailing from Port St Francis to Maputo.

The crew of two, one from Jeffrey's Bay and one from Paradise Beach, were worried that they would be caught by the storm which was forecast to come through the area late on Friday, said Pretorius.

Pretorius said the crew asked for an escort into the Kowie River where they could safely wait for the "bad" weather to pass.

The sea rescue vessels Lotto Challenger and Rescue 11 Alpha met Papillon off Port Alfred and transferred a local sailing expert aboard to act as a pilot for the tricky approach to the Kowie.

"Because Papillon is such a big vessel we asked Clinton Schultz, of Supercat Marine, to guide them in. Normally such big yachts do not come into the river," said Pretorius.

The Papillon safely entered the Kowie river at 16:29 escorted by Lotto Challenger and would wait out the bad weather in the safety of the river, he said.

VIA - news24.com / nsri.org.za