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Australian couple ‘shipwrecked’ on Gili Iyang in Indonesia

In short:

Two Australians say they could be stranded for a month on the island of Gili Iyang after their yacht ran aground in bad weather.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed to the ABC it was assisting a couple in Indonesia.

What's next?

The pair need to repair the yacht's hull and hope fishermen can aid in guiding the vessel out of the reef.

An Australian couple are stranded on a small Indonesian island after their yacht's engine failed and the vessel was pushed onto a reef in wild weather.

Catherine Delves and Peter Watt had been en route to Borneo to see the orangutans when "everything went a bit pear-shaped" and their 26-ton yacht ran aground off Gili Iyang in the Bali Sea this week.

"We're going to be here a while, I think," Ms Delves told the ABC from a local fisherman's home.

"We've missed the tide to try and get our boat off the rocks, off the reef … we could be here for another month."

Peter Watt and Catherine Delves say the hospitality from locals has been "brilliant". (Supplied)

The couple abandoned ship on Wednesday afternoon after their distress signals — a mayday call on the radio and sending up flares — went unanswered.

Police told local media they had attempted to carry out a rescue but were "unsuccessful due to high waves and big surf".

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Village head H Fathor told the ABC that locals had provided the couple with food, coffee and clean clothing.

He said some locals who had worked in Bali spoke English and were able to communicate with them.

There was a hairline fracture in the bottom of the boat that would need to be welded shut when conditions permitted, Ms Delves told the ABC.

"We've got a lot of people on the case, but things don't move very quickly," she said.

In a social media post, Ms Delves posted footage of their grounded vessel in rough surf with the caption: "Our very own personal shipwreck!"

Stranded on 'oxygen island'

The couple started their voyage in 2021, sailing up the east coast of Australia to Darwin.

Previous trouble with the yacht's engine saw them work in Darwin for around three years before they set off again to the north.

"We were just sailing around Indonesia, we got a multiple-entry visa, to go and explore ourselves," Ms Delves said.

Australian couple 'shipwrecked' on Gili Iyang in Indonesia

The yacht ran aground off Gili Iyang in the Bali Sea. (Supplied)

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to a couple in Indonesia.

Gili Iyang is sometimes referred to in Indonesia as "oxygen island" because its air is reputed to have some of the highest rates of oxygen in the world.

Ms Delves said the pair's experience there had been "brilliant … really hospitable, very welcoming".

"They're trying their hardest but, you know, we need 30 men to actually … turn [the yacht] around."

Local fishermen have special channels through the reef, Ms Delves said, explaining they would need their assistance to guide the yacht out of the reef safely.

"That's the plan. But all plans change when things don't go to plan."

Additional reporting by Natasya Salim.

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