'Ghost yacht' crew search halted

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Australian authorities have ended their search for the crew of a yacht found off Australia's Great Barrier Reef, saying their fate remains a mystery.

The Kaz II was found with its engine running and a table laid for dinner.

Rescuers said that the craft had probably been drifting since last Sunday, making it unlikely that any of the three crew could have survived.

One theory is that members of the three-man crew fell overboard in bad weather conditions.

Queensland police said that the decision to call off the hunt was "based on expert medical advice which suggests the men could not have survived this long in the water".

Mysterious disappearance

The boat left Airlie Beach on Sunday bound for Townsville on the first leg of a voyage around northern Australia.

The 12m (40 foot) catamaran was spotted by a helicopter on Wednesday drifting off the Great Barrier Reef, but a rescue team only reached the boat on Friday, and confirmed that there was no-one aboard.

Rescue crews say they are puzzled by the mysterious disappearance.

"The engine was running, the computers were running, there was a laptop set up on the table which was running, the radio was working... and there was food and utensils set on the table ready to eat," said Jon Hall, a spokesman for Queensland's Emergency Management office.

"It was a bit strange," he added.

All the vessel's sails were up, although one was badly shredded, and lifejackets were still on board.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said the men had been planning to sail around northern Australia to Western Australia.

The KAZ II is now back in port.

Police forensic teams say they do not suspect foul play.