Lost sailor’s yacht abandoned at Lady Barron port
• missing sailor's yacht has been left tied up to the Lady Barron port for a year and a half sparking serious questions by locals. Image supplied.
By Taylor Clyne,
April 06, 2022
An 86-year-old solo sailor who went missing in Bass Strait near Christmas time of December 2020 is still lost at sea, yet his $261,000 luxury yacht is left marooned at the Lady Barron port.
The details of his disappearance and background are vague to say the least, with very little released to the public.
However it’s understood the man's name was Stanley Wood and he was reported missing off the east coast of Flinders Island on December 30, 2020.
Media reports at the time stated that he departed from Eden on Boxing Day bound for Deal Island.
After three days searching air and sea operators officially called it off, with no sign of the sailor.
His vessel named “Munyana” was then towed by Tasmania and Victorian Police to the Lady Barron port, where it still resides a year and a half later.
A friend of the sailor named Tex posted onto popular boating site, cruisersforum.com a tribute to his friend on January 1, 2021.
“Old Stan is a friend; I am hoping he is found but one has to realise that will be highly unlikely,” he wrote.
“His wife had died in his arms, her last words to him were “go and buy that boat you have always wanted!”
“Munyana is a 60' steel ketch, beautifully fitted out with the best of everything, it was fitted with high solid safety rails, a strong, mechanically sound 220h.p. M.A.N.
“It sounds like he did manage to live his dream for some (short) time - we should be thankful for such opportunities.”
The case was sitting with the coroner’s office under investigation for over twelve months and is now in the hands of Tasmania Police.
It’s believed the only relative the sailor has is a woman in New Zealand and that may be why the vessel remains marooned.
Lady Barron local Chris Fenner created a petition to action the coroner to remove the boat six months ago obtaining 63 signatures.
“It’s been there for such a long time, it’s not the place to leave a vessel like that.
“Aside from the conditions being less than ideal sometimes, it’s also stopping other boats from being able to tie up here,” he said.
“Just recently we had a whole lot of cruising boats come in and some had to anchor out in the bay as there wasn’t space on the pontoon which meant visitors couldn’t come ashore and spend any money.
“There have also been two or three attempts by police to secure it properly during weather events and with winter approaching there is a true danger of the vessel breaking away, causing damage to other vessels, local infrastructure and possibly itself,” Mr Fenner said.
Adding that experienced fisherman have inspected the operational side of the yacht and determined that it would be too complicated for a new skipper to sail it to another port, therefore it would need to be towed.
“We are asking that authorities immediately organise the removal of Munyana.”
Consensus assumed the boat would be going up for tender however there are no details available.
Police media confirmed on Tuesday evening that the vessel was now in the hands of the man’s estate.
“It is up to the family of the estate to take care of the yacht,” the spokesperson said.
The coroner’s office had not replied to requests of its findings at the time of publishing.
ARTICLE UPDATE: Wednesday April 6, 2022 8.07am.
After more than 18 months without an answer coincidentally the coroners office have released the findings of Mr Wood’s case to the media following multiple requests by the Advertiser.
The report states: “I am satisfied on the evidence that Mr Wood is dead. It seems most likely that he fell from his vessel into the waters of Bass Strait, somewhere in the vicinity of Green or Gabo Island, sometime after about midday on 26 December 2020.
“I cannot determine whether he drowned or succumbed to the effects of hypothermia,” coroner Simon Cooper said.