Four crew stranded aboard a stricken superyacht off the NSW coast for more than 38 hours will have to wait until midnight to be rescued.
Strong winds have delayed two tugboats sent to rescue the men, who spent the night stranded after the luxury vessel broke down just after 5am on Tuesday.
Initially expected to reach the yacht at 7pm on Wednesday, the tugboats weren't likely arrive until midnight, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.
"The wind has picked up so the tugboats have had to slow down," spokesman Sam Cardwell told AAP.
The 37-metre multimillion dollar yacht, Masteka 2, sent out a distress call when it lost steering and started taking on water about 260km from Port Macquarie on the mid north coast.
A cruise ship in the area, Carnival Spirit, responded and diverted its path, rescuing two female crew members and monitoring the ship before resuming its trip to Isle of Pines in New Caledonia, where it will drop off the women.
One had a turn of good luck, taking out the $800 bingo jackpot on the Carnival Spirit the day she was rescued.
The other four crew chose to stay aboard to try to save the sinking vessel and were able to successfully plug the leak.
AMSA had to deliver two new pumps to the yacht on Wednesday after the two dropped off on Tuesday were found to be faulty.
The crew, who were given supplies including satellite phones, have been passing their time at sea checking the pumps and monitoring the boat, AMSA said.
The Masteka 2, which costs $3000 an hour to hire, boasts three levels, a bar with cocktail facilities and a hot tub on the top deck. It sleeps up to 12 guests.
