Unraveling the Mystery of the Kaz II: The Vanishing Crew of a Ghost Ship
- Author: Admin
- November 12, 2023
Table of Contents
The discovery of the ghost ship, the investigation: clues and theories, coronial inquest and findings, the impact on maritime safety, the legacy of the kaz ii.
In April 2007, the Kaz II, a seemingly ordinary catamaran, set sail from Airlie Beach, Australia, manned by a three-person crew: skipper Derek Batten, and brothers Peter and James Tunstead. Their plan was a leisurely journey to Townsville and Cairns, but what unfolded turned the Kaz II into one of the most baffling maritime mysteries of the 21st century.
On April 20, 2007, the Kaz II was spotted adrift in the Coral Sea, near the Great Barrier Reef. The Coast Guard's approach revealed a scene that would perplex investigators: the yacht was in perfect condition with its engine still running. A laptop was found powered on, a table was set with food and utensils, and personal belongings were undisturbed. Strikingly, there was no sign of the crew.
The initial investigation ruled out foul play; there were no signs of a struggle or outside interference. The weather reports indicated mild conditions, and the boat was well-maintained, discounting a major accident. This led to various theories:
- Man Overboard Incident : One speculation is that one crew member fell overboard while trying to free a tangled fishing line or a sail. The others, attempting a rescue, might have also ended up in the water, leading to a tragic chain of events.
- The Rogue Wave Theory : Some suggest a sudden, powerful rogue wave could have swept the men overboard. However, the lack of disarray on the boat makes this unlikely.
- Murder-Suicide Pact or Foul Play : While the investigation didn't indicate foul play, some theorized a darker turn of events given the complete absence of bodies or distress signals.
- Planned Disappearance : Another theory posits that the men staged their disappearance, though their families strongly refuted this, citing their strong ties to home.
- Maritime Phenomenon or Pirate Activity : The Coral Sea, known for its unpredictable nature, may hold natural explanations, though none have been substantiated. Likewise, there was no evidence of piracy.
In 2008, a coronial inquest was held to determine the fate of the crew. The coroner, Michael Barnes, concluded that the men had likely fallen overboard in calm seas. He suggested that one crew member might have been trying to free a tangled line and accidentally fell overboard, with the others losing their lives in a failed rescue attempt. However, this conclusion, while plausible, remains unproven and speculative.
The Kaz II incident prompted discussions on maritime safety, particularly focusing on the importance of personal locator beacons and the risks of man-overboard situations. It highlighted the need for rigorous safety protocols, even in seemingly calm sea conditions.
The Kaz II has since become a symbol of the sea's unpredictability and the mysteries it harbors. Documentaries, books, and articles continue to analyze this incident, drawing parallels with other maritime mysteries like the Mary Celeste. The lack of definitive answers has left the door open to endless speculation and has cemented the Kaz II's place in the annals of nautical lore.
The Kaz II's story remains a haunting reminder of the sea's enigmatic nature. Despite modern technology and advanced maritime practices, the ocean still holds secrets and mysteries that sometimes defy explanation. The disappearance of the Kaz II's crew is a poignant testament to this, leaving a lingering question that may never be fully answered: what really happened aboard the Kaz II?
Khrushchev's Gamble in the Cuban Missile Crisis: The 1962 Nuclear Standoff
Richard nixon's environmental stand: the 1970 clean air act veto.
- Orbán's Authoritarian Laws: Redefining Democracy in Hungary, 2010s
- The Sandinista Revolution: Overthrowing a Dictatorship in Nicaragua, 1979
You may also like
Unveiling the science of nasa’s ecostress mission: urban heat monitoring, blasphemy in pakistan: the controversial death sentence and its far-reaching implications, seoul car crash: tragic wrong-way accident claims nine lives, russian advances in ukraine: analyzing recent military movements, solar flares and sunspots: understanding the sun's unpredictable activity in july 2024, protests in kenya: unpacking the rejection of the controversial finance bill, discovering the enchantment of vienna's christmas markets, spiritual sojourns: the holy city of amritsar and the golden temple, experiencing beijing: a night at the opera and beyond, discover the enchanting siberian winter in irkutsk, exploring "the name of the rose" by umberto eco: a masterpiece of historical mystery and intellectual intrigue, a deep dive into 'the lovely bones' by alice sebold: a haunting tale of loss and healing, the godfather by mario puzo: a timeless tale of power, loyalty, and betrayal, in-depth review of "to kill a mockingbird" by harper lee: a timeless classic.
