[MHml] Multihull Disappearance Theories

[Paul Nudd]

Peter Medway wrote:
> When I first read the circumstances described about this disappearance, the first thing I thought of: Was the swimming ladder tied down for offshore sailing? If so, was there a swimming platform or other method of EASILY climbing into the boat? EASILY because if there is shock and panic..
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When I first saw a photo I wondered about the fenders. I still do.

"Or maybe the three men took a dip in the tropical waters, when a breeze 
sent the boat drifting out of reach."
"When coastal authorities found the catamaran three days later, all the 
safety gear was intact, the anchor was up and a small boat was still 
hoisted on the back of the boat. The beds had been slept in, there were 
just two empty tea bags in the bin, and a line was trailing off the back 
of the catamaran, suggesting the men had been trawling for fish. The 
only sign something may have gone awry was a badly ripped sail, and the 
fenders hanging over the side."
"This could explain why the Kaz II was found three days later drifting 
60 nautical miles off Townsville, its engine still running but with no 
sign of the crew. It could explain why the only items missing from the 
boat were three pairs of sunglasses and two hats, why T-shirts and 
towels were left neatly folded on the deck, and why down in the cabin, 
laptops, mobile phones, wallets, watches, cameras and a Sunday paper 
were still spread out on the table."
"Perhaps they ran aground on a sandbar near George Point, from where the 
9.8 metre catamaran last made radio contact on a Sunday evening in 
mid-April. The skipper Derek Batten and his crewmates, brothers Peter 
and Jim Tunstead, jumped into the warm Coral Sea waters to try to push 
the boat free. A gust of wind came up, carrying the Kaz II away before 
they could scramble back onboard, leaving them stranded."

You don't leave your sunglasses and hats on when you take a dip in the 
tropical waters and you don't leave a fishing line out the stern and you 
don't leave the engine running and the sails up and fenders out and all 
3 go in at the same time.

Running aground sounds more likely but you wouldn't all 3 jump off, you 
would have 1 on board to work the motor. And why the fenders?

I don't have an explanation but to me none of those given fit.
Seems to me that they have rafted with another vessel, boarded the other 
vessel and departed on the other vessel. That explains the fenders by 
why leave wallets etc.?
Unless they wanted to 'dissappear'!
PN