Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat called to help two Dutch yachts with engine failure
Two yachts heading for Lowestoft needed the assistance of the town’s RNLI lifeboat to help them to complete their journeys.
The first call came at 9.26am on 18 July 2019. The volunteer crew at Lowestoft launched their lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ to respond to a Dutch yacht requesting assistance.
Lowestoft RNLI Coxswain John Fox said, "When we reached the vessel, which was five miles east of Lowestoft, the two man crew told us that with little wind to sail they had been relying on their engine to power the boat but it cut out and after a long night at sea they decided to seek our help. The 9.5 metre Dutch yacht had sailed over from Ijmuiden when they encountered a problem and we were able to connect a tow line and bring the craft safely into the yacht basin."
"We had just returned to our mooring and washed down when another call came in at 11.26am to help a larger Dutch yacht whose engine would not run.
We launched and soon reached the 50-foot yacht that had four people on board and was one mile south-east of the pier heads. The breeze had by now picked up and the yachtsmen had tried to sail towards the harbour but being unfamiliar with the waters decided to ask for assistance. We again connected a towline and brought the yacht into the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Marina."
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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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