10m rudderless yacht towed home by Salcombe and Dart RNLI lifeboats
On Saturday 19 August two yachtsmen set off at 5am from Dartmouth in their 10m yacht on passage to Guernsey. At the western end of the Casquets Traffic Separation Scheme, 37 miles from Salcombe, they lost their rudder and were adrift.
Solent Coastguard co-ordinated the incident and requested the Salcombe all-weather lifeboat, Baltic Exchange III, be launched to recover the yacht as it was the nearest vessel able to tow. The tide and weather conditions dictated that Dartmouth was the quickest port to tow the yacht to.
The all-weather lifeboat crew set up the yacht to tow a large drogue to keep her course steady under tow and they arrived at the mouth of the Dart at 8.40pm, just after sunset, before returning to station.
The Dart inshore lifeboat crew set up a stern tow but the yacht yawed dramatically from side to side when under way. The helmsman requested help from the Dart Harbour Authority and the tow was completed successfully with the Dart harbour rib secured alongside the yacht to give her steerage.
The yachtsmen were found a berth at the Premier Noss on Dart Marina, 16 hours after they left Dartmouth.
Notes to editors
The enclosed photo shows the Dart D class inshore lifeboat, The Spirit of the Dart, working with the Dart Harbour Authority Rib to take the rudderless yacht to a safe berth. Please credit RNLI/Andy Kyle.
Key facts about the RNLI
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 over 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 142,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or or by email.