American Yacht Wrecked at Palmerston

Although details are not yet clear, we’ve learned that the 42-ft American yacht Ri Ri was lost recently on a reef at Palmerston Island in the Cooks.

Dave and Sherry McCampbell of the Marathon, FL-based CSY 44 Soggy Paws report in their blog: "We are sad to report that one boat we are acquainted with, Ri Ri, was lost on the reef at Palmerston Atoll yesterday. We haven’t been able to get all the details, but Ri Ri was on a mooring there and apparently broke free. (No word yet on whether it was mooring equipment that failed, or boat-based equipment, and how they got so stuck so fast that they couldn’t get off).

"A huge effort was made to pull her off the reef, but they eventually gave up that effort and started just trying to salvage stuff inside. So Frank and his girlfriend are fine, but are sitting on a pile of used boat gear in Palmerston, wondering what to do next. Very sad. As always, a number of cruisers are headed for Palmerston to help out as much as possible – and one has already promised them passage on to Tonga when they are ready."