General Knowledge Learning Cards
50 Bestseller Romance Novels: Part One
December 27, 2022
U.S. Visa Information
January 11, 2023
Sorry, You Can’t Actually Get The Nuclear Codes, But Did You Know They Used To Be 00000000?
How to Turn Your Old Smartphone as a Free Security Camera?
December 20, 2022
25 Most Popular Books Published in December 2022
January 19, 2023
- Skip to main content
- Skip to primary sidebar
The SLCG Magazine
The Queensland Emergency Management Office revealed that the boat was in serviceable condition and was laid out as if the crew were still on board. Food and flatware were set out on the table, a laptop computer was set up and turned on, and the engine was still running. Officials also confirmed that the boat’s emergency systems, including its radio and GPS, were fully functional, and that it still had its full complement of life jackets.There was even a small boat still hoisted on the stern of the boat, and the anchor was up. The only signs that were out of the ordinary, other than the disappearance of the crew, was one of the boat’s sails had been badly shredded, and that there was no life raft on board (it is unknown whether there ever was one aboard).
Search and rescue efforts began on Wednesday, 18 April, and Australian search and rescue AusSAR sent a Navy aircraft to search in the vicinity of the vessel in an effort to locate the missing men. At the same time, Bowen Voluntary Marine Rescue launched a coastal and island search. At night, an aircraft with infrared capability was used to search the reefs and cays. The next day, a full scale search-and-rescue effort was launched involving Volunteer Rescue Units from several towns as well as the Townville’s coast guard, two rescue helicopters, nine airplanes, and two commercial vessels. Data from Kaz II’s GPS system was also retrieved and analyzed in order to help narrow the search area.
Graeme Douglas, the previous owner of Kaz II, who had sold the boat to Batten stated the boat was in good condition when it was sold and that he had met the men on the night before they set sail. He also helped the men plan part of their route and was surprised to see that, according to the police, the men had deviated from their planned route that was programmed in their GPS system.
A less convincing theory was speculated about Alien abductions, which would explain the boat still being in tact, no signs of distress or struggle or damage, except the shredded sails which can be explained by being abandoned and adrift at sea.
I leave it up to you reader…What do you think?
Reporter: Yalene Hansen Images: Yalene Hansen
Privacy Overview
The Mystery of The Jenny and Kaz II
Posted on October 7, 2020
The Mystery of The Jenny and Kaz II
Below are two tales of sailing gone wrong – tragic stories of lives ended, one suddenly, another over the course of months. Ghost ships of days of old and new, read on to discover just what destruction and mystery our oceans are capable of.
The Jenny – A Frozen Fate
‘The Jenny’ was a schooner boat, which is a vessel with two or more masts, otherwise known as a “tall ship.” Although you may not have heard of her, Jenny and her fate have created a truly mysterious legend. In the Drake Passage, which is a body of water between Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica, The Jenny was found frozen inside of an ice barrier. Discovered in 1840, it had been almost twenty years since it first disappeared in 1823.
One of the most haunting aspects of The Jenny’s story was the last entry in a logbook which read, “May 4 th , 1823. No food for 71 days. I am the only one left alive.” It was later confirmed that The Jenny’s captain had written the message. When The Jenny was discovered by a whaling boat named Hope, ironically, the captain was found still sitting in his chair, with his pen frozen in hand.
An article in the German Geographical magazine, Globus, states that the crew of the Hope believed that The Jenny was caught in an ice wall and remained there, hidden in mystery until the ice broke open. The article also stated that “The crew of the Hope sighted a battered ship before they realized that it was a ghost ship. Although it was battered, it appeared to be manned… in fact, seven men were even standing at attention on the main deck.” As the Hope slowly approached The Jenny, however, it became obvious that these men were not watching dutifully, but frozen solid at their posts.
First Man to Board
Captain Brighton, of the Hope, was the first to board and investigate The Jenny. He came across each crew member, frozen in time. Once he made it below deck, he came across The Jenny’s captain, eerily frozen, writing his final journal entry.
Some reports do state that the crew and captain of the Hope buried all deceased at sea, including the captain’s dog and wife. Other reports state that they left them as they were, unwilling to disturb the bodies. Whatever the case, one can imagine the terror and sadness that engulfed the crew of The Jenny, as they realized they would never be going home, but instead, their fate was with the icy Antarctic sea.
