Aussie yacht stranded on Phuket beach recovered, but broken and seized

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Aussie yacht stranded on Phuket beach recovered, but broken and seized
Tanyaluk Sakoot


The recovery effort on Friday left the boat with two broken masts. Photo: John Petherick

PHUKET: -- The 50-foot wooden sailing yacht stranded on Kata Beach since April 1 has finally been moved, but the owners will now have to present themselves to the Phuket Marine Office to claim their broken boat.

The ketch Inisfail was left stranded on the beach by a storm on April 1, despite efforts to save the boat by the two Australian men on board at the time.

The Aussies, who reportedly own the yacht, were en route from Ranong near the Myanmar border to Chalong, on Phuket’s east coast, when they were caught off-guard by foul weather and their boat blown ashore. (See story here.)

Efforts to safely recover the yacht, which had become a tourist attraction in itself, from the sand had failed, until a huge barge with a crane on board arrived on Friday afternoon (June 26).

The floating crane recovered the Inisfail, though both the mizzen and main masts are now broken. What other damage the boat has suffered has yet to be made clear.

Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuriphat Teerakulpisut today (June 29) confirmed to The Phuket News that he ordered the boat to be recovered from the tourist-popular beach.

“I ordered officers to recover the boat only after receiving permission from the owner,” he said. “I think the owner tried to have it recovered before, but those efforts failed.”

The Marine Office had to hire a private barge with a crane to reclaim the boat, an enterprise costing between B700,000 and B800,000 that Mr Phuriphat said he personally paid out of pocket.

“The boat is being held by the Phuket Marine Office, and I am still waiting for the two Australians to present themselves,” he said.

“After all this time, the boat still has not been registered with our office as entering Phuket waters, and the cost of moving the boat should be paid by the owners. That is their responsibility.

“I am waiting for them at the Phuket Marine Office now.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/aussie-yacht-stranded-on-phuket-beach-recovered-but-broken-and-seized-52985.php


-- Phuket News 2015-06-29

[Old Croc]

The owners have probably long since written off their investment as a lost cause. I doubt they would walk into that office with a pocket full of cash to retrieve that hulk. If they did they might mistakenly end up with a jetski franchise.

[lovelomsak]

Doubt the owners are interested now. A demasted boat with an engine that needs repair, and a 800,000 baht salvage fee waiting for them.

[Shot]

Edited June 29, 2015 by Shot

[Don Mega]

Doubt the owners are interested now. A demasted boat with an engine that needs repair, and a 800,000 baht salvage fee waiting for them.

Thats what insurance is for.

[MRDave]

I'm not a boating person but wouldn't it have been insured? and wouldn't they have but in a claim by now?

[green job]

Whats the smiley for? a bit of schadenfreude ? cxxx

[stevenl]

I'm not a boating person but wouldn't it have been insured? and wouldn't they have but in a claim by now?

Yes, one would expect it to be insured for things like this. But since they just bought it and it stranded on the first voyage I doubt insurance was in place. And considering the present condition of the yacht I don't think the owners will show

Why Phuripat would pay this out of his own pocket I don't understand.

[lovelomsak]

Doubt the owners are interested now. A demasted boat with an engine that needs repair, and a 800,000 baht salvage fee waiting for them.

Thats what insurance is for.

If it was insured would the insurance not have got it off the beach for them? Easier to have organised recovery than some barge that demasts the boat and adds to costs.

[Shot]

Whats the smiley for? a bit of schadenfreude ? cxxx

I'm just happy the eyesore is gone

[green job]

Whats the smiley for? a bit of schadenfreude ? cxxx

I'm just happy the eyesore is gone

If I had lived so close,I would of given them a hand. The same thing happened to me in Malaysia,Wave-Master ( Austrailian co in Langkawi ) helped me

including many locals. My Ketch was more or less the same kind of vessel but Ferro, 32tons

In Thailand blaa blaa blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Ace of Pop]

Phuket remind me of Kho Chang. Once Heaven. Now Its " Welcome to the Hotel California"., old Guest House owners pretending its viable. Not even Crocodile Dundee would go there anymore.Thank the Thai Mafia for it.

[stevenl]

Phuket remind me of Kho Chang. Once Heaven. Now Its " Welcome to the Hotel California"., old Guest House owners pretending its viable. Not even Crocodile Dundee would go there anymore.Thank the Thai Mafia for it.

Thanks for the smiley.

