Catamaran Comfortably Numb is back afloat at her moorings in the East London harbour.
The R4m 13.4-metre craft started sinking on Saturday night, but Buffalo River Yacht Club housing and grounds committee member Conrad Bennett says the efforts of club members operating three pumps had removed enough water to get the vessel back up by Wednesday evening.
Asked how the club members had been alerted at night he said: “Dude, this is the yacht club. We sail and we party.” He said club members heard a “scritching” on the water and went to investigate.
Attempts were also made to plug a hole.
Opinions on when and how far the yacht sank vary: the club’s former commodore, Wayne Flowerday, said the cat went to the bottom — 3m below — but Bennett says only one hull went down “quite far”, but not all the way to the riverbed.
Bennett said the tide and wind had moved a floating jetty, which then hit the craft near the hull, causing a crack and water to flow in.
He said the rudder also “hit a rock”.
He said damage was extensive. A motor, navigation equipment, and power tools were under water.
Six members of the club had come to the vessel’s rescue and East London firm Thesen’s Generators had brought one of their pumps.
Comfortably Numb's owner Graham Wentworth declined to comment.