Jenny And Kaz II: A Recent Tragedy – Kaz II
Kaz II, or ‘The Ghost Yacht’ as it has been called, was a 9.8-meter catamaran which was found drifting just over 100 miles off the North-Eastern coast of Australia on the 20 th of April, 2007. The Kaz II had a three-man crew, all of whom were residents of Perth, Australia: Derek Batten, and brothers James and Peter Dunstead .
According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Kaz II departed from Arlie Beach on April 15 th , 2007. They were headed towards Queensland, on the first leg of a journey that would take them around the Western Coast of the continent. The first indication of an issue was when a helicopter spotted Kaz II drifting in the Great Barrier Reef on April 20 th . The helicopter pilot assumed that the crew may be in distress and in need of assistance, so in turn, he sent out a signal to maritime authorities. When authorities finally caught up with the boat and boarded, they found all three men missing under circumstances they described as being “strange.”
“What they found was a bit strange in that everything was normal; there was just no sign of the crew.” –Jon Hall, Queensland’s Emergency Management Office
Officials released a statement that day, revealing that the boat wasn’t damaged or out of service, and the lower deck was laid out as if the crew were still on board. There was a laptop computer set up and turned on, plates and silverware were set on the table, and the boat’s engine was even still running. Authorities had checked and confirmed that the Kaz II’s emergency systems were in working order, and even the lifejacket stock remained on board. A videotape was also recovered, showing the men’s final moments on board. It was a home-movie style tape of the men enjoying their day on the open ocean. Peter Tunstead was seen fishing, Derek Batten was at the helm, and James Dunstead was taping, panning the camera to give a 360-degree view of the waters. Everything seemed peaceful and copacetic, a mystery indeed.
Into Thin Air – Where Did The Jenny And Kaz II Go?
Searches started on the 18 th of April, and after many fruitless hours, were eventually called off completely on April 25 th . There was no sign of the three men anywhere in the ocean. The disappearance was strange as Batte n’s wife recalled how thorough her husband was with safety, and the need for planning. The boat was even investigated for signs of foul play, but again, nothing out of the ordinary was found. It’s almost as if the men disappeared mysteriously into thin air.
The Coroner’s Report – A Final Explanation for the Jenny and Kaz II?
The state coroner admitted in his official report that “he cannot be so definitive about the circumstances in which the deaths occurred…” However, based on eyewitness accounts, the video found on board, and the state of the yacht in which it was found, his report proposes the following scenario as an explanation – “On Sunday, 15 April 2007, at 10:05 A.M., the Kaz II was sailing near George Point. Up to that moment, everything was going as planned but, in the following hour, their situation changed dramatically. The men hauled in the white rope that was trailing behind the boat and bundled it up on the foredeck, possibly to dry, next to the locker it was normally kept in. For unknown reasons, James Tunstead then took off his T-shirt and glasses and placed them on the backseat. The report says that since the men’s fishing lure was found entangled in the ship’s port side rudder, an obvious explanation would be that one of them tried to free the lure and fell overboard while doing so. Standing on the boat’s ‘sugar scoop’ platform (a platform at the back of the ship close to the waterline) while the boat is moving is perilous and falling in the water is easy, but getting back aboard is almost impossible. One of the other men then came to the rescue of his brother, while Batten, still on board, started the motor and realized he had to drop the sails before he could go back for his friends. As he left the helm to drop the sails, a deviation of the ship’s course or wind direction could have easily caused a jibe, swinging the boom across the deck and knocking Batten overboard. This could even have happened before Batten was able to untie and throw out the life ring to his friends. A blue coffee mug found near the life ring may support this. Since the boat was traveling before the wind and at a speed of 15 knots, or 17 mph, it would be out of reach of the men within seconds. The report then states: “From that point, the end would have been swift. None of them were good swimmers, the seas were choppy; the men would have quickly become exhausted and sunk beneath the waves.”
A Merciless Ocean
Even the most seasoned sailors can become victim to the relentless ocean. These two stories tell of random happenstance and the love of sailing gone awry; they are a reminder that the ocean is not a toy to be played with. Some would say that the ocean is just a large graveyard, and with its natural mystery, the ghosts of those who passed there never leave. For a head start on our ghostly and nautical series, we invite you to visit Spirits and Ghosts of the High Seas .