Any connection between your post and a stranded yacht?

[Chicog]

The Marine Office had to hire a private barge with a crane to reclaim the boat, an enterprise costing between B700,000 and B800,000 that Mr Phuriphat said he personally paid out of pocket.

I believe the phrase is "yeah right".

[steelepulse]

Seeing as the Princess was in Kata the day before the salvage work was done, there seems to be a correlation between her visit and Phuriphat stumping up for the money and doing his job. If the Princess hadn't of come, the boat would still be there. Awful nice of the guy to pony up this kind of money for the poor Aussies out of the goodness of his heart. I hear jet ski rental rates are going up now.....................................

[German Viking]

Doubt the owners are interested now. A demasted boat with an engine that needs repair, and a 800,000 baht salvage fee waiting for them.

Thats what insurance is for.

Some morons don't having any insurance.

[German Viking]

Doubt the owners are interested now. A demasted boat with an engine that needs repair, and a 800,000 baht salvage fee waiting for them.

Thats what insurance is for.

If it was insured would the insurance not have got it off the beach for them? Easier to have organised recovery than some barge that demasts the boat and adds to costs.

Did you every tried a recovery of a boat, when it's full of sand!!???

[Ace of Pop]

Phuket remind me of Kho Chang. Once Heaven. Now Its " Welcome to the Hotel California"., old Guest House owners pretending its viable. Not even Crocodile Dundee would go there anymore.Thank the Thai Mafia for it.

Thanks for the smiley.

Any connection between your post and a stranded yacht?

The connection is obvious .Phuket Admin, AKA as Mafia wont do anything for Phuket People untill they have figured a way to take a cut.

[robertthebruce]

It was an eyesore and dangerous, glad it's gone......

[FangFerang]

A Thai barge with a crane cost 700-800,000 baht? That's the farang price...

[LivinginKata]

A Thai barge with a crane cost 700-800,000 baht? That's the farang price...

Seems reasonable to me + 2 tugs in attendance. A day to 2 to get round from Phuket side, 2 days working and then transit back. Most likey a 7 day charter.

Edited June 30, 2015 by LivinginKata

[NamKangMan]

Phuripat did not play this hand very well at all.

He should have removed the boat straight away, for the "safety" of tourists. No media attention, and a clean beach.

He then should have presented the Australian owners with a huge salvage "farang bill." Possibly a bill worth more than the boat.

The owners wouldn't have paid it and walked away. The insurance company, if it was insured, would have written it off at a loss, and may have only paid what the boat was insured for to the owners.

The boat then goes to a "secret auction" and a family member of Phuripat buys it for next to nothing.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....sounds like a scam by any other name

.....doubt they agreed to foot an 800,000 baht bill...

...ludicrous.....especially how the boat was handled....hardly a rescue...

[sawadee1947]

if they would have a good insurance they would not appear again

[LivinginKata]

Thats what insurance is for.

If it was insured would the insurance not have got it off the beach for them? Easier to have organised recovery than some barge that demasts the boat and adds to costs.

Old boat like that, and just 'bought' I doubt insurance cover would have be paid for.

[BernieOnTour]

Mr. Phuripat will wait forever...

12 weeks for a wooden boat on the beach in the blazing sun and the waves hitting the hull....

Seams open, one or the other plank broken, some frames broken, motor in the saltwater, most likely anything of value robbed out of the yacht, interior soaked in saltwater and sand, masts broken

==> value=0

[kinmaew]

hire a private barge with a crane to reclaim the boat, an enterprise costing between B700,000 and B800,000 that Mr Phuriphat said he personally paid out of pocket

Who on earth would do this. Think about the scenario, big bucks like this out of your personal money to pay for something that belongs to someone else and you are not sure you will get your money back.

Sounds like a bit of f'ing BS to me

[KarenBravo]

Ahem......a very small supply boat five years ago cost US15,000 per day (460,000 Bt).

The price for that barge, which is not self-propelled, and the stand-by boats actually sounds cheap.

[green job]

Ahem......a very small supply boat five years ago cost US15,000 per day (460,000 Bt).

The price for that barge, which is not self-propelled, and the stand-by boats actually sounds cheap.

where on earth do ALL you guys get your prices from???

[simon43]

Who on earth would do this.

You would - if you were the Thai person responsible for keeping the beach looking beautiful, and HM Princess is coming to visit....

If he did pay, then I think he maybe had no choice but to cough up to rid the beach of the wreck pronto