Earlier this year, Nordhavn 96#18 VIVIERAE II, was left abandoned in the middle of the Arafura Sea, dead in the water after a rare set of circumstances resulted in stalled engines due to entanglements in the propellers. The crew was rescued by an Australian Navy warship after an oil tanker offered assistance to tow VivieRae into the lee of West Papau and while doing so the massive vessel sideswiped VIVIERAE in an attempt to get close enough for the crew to shoot a line to the tanker. A week  passed before owner Bob Giles and 4 of his crew was able to fly Meruake, indonesia to retain a government vessel  to take them 140 NM out to sea where VivieRae had been abandoned at anchor, once there Bob and his former captain Gareth Schwegman were able to cut away the lines and fishing net entangled in the props  and enable VIVIERAE to make her way to a shipyard in Brisbane to undergo repairs.

Despite the vessel being more than 4x the size of VIVIERAE, the collision only produced surface damage. Giles said he was grateful that Nordhavn builds a “very strong vessel”.

Fast forward six months and VIVIERAE is back to her old self roaming the world, this time exploring Australia’s Torres Strait Islands, and specifically the remote Thursday Island. The crew, including Nordhavn’s videographer and frequent roving crew member, Doug Harlow, will be aboard to document the ensuing adventures. VIVIERAE will depart Cairns, Queensland, on September 8^th.