SOURCES CITED:
https://weburbanist.com/2010/06/14/real-ghost-ships-10-mysterious-abandoned-sea-vessels/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaz_II
Featured Image Link from needpix.com
Vanished: Was the crew of the Kaz II abducted?
- In Headline , Macabre , Paranormal , UFOs
- September 24, 2011
- 17 comments
The sea. Man’s nightmares and curiosities lie within its seemingly eternal abyss. Countless tales and explorations revolve around its mystery. None can capture the great vastness that inhabits the world’s oceans. It leaves the curious to wonder: “ What monstrous beasts lurk through the depths of the abyss? ”
The sea was a bit choppy that afternoon on April 20, 2007. But that didn’t pose a problem for the experienced three-man crew of the Kaz II . Derek Batten was a fifty-six year old yachtsman with 25 years of nautical experience. He had meticulously planned out the route in which his yacht, the Kaz II , was supposed to navigate. He had invited with him his neighbors. Sixty-nine year old Peter Tunstead and his sixty-three year old brother, James. They too were no strangers to the sea. They had been sailing together since teenagers and were very savvy when it came to boat navigation and safety. The brothers also volunteered in the radio rooms of the Volunteer Sea Rescue unit. Suffice to say the Kaz II was no ship of fools.
During the forensic investigation, a video tape surfaced. Recorded on it, were the last moments of the three friends.
The last moments of the men were recorded by James on the morning of April 15th. Which is said to be shortly before their vanishing. The video shows Derek commandeering the vessel. Peter is seen fishing off the Kaz II in a very relaxing manner. From the video, the investigators noted that the engines were not running and that a long rope was trailing behind the boat. Another interesting fact is that James’ sunglasses and shirt are not seen in the location where they were found.
With this information, the investigators were able to understand the approximate location the men were in when they ran into trouble. The coroner ruled out foul play, but was not able to determine what actually happened to the bodies. Piecing together a possible scenario using the video tape, this is what State Coroner Michael Barnes believed happened to those aboard the Kaz II :
“On Sunday, 15 April 2007, at 10:05 A.M., the Kaz II was sailing in the vicinity of George Point. Up to that moment everything was going as planned but, in the following hour, their situation changed dramatically. The men hauled in the white rope that was trailing behind the boat and bundled it up on the foredeck, possibly to dry, next to the locker it was normally kept in. For unknown reasons, James Tunstead then took off his T-shirt and glasses and placed them on the backseat. The report says that since the men’s fishing lure was found entangled in the ship’s port side rudder, an obvious explanation would be that one of them tried to free the lure and fell overboard while doing so. Standing on the boat’s ‘sugar scoop’ platform (a platform at the back of the ship close to the waterline) while the boat is moving is perilous and falling in the water is easy, but getting back aboard almost impossible. One of the other men then came to the rescue of his friend, while Batten, still on board, started the motor and realized he had to drop the sails before he could go back for his friends. As he left the helm to drop the sails, a deviation of the ship’s course or wind direction could have easily caused a jibe, swinging the boom across the deck and knocking Batten overboard. This could even have happened before Batten was able to untie and throw out the life ring to his friends. A blue coffee mug found near the life ring may support this. Since the boat was travelling before wind and at a speed of 15 kn (28 km/h), it would be out of reach of the men within seconds. The report states: “From that point, the end would have been swift. None of them was a good swimmer, the seas were choppy; the men would have quickly become exhausted and sunk beneath the waves. –source: Wikipedia “
The coroner’s conclusion seems like the most possible scenario. Possible…but it leaves a lot of doubt as well.
What are the chances that three experienced and cautious seamen fall out of a boat trying to save one another? I can understand the brothers falling overboard in an attempt to rescue one another, but why did the Derek, the man at the helm leave the engines on while he himself succumbing to the merciless sea in the last attempt to rescue his friends? How does that explain the torn sail? Could it have been that one of the brothers was climbing to fix the top of the sail and fell overboard, causing the other two to fall in as well in unsuccessful attempts at rescue? Maybe. But then I’d have to ask you: “ What tore a gash across the sail? “
If you were to ask me, the other-worldly thinker, I’d say that there exists a speck of a chance that this could have been caused by a UFO. Seriously. Hear me out:
What if the men were visited by a UFO, or better yet, a USO –Unidentified Submerged Objects, to the non-geeks– could that possibly explain the men being caught off-guard by the alien craft that glided its way from the abyss? Hovering above their yacht, the craft’s exhaust or radiating force causes the sail to blow open. But what about the men? Abducted. Naw, that’s too wild of a conclusion. Isn’t it?
