Yacht Moatize hits dock in Cairns

Aug 13, 2019 by Dorie Cox

By Dorie Cox

Capts. Brian and Sue Mitchell looked up from their dinner at a marina restaurant in Cairns in Queensland, Australia, to see a 150-foot Pendennis yacht heading toward the nearby dock.

“M/Y Moatize attempted to enter the Marlin Marina Cairns at 1815hrs tonight only 50 meters from us,” the couple wrote in an email to The Triton on Aug 10.

M/Y Moatize stopped near the dock in front of a popular dining spot. Photos by Capts. Brian and Sue Mitchell

Videos shared on social media and news sites show yacht crew putting fenders over the port side and running forward on the bow with arms waving to warn bystanders away from the docks. Damage to the yacht is seen in photos along the port side and the yacht appears to have hit a ramp dock before stopping short of the main dock along the sea wall.

“It would appear the reverse propulsion failed at approximately 5-7 knots ploughing into a very busy and popular dining area,” the Mitchells wrote. “It would seem the crew managed to release the anchor with the captain having only the option of bow thruster. A sad moment for the crew in these moments of critical equipment failure.”

Damage can be seen here on the ramp dock.

The incident is under investigation and there have been no injuries reported.

To read more and see videos visit Newsweek.com and Cairns’ 7 News.

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About Dorie Cox

Dorie Cox is a writer with Triton News.

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