Astral (yacht)

The yacht Astral is a 30m ketch-rigged sailing yacht which was donated to Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH) in 2016 by Livio Lo Monaco, head of Grupo Lo Monaco.^[1] Astral is a steel-hulled vessel and was designed by Philip Rhodes and built at Kröger Werft Rendsburg^[2] in 1970.^[3][4]

In operating the yacht, Mediterranea Saving Humans also has the support of the German association Sea-Watch and the Spanish Proactiva Open Arms (POA).^[5]

Technical

In addition to her sailing capability, Astral has motor power from two 300hp Caterpillar diesel engines. Her speed is given as 10knots (cruising) and 12knots (maximum); her beam is 7.22m and her draught 4.1m Prior to conversion for rescue operations, she had been refitted in 2009.^[3]

Film

Astral featured in a documentary which was recorded on board during the same month that MSH received her by Jordi Évole [es] for Salvados, directed by Évole for Atresmedia Televisión.^[6] The box office takings from the documentary, shown at cinemas throughout Catalunya before being broadcast on TV, were earmarked in their entirety for MSH.^[7]

Selected reports of SAR activities

On one day in August 2016, Astral took on some 200 refugees.^[8]

A year later, formally announcing their support for Proactiva Open Arms, the Eugin [es] Group described Astral as a 'flagship' for the rescue of refugees.^[9]

In August 2019, the Astral was reported to have saved 157 persons on a single mission.^[10]

At the end of 2016, Astral was augmented by the acquisition by POA of Golfo Azzurro, a fishing trawler 43 metres in length and 8 metres beam.^[11] However MSH continued to use the Astral in the Mediterranean,^{[citation needed]} and in June 2020 when Astral returned to POA activity in the Mediterranean, Òscar Camps, head of MSH, tweeted that 2020 would be Astral's fourth year in the Mediterranean.^[12]

Awards

The Astral received the ALBA Human Rights Award in April 2017.^[13][14]