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Yachts beached in savage storms

A boat is smashed against a pier in wild seas in Mornington. - ABC

A salvage operation is underway at Mornington, southeast of Melbourne, where 16 yachts are beached after storms yesterday.

Two boats also sank and the pier was damaged by the wind.

Commodore John Hart says the conditions were the worst he has ever seen.

"Those boats that were hulled will have to be lifted and dug out with excavators and put on low loaders and taken away for repair," he said.

"It's going to take us at least all of today and probably all of tomorrow to finish the job. I've never seen seas like this before at Mornington."

Commodore Hart says it demonstrates the need for an upgrade to the harbour.

"We've been fighting hard to try and get a safe harbour built at Mornington for many years now."

"It's absolutely essential. We're just lucky that a number of lives were not lost yesterday," he said.

- ABC

© ABC 2007

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