St Ives RNLI lifeboats launch to distressed and dismasted yacht
St Ives Shannon and D class lifeboats launched yesterday morning (Tuesday 4 September) to a dismasted yacht which had trapped the skipper in the cabin.
The St Ives lifeboat crew answered the pagers at around 9.40am and the D class inshore lifeboat. The seas were relatively choppy, and the team led by David Chard at the helm were quickly on route to a yacht that was moored on the RNLI outside mooring approximately 300 metres off of Porthminster beach. This lifeboat mooring ensures that vessels in distress and with permission from the Coastguard can moor here as it’s not impacted by the tides.
The inshore lifeboat volunteers where able to assist the casualty vessel and assess the situation. The mast was down, and the skipper was contained within the boat’s cabin. The team were able to release the skipper by removing the mast from the doorway, rigging and various other items – the casualty was assessed for any injuries or medical concerns which thankfully there were none. The team ensured that the yacht was made safe before returning to the station.
At 12pm the Shannon class all-weather lifeboat led by coxswain Rob Cocking with a full crew, launched to assist the yacht in recovery. On arrival they could see that the 8-9 ft mast was in the water.
Jack Coop, Nick Philips and Robin Langford from the lifeboat crew boarded the yacht to get the mast out of the water and rigged it up onto the boat.
The crew then got the yacht on tow and made their way to Hayle. The conditions were a little challenging with a northeast 6-7 wind and 1.5-2 metre swell. The crew spoke with the Hayle lifeguards to assist with clearing the path of kite and wind surfers, so the lifeboat could quickly tow and deliver the yacht safely to Hayle. No injuries reported, and no medical support required. The team successfully completed the tow of the damaged yacht and then returned to the lifeboat station to ready again for service if required.
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.
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