Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat at sea for eleven hours assisting Dutch yacht

The east coast town’s RNLI crew was called from their beds at 2.26am and launched their lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ to go to the aid of an 11 metre Dutch yacht, named Yvette that had lost steering when 48 miles due east of Lowestoft.

Lifeboat Coxswain John Fox said “it took us almost two hours to reach the yacht and the five sailors on board told us that the yacht was on passage from Den Helder in the Netherlands to Lowestoft when it got into trouble. The rudder on the yacht had jammed hard to starboard forcing the yacht to go round in circles.

I decided to put Second Coxswain Karl Jackson on board the stranded vessel to help with the broken rudder to attempt to make the craft go in a straight line again. Trying to tow the yacht with the rudder as it was would have been a very slow process with a speed of just two knots possible - which would have meant a 24-hour tow back to port.

Karl called for some tools and a socket set to be passed from the lifeboat and with them he was able to disconnect the rudder from the steering wheel. He then managed to lash the rudder amidships so the yacht would travel in a straight-line meaning that a faster tow of seven knots could be achieved.

Karl’s reward for using his engineering skills to such good effect was a delicious chicken meal prepared by the skipper of the yacht who it emerged was a very good cook.”

After being at sea for 11 hours in increasingly worsening conditions and a metre and a half swell, the lifeboat and its crew of tired volunteers returned to Lowestoft at 1.30pm.

The ‘Patsy Knight’ Shannon-class lifeboat had only recently returned to service after a major overhaul and this long trip was a good test for her - which she successfully passed.

RNLI media contacts

● Mick Howes, Lowestoft RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer 07814 468917, [email protected]

● Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East)
0207 6207426 / 07785 296252 / [email protected]

● Paul Dunt, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East) 07786 668825 0207 6207417

● 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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