The fate of the men will never been known. What interrupted the person sitting down to eat a warm meal on the boat’s table is the macabre mystery of the Kaz II . Looking as a place where time stood still, the yacht leaves us with the impression that they men met a scientifically impossible fate. The crew of the Kaz II seem to have completely vanished from this world.
ADMINISTRATOR
Most read articles.
Paranormal State - Caught faking entire show
- Featured , Headline , Paranormal , Paranormal Cases , UFOs
- November 4, 2008
"The Entity" haunting: The true story of Doris Bither
- California , Featured , Paranormal , Paranormal Cases , True Hauntings
- September 21, 2008
Lerina Garcia Gordo: The Woman From A Parallel Universe
- Featured , Headline , Paranormal
- January 12, 2016
Mount St. Helens: December 02 Bigfoot Sighting
- crypto , Headline
- October 1, 2009
The Entity - Interview with Doris Bither's son
- Featured , Interviews
- May 18, 2009
- Most Commented
Woman Claims To Be From A Parallel Universe
- Headline , Mystery of History , UFOs , Weird news
- January 12, 2012
What is ZOZO?
- Headline , Macabre , Paranormal , Paranormal Cases , Videos
- August 25, 2011
- International edition
- Australia edition
- Europe edition
Australian coroner ends mystery of 'ghost ship'
When the yacht Kaz II was found off Australia's Great Barrier Reef , drifting and no one on board, there were many theories about what could have happened to its three middle-aged crew members.
There were suggestions the skipper, Des Batten, and brothers Peter and John Tunstead staged their own disappearance for insurance purposes or suffered at the hands of drug smugglers or pirates.
One of the wilder theories was that some kind of paranormal event had happened aboard their catamaran and inevitably, comparisons were made to the lost crew of another "ghost" ship, the Mary Celeste.
But yesterday a coroner in Townsville, Queensland, ended the speculation that has been buzzing around the bars of Australian yachting clubs for months by ruling that the three friends drowned in a freak accident during what was supposed to have been a trip of a lifetime, even though their bodies have never been found.
The trio, described as "typical Aussie blokes", vanished after setting sail on April 15 last year on a planned two-month trip, bound for Western Australia where they all lived. Three days later, the white-painted vessel which Mr Batten had only recently bought for £60,000 was found adrift and with a ripped sail about 100 miles north-east of Townsville, near the Whitsunday islands.
The engine was idling, a half-empty cup of coffee and a laptop computer were sitting on a table, a newspaper was lying open with some pages strewn on the floor and clothing had been piled on a bench.
The men went to sea with a large supply of food, three cases of beer, a .44 calibre rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition, the inquest was told.
Coroner Michael Barnes said evidence put before him during a four day inquest led him to conclude that "an unfortunate series of events," befell the trio, who were all relatively inexperienced sailors, only a few hours after they set sail.
In the scenario he laid out, the coroner said one of the brothers attempted to free a fishing line that had become wrapped around the yacht's propeller when he fell overboard. The other brother fell in while trying to rescue him.
Mr Batten tried to drop the sails so he could turn around and go back for his two friends but a change in the wind's direction caused the yacht's boom to swing and knock him overboard.
"Once the three men were in the water there was very little chance they could get back on the boat," he said. "It would be beyond their reach in seconds. From that point, the end would have been swift.
"None of them was a good swimmer, the seas were choppy, they would have quickly become exhausted and sunk beneath the waves. Although I can't exclude the possibility of a shark attacking them, drowning is a far more likely cause of death."
Rescue officer Corrie Benson told the inquest earlier this week that he found an "eerie" scene when he was winched down from a helicopter to search the stricken vessel.
He saw the discarded coffee cup and newspapers and found knives strewn on the floor. "My biggest fear was being attacked by somebody who did not want me on the boat. I was 160km out to sea with no back-up," he told the court earlier this week.
"I didn't know if someone was going to burst through a cupboard and go at me with a knife. I saw all the knives on the ground, but no blood, and thought 'what the ... ?'"
