Media Release

Fantasea Helps Tourists in Bad Weather

12th February 2008

Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays experienced strong winds and heavy storms overnight resulting in many boats drifting off moorings, losing anchor and the charter boat ‘Romance’ crashing on rocks off Hook Island.

Rescued passengers from ‘Romance’ returned from their hair-raising experience via Hayman island to the mainland at Shute Harbour this afternoon. Fantasea Adventure Cruising will assist in providing reduced ferry fares for the group to travel from Shute Harbour to Hamilton island airport tomorrow to begin their trek home.

Meanwhile, MV Fantasea Ammari was anchored in Cid Harbour overnight and crew were able to assist another boat in distress. Two crew on the Fantasea tender, Fantasea Cruisin’, were able to help a lone sailor from Coff’s Harbour whose yacht, ‘Stellar’, had drifted from its mooring and was in danger of crashing on nearby rocks.

Fantasea cruises to Whitehaven Beach and Reefworld were cancelled today due to rough conditions. More than ten yachts and catamarans have washed up around the shores of Airlie Beach in the roughest storm since cyclone Larry in 2006. Fantasea Cruising’s Operations Manager, Tony Crank said, “Fifteen to twenty knot winds from the north-west have the equivalent impact on the local tourism industry as gale force winds from any other direction. Fortunately, north-westerlies normally only occur on 15-20 days a year”.