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On remote Christmas Beach on Tasmania's truwana/Cape Barren Island, you would rarely see any evidence of human life.
Key points:
- Huntress washed ashore on Christmas Beach after its rudder broke off on the third day of the Sydney to Hobart race
- The crew was rescued and the yacht cut loose, with the owners questioning why it was not retrieved while at sea
- A salvage expert says it will take a lot of work to get the yacht off the beach in one piece
The waves that crash on the pristine white sand would normally bring shells and seaweed.
But a string of dramatic events has meant a much-loved yacht now sits lonely and motionless on the beach.
There are still many unanswered questions in the story of the 12-metre cruiser Huntress.
Its crew made an "extremely difficult and heart-wrenching decision" to abandon it after it lost its rudder during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
It was then left to drift for a week before it washed ashore.
LoadingWhy wasn't Huntress rescued at sea?
Passengers on a cruise ship have told the ABC they spotted the yacht as they were travelling from New Zealand to Melbourne on January 2.
The passengers said the cruise ship turned around and headed towards Huntress when there was no response from the yacht in case a rescue or assistance was required.
Images and videos from onboard the ship show a ghostly Huntress appearing through fog and bobbing around in the waves.
An alert issued by Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) said an at-sea salvage attempt was due to take place — but before that could happen, the vessel had gone ashore.
"MAST understands there was contact with a fisherman, but I'm not quite certain about that and why that didn't happen," said MAST's Peter Hopkins.
"Whether or not a rescue or a salvage could have been made earlier, that's one for the salvage company and the insurance to work out."
After being rescued and taken to Flinders Island, the crew said a salvage operation was "already being planned for her safe transfer to mainland Tasmania".
But just days later, in a now-deleted post, the boat's owner said the team were "angry, devastated and at a complete loss as to how the hell it came to this, given she was floating around for a week now with ample opportunity to be towed to safety".
Rod Chamberlain, who owns marine services company Hurricane Marine, said it "seemed strange" the vessel had not been able to be saved while still at sea, suggesting it may have been held up with the yacht's insurer.
"A salvor needs to be appointed by the insurance company," he said.
His company offers salvage services in similar incidents and said it was always going to be a tricky situation.
"A yacht without a rudder is one of the most difficult things to tow," he said.
"A yacht with no steering is about as useless a boat as you can get."
What happens now?
Images of the yacht show its mast has broken, but the hull appears to be intact.
But the clock is ticking on the salvage operation, with concerns growing that it could break apart.
Mr Hopkins described it as needing a "massive effort" to get it off the beach.
"It may have been easier to pick the boat up when it was in one piece when it was drifting around," he said.
"Now the boat has beached itself, it's going to be a lot bigger operation than just simply putting a tow line on the boat and towing it back to a mooring.
"The biggest threat is the boat filling up with sand and seawater and gradually breaking apart."
Mr Chamberlain agreed.
"Often you have to use excavators to help you in that situation, but that is not an option in this area due to its remoteness," he said.
He said the sooner it was saved, the better.
"The biggest danger with any vessel on a beach is that if the sea gets around it, they soon start to break up," he said.
"Often it can be too late, and you end up with a clean-up, which becomes messy and more expensive."
What's happening on the island?
Aboriginal sea rangers on the island were the first to report the yacht had washed ashore.
"It's a very important pristine piece of Aboriginal land, and we want the salvage to be successful, safe and quick as possible," said Vica Bayley from the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania.
"A modern yacht like this, full of fibreglass, plastics, stainless steel and, obviously, diesel fuel, is a completely different kettle of fish and poses a much more significant environmental risk to that part of the island."
A salvage attempt is expected to take place this weekend.
"If the boat does remain in one piece and they can get her off, then there won't be any problems," Mr Hopkins said.
"Let's just hope they do get the boat off in one piece. She's a lovely boat and I can understand the angst the crew and especially the owners are going through at the moment."
The ABC contacted the owner of Huntress and the insurer for comment.