Graeme Douglas, the boat's previous owner, also gave evidence saying he had warned the men not to leave the Whitsunday area because they did not seem to have enough experience. The 56-year-old skipper, he said, was the only one of the trio who had sailed a large vessel before while the Tunstead brothers, aged 69 and 63, had minimal boating experience.
Mr Douglas said the men appeared nervous about the trip but anxious to get under way, since their original start date had been postponed because of bad weather and the fact that they had trouble understanding the vessel's global positioning system. "I said if you're not ready, don't go," he said.
A video, shot the morning the men headed out to sea, was also shown to the court. Mr Batten, a semi-retired carpet layer was holding the camera and Jim Tunstead can be seen fishing while he and Mr Batten are heard mocking Peter Tunstead, a non-swimmer, who was sitting fishing at the back with the safety rail down. He was not wearing a lifejacket. In the film, the men talk about "threatening skies" ahead.
The coroner said there was no evidence of any third party involvement in the disappearance of the sailors and noted that there had been no suspicious transactions in their finances.
- Australia news
- Water transport
- Asia Pacific
- Great Barrier Reef
Most viewed
- CLASSIFIEDS
- NEWSLETTERS
- SUBMIT NEWS
Ghost Yacht - Did they have a Knife Fight?
Related Articles
Browse by #Tags
UFO Phenomenon Aliens Science Ancient Mysteries Anomalies Astrology Bigfoot Unexplained Chupacabra Consciousness Crime Unsolved Mysteries Freaks
Kaz II – The Ghost Yacht
Jake carter.
- December 29, 2014 9:38 am
- Interesting
Jon Hall, one of the Australian rescuers said there was clearly no sign of the crew, and it was a bit strange because everything looks normal. Rescuers have retrieved the boat’s GPS system to examine data for clues to the mysterious disappearance of the crew. Until now the fate of her three-man crew continues to be unknown, and the mysterious situations in which they disappeared have been compared to that of the Mary Celeste.
Based on Australian Maritime Safety Authority document, Kaz II was departed on 15 April 2007 from Airlie Beach. There have been 3 people onboard the ship, Australian media reported the names of the sailors as skipper Derek Batten, 56, and brothers Peter and James Tunstead, ages 69 and 63. The three are neighbors in Perth, Western Australia.
The Kaz II was noticed by a chopper on Wednesday (April 18) drifting off the Great Barrier Reef, but a rescue team only reached the boat on Friday, and confirmed that there was no one aboard. Law enforcement said weather conditions at sea on Sunday and Monday were rough.
Rescue crews say they are confused by the mysterious disappearance. “The engine was running, the computer systems were running, there was a laptop set up on the table which was running, the radio was working… and there was food and utensils set on the table ready to eat,” said Jon Hall, a spokesman for Queensland’s Emergency Management office. “It was a bit strange,” he added.
Officials also confirmed that the boat’s emergency systems, including its radio and GPS were fully workable, and that it still had its full complement of life jackets. According to news sources, there was even a small boat still hoisted on the stern of the boat and the anchor was up. The only signs, other than the disappearance of the crew, that were out of the ordinary, were damage to one of the boat’s sails and that there was no life raft on board (it is unknown whether there ever was one aboard).
The researchers also recovered a video recording that showed footage taken by the crew during their trip. It revealed some clues as to the men’s last day. The last footage, filmed by James Tunstead on 15 April at 10:05 A.M. local time, shortly before the men disappeared, showed, among other things:
– Batten was at the helm. – Peter Tunstead is sitting on the aft stairway of the boat; he is fishing. – A long white rope can be seen trailing behind the boat. – The engine is not running. – Fenders can be seen hanging from safety rails on both sides of the boat. – The camera is panned 360 degrees and shows islands and surroundings; this helped investigators pinpoint the exact location of the ship. – The sea is choppy and none of the men are wearing a life jacket. – Tunstead’s shirt and glasses are not in the place where they were later found.
Based on the video footage and the eyewitness accounts, the investigators concluded that they were sunk beneath the waves. According to authorities in Townsville, the weather had been windy and the sea had been rough between the time that the Kaz II departed and was found drifting. This led authorities to speculate that the crew may have experienced some form of sudden difficulty during rough weather and gone overboard. However, one issue with this theory is that contents of the cabin, including a table, did not seem to have been disrupted in any way.
