kaz ii ghost yacht

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?

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The Mystery of The Jenny and Kaz II

Date Posted: October 7, 2020 | Updated: August 6, 2024

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 .

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SOURCES CITED: 

https://weburbanist.com/2010/06/14/real-ghost-ships-10-mysterious-abandoned-sea-vessels/  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaz_II  

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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.

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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

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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.

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How is it December?! Lizards, we recorded this one in a post-Thanksgiving haze, so in addition to the tale of Kaz II, the ghost yacht, get ready for opinions about gravy.

Oh, right, we said ghost yacht. Further proof that you don't fuck with the ocean, back in 2007, the crew of the Kaz II disappeared with no explanation, in a way compared to the disappearance of the Mary Celeste's crew back in the late 1800s. We'll take a detour, don't worry.

What's your opinion on gravy viscosity? Pre-order MM's biography, "Disheveled But Seaworthy," today. Take a drink whenever we give you a new reason to not go in the ocean ever.

Movie corner! Since Katy just got around to seeing Rise of Skywalker, we have a timely Star Wars discussion. Our fingers are ON THE PULSE OF POP CULTURE, you guys. We also chat about Shang Chi and Hereditary.

• Kaz II on Wikipedia: https://bit.ly/3oEha98
• Mary Celeste on Wikipedia: https://bit.ly/3Gtxcc0
• The Guardian, "Australian coroner ends mystery of 'ghost ship'": https://bit.ly/3dAMU8M
• Medium, "Behind the Mystery of the ‘Ghost Yacht’": https://bit.ly/3DA1kAp
• The Paranormal Guide, "Kaz II Mystery": https://bit.ly/3oB2PtL

Get in touch:

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