Kaz II, called "the ghost yacht," is a 9.8-meter catamaran that was discovered floating 88 nautical miles (163 kilometers) from the north-eastern coast of Australia on April 20, 2007. The crew of three people is still missing, and the strange events surrounding their disappearance have been compared to the case of the Mary Celeste in 1872.
Crew
Kaz II had a crew of three people, all of whom lived in Perth, Western Australia. The crew members were Derek Batten (56), Peter Tunstead (69), and James Tunstead (63). The men had limited sailing experience, but the skipper, Batten, had taken a sailing course and completed two long trips on Kaz II around the Whitsunday Islands and the outer reef.
Disappearance of crew
According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the boat Kaz II left Airlie Beach on April 15, 2007, and was traveling to Townsville, Queensland, as part of a journey around Northern Australia to Western Australia. The first sign of a problem occurred on April 18, when a helicopter saw Kaz II floating without control near the Great Barrier Reef and reported that the crew might be in danger. On April 20, maritime officials reached the boat and boarded it. They discovered that the three-person crew was missing under unusual circumstances.
Jon Hall from Queensland's Emergency Management Office said, "What they found was a bit strange because everything appeared normal, but there was no sign of the crew."
Officials reported that the boat was in good working order and looked as though the crew were still on board. Food and utensils were placed on the table, a laptop was turned on, and the engine was running. The boat's emergency systems, including the radio and GPS, were working properly, and all the life jackets were present. A small boat was still attached to the back of Kaz II, and the anchor was raised. The only unusual details, besides the missing crew, were that one of the boat's sails was torn badly, and no life raft was on board (it is unclear if one was ever present).
Forensic examination
On Friday, April 20, the ship Kaz II was moved into the Townsville port for a careful inspection. On April 21, Sergeants Bardell and Molloy from the Queensland Police searched the ship for signs of unlawful actions or involvement by others. No evidence of this was found. The cabin was clean, except for some magazines, a newspaper, and a wine container that were on the floor. Later, it was discovered that these items fell to the floor while the ship was being towed to shore. In the sink, a few butter knives were found, and on a bench in the galley, a plastic case holding fishing knives was discovered. These items did not appear to have been used recently. Under Batten's bed, in a sealed container, investigators found a firearm and ammunition, none of which was missing. In a drawer, they found one additional bullet of the same type.
After reviewing GPS data from Kaz II, police reported that on the morning of its departure from Airlie Beach, the ship was steered northeast into an area with strong winds and rough seas. Later that same day, in the afternoon, GPS data showed the ship was drifting. Investigators also recovered a video recording taken by the crew during their trip, which provided clues about the men's final day. The last footage, recorded by James Tunstead on April 15 at 10:05 AM, shortly before the men disappeared, showed several details.
Search
Search and rescue efforts started on Wednesday, April 18. Australian search and rescue AusSAR sent a Navy aircraft to look near the vessel to find the missing men. At the same time, Bowen Voluntary Marine Rescue began searching the coastline and nearby islands. During the night, an aircraft with infrared technology was used to search the reefs and small islands. The next day, a large-scale search-and-rescue operation began. It included Volunteer Rescue Units from several towns, Townsville’s coast guard, two rescue helicopters, nine airplanes, and two commercial ships. Data from the vessel Kaz II’s GPS system was also collected and studied to help narrow the search area.
Dr. Paul Luckin, an expert in survival time, was asked for his opinion. He said it was unlikely the men were alive if they were still in the water, as they probably went overboard three to four days earlier. The teams still hoped the men might have reached land and continued searching until 4:00 P.M. on April 21, when the air and sea search for the three crew members ended. Another coastline search started on Monday, April 23, after new information was received, but it did not find the men and was stopped on April 25.
Official investigation
On August 4, 2008, an investigation into the men’s disappearance began in the Townsville Coroner’s Court. The investigation was led by Queensland state coroner Michael Barnes. It focused on whether the men were dead, the events that led to their disappearance, and if the search for them was thorough. Twenty-seven witnesses gave testimony during the investigation. Some had seen the ship on its final trip and helped officials understand what happened.
During one hearing, Jennifer Batten said her husband, Derek, was well prepared. He had taken the boat, Kaz II, on two trips before without problems. Jennifer also explained that the original plan was for Derek and her to sail Kaz II to Fremantle together. However, Derek worried that two people on the boat might not be safe, so he invited his neighbors, brothers Peter and James Tunstead, to join him. The trip was planned over several months, with the men discussing routes daily using a computer. They planned to take six to eight weeks to reach Fremantle, but since Derek and Peter were retired, they did not mind how long the trip took. They avoided sailing at night for safety and planned to stay near the shore. Although Derek took medicine for high cholesterol, mild diabetes, and had had a heart attack at age 50, Jennifer believed he was fit for the journey.
