KUANTAN, Aug 25 — Two yachtsmen had a nightmarish six-hour ordeal being adrift when their boat’s engine broke down off Kuala Pahang yesterday.

The skipper Muhammad Asri Ishak, 46, said they were sailing from the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club to hand over the yacht to the buyer in Bachok, Kelantan.

"We had already been at sea for three weeks when the engine broke down at about 3pm yesterday… I tried to repair it twice but the rough waves made it extremely difficult.

‘In the end I decided to hoist the sails and helmed the boat in the direction of the shore. However, the choppy waters made it very challenging,” he told Bernama.

Muhammad Asri said as he neared Kuala Pahang, he was able to make a distress call and they were rescued by the Pahang Fire and Rescue Department at 9.30pm.

He added that they would have to spend a few days in Pekan to get the engine repaired before continuing their journey. — Bernama