Big roaming power boat
25 July 2013 | Tribune Bay
Clear,calm with winds building to 25NW
We were settled in for a quiet night in the cockpit,when we noticed the entire crew of an 80' luxury power yacht disembark into their rubber tender firing off towards the light of Nanaimo on flat calm water. We had checked the weather and knew the winds were about to build to 25 kn. We had noted earlier that they had anchored close to the reef with very little rode so we sat back to watch the show!
As predicted the winds built to 15 kn. The massive yacht began to drift. We called the crew with no response on chanel 16.We watched setting point of land as our markers. We radioed coast guard Comox on 83A to report the drifting vessel. They radioed back in 30 minutes to verify that the vessel remained adrift. By this time they vessel was well out into Little Tribune Bay and had drifted a quarter mile. Rescue centre contacted us. Shortly after the crew returned. We notified the rescue centre indicating that they had returned and most surely would note the distance they had travelled, which was now about a half a mile!. WRONG! We could see them socializing on the decks then, the interior lights gradually shut off. Rick raced to their boat to notify them that they had drifted They responded that they were okay and that everythign was under control, shortly after they scrambled to the fore deck with deck lights blazing. This morning they pulled anchor motoring south. Shortly after a stern voice from Win Chelsea control ordered a powerboat to change course as Whiskey Gulf is an active torpedo firing area. My skipper said, "I bet that is them!" Next we hear "MY CKD, You are in an active torpedo firing zone. Change course immediately to the North" Yup it was them!