Graeme Douglas, the previous owner of Kaz II, testified that the boat was in good condition when he sold it to Derek. He met the men the night before their trip and helped them plan part of their route. He was surprised to learn that, according to police, the men had deviated from the route programmed into their GPS system.
Gavin Howland, the skipper of the fishing vessel Jillian, said that on April 16, 2007, while fishing near Bowen, he and his crew saw a white yacht with a torn sail drifting between reefs. The boat was moving slowly with the current. Howland came within 50 meters of the boat but saw no one on board. This sighting happened two days before the coast guard found Kaz II drifting near Townsville and the day after authorities believe the men went missing. Howland said he found it strange that a sailboat was in an area known for shallow water and rocks. He did not contact the boat or authorities, explaining that he had a rule not to approach other vessels.
Sergeant Paul Molloy, one of the police officers who examined Kaz II after it was brought back to shore in April 2007, said he did not believe the men were victims of foul play. He searched the boat for signs of a struggle but found none. He stated that the boat was not a crime scene. When asked why police did not check for fingerprints, Molloy said his experience told him it was unnecessary. He explained that he and his team spent hours searching the boat and found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Detective Sergeant Graham Patch said police found a video recorder inside the boat. The video showed footage taken by the three crew members on the morning they went missing. As the video played in court, Patch explained that the land seen in the footage helped officials narrow the search area for the missing men.
State coroner Barnes admitted in his report that he could not be certain about the exact circumstances of the men’s deaths. However, based on witness accounts, the video, and the condition of the boat, the report proposed the following:
On April 15, 2007, at 10:05 A.M., Kaz II was sailing near George Point, and everything was going as planned. In the next hour, things changed suddenly. The men tied up the white rope trailing behind the boat and stored it on the deck. For unknown reasons, James Tunstead removed his T-shirt and glasses and placed them on the backseat. The report suggests that one of the men may have tried to free a fishing lure tangled in the boat’s rudder and fell overboard. Standing on the boat’s platform near the waterline while moving is dangerous, and getting back on board would have been nearly impossible. Another man tried to rescue his brother, while Derek started the motor and realized he needed to drop the sails before returning for help.
As Derek left the helm to drop the sails, a change in the boat’s course or wind direction could have caused a sudden swing of the boom, knocking him overboard. This might have happened before he could throw out a life ring. A blue coffee mug found near the life ring may support this. The boat was moving at 15 knots (28 km/h), so the men would have been out of reach within seconds.
The report states that from that point, the men likely did not survive. None of them were strong swimmers, and the waves were rough. They would have quickly become tired and drowned. The report ruled out foul play and a staged disappearance.
Other explanations
Several possible reasons have been suggested for the crew's disappearance.
Authorities in Townsville reported that the weather was windy and the sea was rough between the time Kaz II left port and when it was found drifting. This led them to think the crew might have faced a sudden problem during the rough weather and fallen overboard. However, this idea is questioned because the cabin’s items, like a table, showed no signs of being moved or disturbed. Family members of the missing men believe this is unlikely, pointing out that the fishing lines and laundry were set out, and the life jackets were still stored, which suggests the weather was calm when they disappeared.
It was also noted that Kaz II was found with its fenders extended, leading to a guess that the boat may have docked with another unknown vessel, possibly by choice or against the crew’s will. Townsville police explained that small boats often leave fenders out at all times, so this detail cannot be used to draw certain conclusions. The Coroner’s report added that an eyewitness and video evidence showed the fenders were already out when the boat left the marina.
Batten had purchased Kaz II a year earlier and sailed it a few times since then. The Tunsteads were not new to sailing, as they had been sailing together since they were 18 years old and had worked in the radio rooms of the Volunteer Sea Rescue. The last known contact between the crew and their families happened one-and-a-half hours after the boat left port, when one crew member spoke to his wife.
Volunteer radio operator Ivan Ormes recorded that Kaz II sent a radio message at 6:45 P.M. on April 15, the night they left port, stating their location as George Point. This is the last known communication with Kaz II. Ms. Grey noted that it should have taken the crew only two-and-a-half hours to reach George Point, but it is unclear why it took longer. One possibility is that they spent the day fishing. Another possibility is that their GPS had problems, as they had tried to leave on April 14 but had to return because the GPS was not working. This issue was caused by a mistake and was quickly fixed, so the boat left early the next day.
Other ideas suggest the boat may have become stuck on a sandbar near George Point, where the last radio message was sent. If the men jumped overboard to push the boat free, a sudden gust of wind might have blown the boat away, leaving them stranded. This could explain why towels were left on the deck. Another possibility is that one crew member was washed overboard by a large wave, and the others were lost trying to rescue him. A waterspout could also be a cause. Waterspouts are common in that area of Australia during April and can happen just offshore, where Kaz II was located. They have enough power to tear a sail, throw crew members off the deck, or pull a life raft out and activate its release mechanism, all without the boat ever experiencing rough seas.