The solo sailor’s yacht was de-masted and has suffered some hull damage in rough weather conditions during his round the world journey. An associate of the sailor contacted AMSA this morning after the yacht had been de-masted.
After making contact with the sailor, who did not declare he was in distress at the time, AMSA advised him to head towards Hobart.
At approximately 1:00pm AEDT this afternoon, AMSA detected an emergency beacon activation from the yacht 500nm south west of Hobart.
AMSA has issued a broadcast to shipping for vessels in the area to provide assistance.
A cruise ship, Orion, has started making its way towards the yacht’s position and is due to arrive in a few days.
AMSA’s dedicated search and rescue Dornier from Essendon will arrive in the area later this evening to attempt to make contact with the man and assess the situation.
AMSA believes the sailor has been at sea for several months.
Further updates will be provided when more information is available.