Eden Water Police coordinator Steven Judd says the recovery of a yacht which ran aground at Snug Cove on Sunday afternoon was “a good result” for the NSW Marine Area Command, with no injuries or damage to other vessels.
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‘Daughter of the Wind’ broke its mooring at around 12.30pm on Sunday, and was washed onto the shoreline at Snug Cove in the strong 45 knot southwesterly.
Witnesses notified Eden Water Police, who immediately contacted the boat’s owner, and later assisted by towing the boat across to the breakwater wharf when the owner arrived at around 2pm.
Sergeant Judd said the yacht sustained possible damage to its keel as a result of the incident, but otherwise remained intact.
“Obviously the strong wind and sea conditions that the port is subject to places a lot of strain on the vessels moored and berthed here,” Sergeant Judd said.
“But, in the end it's a good result to get the yacht to safety, with no one injured and with no damage to any other vessels."
Eden resident Peter Whiter was at Snug Cove just prior to the incident, taking footage and images of the conditions to pass onto Port of Eden Marina Inc (POEM) president Fritz Drenkhahn, who has long called for a wave attenuator in a bid to create a safe harbour.
Mr Whiter then returned to capture images and video of the recovery effort, after he saw a Facebook post about the yacht running aground.
He says he believes “wholeheartedly” that a wave attenuator is vital to the future of Eden, and that Sunday’s incident only serves to illustrate the point.
“In my lifetime and since we’ve had our boat, the number of moorings in Snug Cove has increased dramatically,” Mr Whiter said.
“A wave attenuator gives support to such a wide base of industry.
“Eden’s an ocean port that doesn’t have an incredibly safe harbour; it’s a fallacy to think that it does.
“Quarantine Bay is full and overflowing, so it isn’t really all that safe either.
“I think a wave attenuator would be a fantastic thing for Snug Cove in general, and not just for the yachts and the pleasure boats, but for everything and everybody that uses it.
“Even the launching ramp, the abalone divers and the kingfishermen would benefit from it.”
Calls for a Snug Cove marina are also gathering traction.
Click the links below to read two recent letters to the editor in support of the marina, from POEM president Fritz Drenkhahn, and Island Cruising Association director John Martin.