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On Passage from Argentina to Brazil: Pursuit and Attempted Collision

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Report Intro

Swiss yacht “Sutitude” describe a distressing experience en-route from Argentina to Itajai, Brazil last month, when they were pursued by a boat for several hours which seemed intent on trying to ram them.

Last Update - April 10, 2020

Report Content

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This is a basic translation from French – please see original report from SY Suditude in French below.

  • Friday March 20, 2020 – 18:30
  • 35 16 S, 054 14 W
  • Wind 255, 19 knots
  • Swiss boat SY Suditude departs Mar del Plata for Itajai, Brazil.
  • On board, Jean-Claude and Françoise, retired couple.

As night falls, the masthead lights and radar are on.

At 3 NM, at 21:00, two white lights are spotted on a collision course with SY Suditude. No port or starboard lights can be seen.

At 1 NM, we switch the engine on and roll out the genoa in order to speed up and get in front of the vessel that is on a collision course with us.

The boat follows us a hundred meters or so behind. It looks a little like a small cargo ship, approx 25-28 meters long, with the bow a little higher than the deck and a little tower at the back. Colour black, or dark. Nobody was seen.

We accelerate to 2300 rpm, but the boat sticks to us.

We darken all the different cockpit screens.

Suddenly the pursuers have transferred to our starboard side and we find ourselves practically next to each other. The pursuers are oblique to our rear in an attempt to ram us.

We make a very short turn to starboard and find ourselves side by side, a hundred meters apart.

At this moment I have an idea: if I place my boat’s bow against its stern, it will not be able to do anything. I veer in that direction, then, back off and quickly gain a few lengths in front of our pursuers. By the time they get themselves sorted out we have gained about 150 meters.

Little by little, the distance widens, the Yanmar rotates at 2500 rpm, with the help of the wind our speed reaches 9 knots and more. It’s too much for the pursuers, the distance widens and after 2 hours of pursuit several miles separate us.

When we are 12 miles apart the chaser gives up, he heads west as seen on the radar.

When we had been in Ushuaia, Argentina, Max our neighbor had told us he had experienced a collision attempt in the same sea area.

A French family heading up the Atlantic on the same passage also had a similar experience with a fishing boat in the vicinity of Itajai.

Two days later, we had to start the engine to escape suspicious maneuvers from a fishing boat off Rio Grande del Sur.

An experienced yachtsman remains stronger.

Please keep other boaters informed.

Jean-Claude and Françoise
SY Suditude

Original Report in French:

Tentative d”abordage déjouée.

Vendredi 20 mars 2020, 18h 30, 35 16 S, 054 14 W, vent 255, 19 noeuds.
SY Suditude chemine sous GV 1 ri et Génois, route de Mar del Plata à Itajai.
A bord, Jean-Claude et Françoise, couple de retraités.

La nuit tombe, les feux de tête de mât sont allumés, radar en émission.
A 3 MN, à 9 h deux feux blancs sont en route de collision,. pas de signalisation babord ni tribord.
Alors que l’écho est à 1 MN, le moteur est allumé et le cap est dévié vers l’est, de manière à se trouver devant l’intervenant et la vitesse augmentée; le génois qui bat est roulé.
Le bateau nous suit à une centaine de mètres.
Accélération -2300 t/min, le bateau nous colle.
Obscurcissement des différents écrans de cockpit.
Brusque virement sur tribord et l’on se retrouve pratiquement à côté l’un de l’autre.
Stop du moteur, le poursuivant oblique vers notre arrière en tentative d’éperonnage, le voilier effectue un très court virage sur tribord, nous nous retrouvons sur notre erre, côte à côte, à une centaine de mètres..
A ce moment, une idée: si je plaque mon voilier proue contre sa poupe, il ne pourra rien faire.
je vire dans cette direction, alors, lui fait marche arrière.
Je contrevire et gagne rapidement quelques longueurs sur son avant.
Le temps qu’il se remette en route, l’avance est de 150 mètres environ.
Peu à peu, la distance se creuse, le Yanmar tourne à 2500 t/min, avec l’aide de la GV vent 120 arrière, la vitesse atteint 9 noeuds et quelque.
C’est trop pour lui, la distance se creuse, et après 2 h de poursuite, plusieurs milles nous séparent mais les bateaux sont toujours l’un derrière l’autre.
Alors que 12 milles nous séparent, le poursuivant abandonne, il prend une direction ouest l’écho radar en est témoin..

Au ponton d’Ushuaia, Max notre voisin, nous avait expliqué avoir subi une tentative d’abordage dans ce même secteur.
Une famille française qui remonte l’Atlantique sur la même route ont expérimenté les mêmes manoeuvres de la part de pêcheurs dans les environs d’Itajai.

2 jours plus tard, nous devons mettre le moteur pour échapper à des manoeuvres suspectes d’une bateau de pêche, au large de Rio Grande del Sur.

Un plaisancier averti reste plus fort.

Merci d’en tenir informé les autres plaisanciers.

Jean-Claude et Françoise de Suditude

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.

Submitted By

Places

Argentina, Brazil, Itajai, Mar del Plata, Southern Coast (Brazil),

Update History

Date Last Edited

April 10, 2020 - 05:20 PM

Last Edited By

Sue Richards

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