Ran Tan II crew rescued after keel failure

Published on May 31st, 2019

(May 31, 2019) – The crew of the Elliott 50 Ran Tan II – Nic Finlayson, Keith Hogan, and Kosta Popov – are safe after being rescued while delivering Brian Petersen’s yacht from its homeland of Auckland, NZL to Los Angeles, USA for the 2019 Transpac Race in July.

At 5:17 pm on May 29, the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Honolulu watchstanders had received a report from Ran Tan II stating the vessel’s keel was failing and the three people aboard were making preparations to abandon ship as needed with supplies and emergency beacons into a life-raft to await rescue.

The watchstanders immediately issued a SafteyNet broadcast requesting assistance from vessels in the area. They were located 2,008 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii. The crew of the fishing vessel Azteca 5 responded to the request for help and diverted course to the Ran Tan II’s location.

“We are very thankful to the crew of the Azteca 5 for their willingness to divert course and respond,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Leslie Elliott, a watchstander at JRCC. “The Pacific is a vast area, and the closest responders in these cases are often fellow mariners. Usually, the best outcomes are due to that professional mariner code because it’s recognized a bad situation can happen to anyone.”

Initially reported as keel damage, several hours later the keel parted from the hull but updates indicated the yacht was able to stay upright. Ran Tan II, designed by Greg Elliott and built by Salthouse Boatbuilders in 2006, had a canting keel and was a regular on the Auckland racing circuit.

“The vastness of the Pacific is a challenge, and this particular part is not heavily trafficked,” said Elliott. “The distance of the closest Coast Guard resource in Hawaii is equivalent to the distance between New York City and Salt Lake City, Utah. Often first responders are days away, and it is why we are thankful for the assistance of good Samaritans and those vessels participating in the Automated Mutual-Response Vessel Rescue System.”

Additional updates here: https://livesaildie.com/ran-tan-ii-activates-epirb/