Ramsgate RNLI in eight hour operation to rescue disabled yacht
On Tuesday morning (October 23) at 6.40am the Ramsgate all-weather lifeboat ‘Esme Anderson’ was launched to a twenty six metre yacht twenty nine miles north east of Ramsgate.
When the lifeboat arrived on the scene they found that the crew of four on board were in difficulty due to a hydraulic failure which meant that they were unable to lower the sails.
With strong winds of force five to six and two metre swells the yacht was at the mercy of the wind. To make matters worse the hydraulics also controlled the 4.5 metre keel meaning they were unable to take shelter in a harbour due to the draught of the yacht.
The crew of the lifeboat escorted the yacht into the comparative protection from the wind off the coast of Ramsgate where they were able to put a crew member on board.
The deputy RNLI mechanic was able to manually lift the keel so that they were able to head into the harbour but they were unable to drop the sails. However with assistance from the lifeboat they were able to moor the boat up against the pontoon where they could safely await an engineer.
The whole operation took over eight hours which meant that the mainly volunteer crew missed most of their working day. The RNLI truly appreciates the dedication of our volunteer crews and their understanding employees, without whom we could not continue to save lives at sea.
Ends
RNLI Media Contacts
Karen Cox Ramsgate volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer [email protected] 07779 848431.
Paul Dunt Regional Media Officer London and South East, [email protected] 07785 296252.
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 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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok 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 by email.