Other speculation about the crew’s disappearance also have been put forward. One of the hypotheses include that the boat became stuck on a sandbar near George Point, where the boat’s last radio message was made. When the men jumped overboard to push it free, a gust of wind blew and the boat drifted away, leaving them stranded. This would explain why towels were left out on the deck. Another hypothesis is that one crew member may have been washed over by a freak wave and that the others were lost attempting to save him.
Sources: Wikipedia, bbc.co.uk, news.yahook.com
Jake Carter is a researcher and a prolific writer who has been fascinated by science and the unexplained since childhood. He is always eager to share his findings and insights with the readers of anomalien.com, a website he created in 2013.
Hand-picked posts
John Searl the Man Who Built His Own UFO and Offer Free Energy Solution
Strange lights spotted over the coast of North Carolina
Mystery of the Mermaids: Could They Be Extraterrestrial Life Forms
The Background of Haunted Squires Castle in Cleveland, Ohio
The Haunted Gray Lady of the Sea
Cops Share Their Most Disturbing Real Paranormal Encounters
Conspiracy Theory: Men In Black or The Alien Threat
Quantum immortality: “I died, but woke up in an altered reality”
Trending now.
Coronial inquest into missing catamaran crew continues
A coronial inquest into the disappearance of three men from a catamaran off the north Queensland coast has heard evidence from local fishermen.
The Townsville inquest heard from a number of fishermen who spotted a vessel believed to be the Kaz 2.
Des Batten, Peter Tunstead and his brother Jim Tunstead sailed out of Airlie Beach on the 10-metre yacht bound for Perth. They were reported missing on April 15 last year.
A few days later, the catamaran was found off Townsville with no-one on board.
Today Gavin Howland, the skipper of the 'Jillian', told the inquest he spotted a white yacht when he was fishing on a reef off Bowen on April 16.
He said the yacht was drifting sideways and he could not see anyone on board. The inquest heard that Mr Howland had noticed one of the sails was shredded.
The inquest is continuing.
- X (formerly Twitter)
- Airlie Beach
- Maritime Accidents and Incidents
- Missing Person
Cruising Forums
- Cruising Forum
- Bosun's Locker
- The Multihull Club
- Living Aboard
- Marine Industry Vendors
- The Poop Deck
CL Yacht Club
- Forum News/Announcements
- Cruiser's Market
Regional Cruising
- Med, Atlantic, Caribbean
- SE Asia, Red Sea, Indian Ocean
- Pacific & Australasia
- General Marine Weather
Message Buoy (Contact)
- General Messages
- Overdue/Distress Reports
- Position Reports
- To Absent Friends
Cruising/Sailing Wiki
- Cruising & Sailing Wiki Discussion
Recent Photos
- Forum Listings
- Register - it's FREE!
- Cruising Crew Wanted
- Crew Positions Wanted
 
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Kaz II. Kaz II, dubbed "the ghost yacht ", is a 9.8-metre catamaran [1] which was found drifting 88 nautical miles (163 kilometres) off the north-eastern coast of Australia on 20 April 2007. The fate of its three-man crew remains unknown, and the mysterious circumstances in which they disappeared have been compared to that of Mary Celeste in 1872.
The Legacy of the Kaz II. Conclusion. In April 2007, the Kaz II, a seemingly ordinary catamaran, set sail from Airlie Beach, Australia, manned by a three-person crew: skipper Derek Batten, and brothers Peter and James Tunstead. Their plan was a leisurely journey to Townsville and Cairns, but what unfolded turned the Kaz II into one of the most ...
The Kaz II ghost yacht mystery. Dec 4. Revised December 2023. A white catamaran was found drifting 88 nautical miles (163 km) off the northeastern coast of Australia on April 20, 2007, and like the famous story of the Mary Celeste, the crew of the Kaz II had mysteriously vanished without a trace. This started an enduring mystery, the "Ghost ...
🎉 Get up to 50% OFF a Babbel subscription! ️ limited time only 🕑 HERE: https://go.babbel.com/6m50-youtube-slightlysociable-march-2021/defaultIn 2007 The y...
In this video, I examine the disappearance of three Australian men out for a boating trip on their catamaran, the Kaz II.I apologize for any shoddy work on t...
THE KAZ II. The Kaz II, dubbed "the ghost yacht", is a 9.8-metre catamaran which was found drifting 88 nautical miles (163 kilometres) off the north-eastern coast of Australia on 20 April 2007. The fate of its three-man crew remains unknown, and the mysterious circumstances in which they disappeared have been compared to that of the Mary ...
