Dungeness RNLI lifeboat tasked to small yacht with sails blown out and no fuel
On Wednesday 5 October at 4pm the lifeboat was tasked by Dover Coastguard to assist a 21 foot yacht whose sails had blown out and had no fuel with two persons on board, one mile west south west of Dungeness.
The small yacht was on passage from Yarmouth to Plymouth in force 6 easterly winds with 2 metre swells.
Once on scene, Coxswain Stuart Adams in command of the RNLI lifeboat 13-02 ‘The Morrell’ put one volunteer crewmember aboard the casualty to assess the situation. It was decided to transfer one person from the yacht to the lifeboat and a tow was established between lifeboat and casualty to enable a safe towage to Eastbourne. On nearing Hastings, the Hastings Mersey class lifeboat with her volunteer crew was launched to rendezvoused with Dungeness and take the tow onwards to Eastbourne. The Dungeness lifeboat returned to station, refuelled and was ready for service by 8.30pm.
Coxswain Adams said ‘This vessel was not equipped for the weather conditions. Any vessel putting to sea should have the appropriate lifesaving equipment aboard and get an updated weather forecast before leaving.
RNLI media contacts
- Judith Richardson, Dungeness RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
01797 320062 / 07859264226/ [email protected] - Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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