A RHIB from HMAS Kanimbla goes to the rescue of the disabled yacht Balaclava at a point in the Indian Ocean known only as 11¡ 44' S 109¡ 15' E. Photo by POPH Kevin Bristow, NIU/East.

RAN divers from HMAS Kanimbla (CMDR David McCourt) wore their Gulf boarding helmets to prevent injury when they attached a new rudder to a disabled French yacht deep in the Indian Ocean earlier this month.

Replacing the missing rudder was just one of the tasks undertaken by the warship.

"The captain had a large piece of his thumb cut out when he was trying to save the rudder," CMDR McCourt told Navy News.

"We brought him to our ship's hospital, stitched up the wound and gave him painkillers and antibiotics."

The ocean emergency began in the last days of July when the 14-metre yacht Balaclava was sailing with two Frenchmen from Darwin to Christmas Island.

About 200 nautical miles east of the island the rudder parted from its fittings and went to the ocean floor.

The yachtsmen dropped all but a small stabilising sail and awaited help.

They did not have HF radio but an Indonesian fishing boat came upon the pair. The Indonesians used their radio to send a message through Indonesia to the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Canberra.

The 'help' request was relayed to Maritime Headquarters in Sydney who in turn, on Thursday, August 1 ordered Kanimbla to respond.

The warship made 'best time', arriving at 5am on Saturday, August 3.

"We estimated her drift and came up with a datum point," CMDR McCourt said.

"She was just two-and-a-half miles away.

"The XO, who is a qualified diver, went over the side and with a snorkel had a look at the stern. The rudder was gone. There were some fittings left.

"Dimensions were taken and relayed to the 'chippys' and engineers on board.

"The 'chippys' made a replacement rudder using pieces of 12mm plywood bolted together giving a 24mm thickness."

CMDR McCourt said his ship wanted to make sure Balaclava made it safely to port so the shipwrights also fabricated an emergency tiller to be held in the yacht in case there were further rudder problems.

The captain's thumb was also not a pretty sight.

"The captain expressed great thanks and said we had done an 'excellent' job."

While surgery was being carried out, three divers and ship's engineers, operating from one of Kanimbla's RHIBS, were busy at the yacht. Because of the swell and waves there was a danger of their heads being bashed against the hull of the pitching vessel.

There was a two-to-three metre swell running as well as a wave height of about a metre. The sailors came up with a novel idea to protect themselves.

"They wore the helmets they usually use for boardings," CMDR McCourt said.

For two hours the repair team worked to lower the new rudder and fix it to the hull. Steering was reconnected and with the RHIB and ship in escort the yacht got under way.

The rudder was tested and held so the yacht resumed passage for Christmas Island and a visit to the local hospital for the skipper.

In her food locker were extra stores including snack bars and fruit, compliments of the RAN.

In all Kanimbla had been with the men for eight hours.

By Graham Davis