The Kaz II is a 12 metre catamaran that was found drifting 160 km (80 nautical miles) off the northern coast of west indies on April 18, 2007. What happened to the crew of the boat is not known. The circumstances in which they disappeared are mysterious and have been compared to that of the 1800s ship Mary Celeste.
The three crew were missing from the Kaz II when it was spotted off the eastern Australian coast by a Coastwatch aircraft, drifting about 80 nautical miles north east of Townsville in North Queensland in April last year. ... Young Azzurra sailor wins at Garda Federico Pilloni, an athlete in the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's Young Azzurra project, ...
Mystery of Kaz II's missing crew. An unmanned yacht found drifting off the north Queensland coast had computers running and even food on a table ready to eat - but no crew, puzzled emergency ...
Kaz II, or 'The Ghost Yacht' as it has been called, was a 9.8-meter catamaran which was found drifting just over 100 miles off the North-Eastern coast of Australia on the 20th of April, 2007. The Kaz II had a three-man crew, all of whom were residents of Perth, Australia: Derek Batten, and brothers James and Peter Dunstead.
The sea was a bit choppy that afternoon on April 20, 2007. But that didn't pose a problem for the experienced three-man crew of the Kaz II. Derek Batten was a fifty-six year old yachtsman with 25 years of nautical experience. He had meticulously planned out the route in which his yacht, the Kaz II, was supposed to navigate.
We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us.
KAZ 2 Mystery | LOST AT SEALost at sea! Missing Without A Trace! Explore the unsolved mystery of the Kaz II a sailing vessel turned ghost ship. Three men tak...
The Kaz II, dubbed "the ghost yacht", is a 9.8-metre catamaran which was found drifting 88 nmi (163 km) off of the northern coast of Australia on 18 April 2007. The fate of her three-man crew remains unknown, and the mysterious circumstances in which they disappeared have been compared to that of the Mary Celeste.
I wanted to contribute further to this fairly inactive, and now locked, thread on the Kaz II, but I thought a "sailing" audience might have more specific or different insights than a more general "unsolvedmysteries" audience.. I'm sure a lot of sailors know the story: Wiki's article on the Kaz II. Coroner's report here. I had found a higher rez gallery of photos, I think maybe it was a private ...
Kaz II as discovered drifting with water police boat SW Three sailors who vanished off the ghost ship Kaz II may have been involved in a 'scuffle' before they disappeared. On the first day of an inquest into the mystery which occured off the north Queensland coast, grieving family yesterday asked the state coroner to investigate the possibility ...
The Kaz 2 mystery is also known as the modern day Mary Celeste. ... The Yacht was beached: Maybe the boat got beached on a sandbar and then the men had to get out to try to get the boat dislodged. They put the yacht in neutral, got out, and once the boat was free, it sailed away too quickly that they couldn't get back on the boat. ...
On 18 April 2007, Kaz II a 12 meter catamaran was found drifting 163 km off the northern coastline of Australia with its engine running, and a table laid for dinner, but there have been no signs of any people. On 20 April, maritime authorities caught up with the yacht and boarded it. Remove ads and support us with a membership Jon Hall, one of the Australian rescuers said there was clearly no ...
CL Yacht Club; Forum News/Announcements; The Tavern; Cruiser's Market ... Kaz 2, Australian Yacht - Will We Ever Know? Click Here to Login: Register: Files: FAQ: Community: ... Page 1 of 2: 1: 2 > Thread Tools: Search this Thread: Display Modes 04-20-2007, 02:43 AM #1: markje4. Ensign . Join Date: Jul 2005. Posts: 25 An intriguing tale: http ...
The Townsville inquest heard from a number of fishermen who spotted a vessel believed to be the Kaz 2. ... sailed out of Airlie Beach on the 10-metre yacht bound for Perth. ... Mon 19 Jun 2023 at ...
Sunglasses and hats missing from a catamaran may hold the key to the three men missing from their yacht. Cosima Marriner reports. AMID all the wild conspiracy theories floating around the ghost ship Kaz II, searchers are contemplating a simpler, yet far more chilling explanation for the disappearance of three sailors off the Whitsunday coast.Perhaps they ran aground on a sandbar near George ...
Located in Terminal 2, just past the south security checkpoint, it's the first Amex Centurion Lounge to open in the DC metro area and the first credit card lounge at the airport. DCA, a fast ...