Porthdinllaen RNLI lifeboat assists stricken yacht

The yacht, 33 foot in length and three persons on board had been sailing down towards Caernarfon towards Bardsey Island when at a position approximately 5 miles North West of the island, all wind power was lost. After switching over to its inboard engine for propulsion, the engine also lost all it`s power.

Porthdinllaen`s all-weather lifeboat, the Tamar class John D Spicer was launched to assist the craft. Upon arriving on scene a tow line was successfully passed to the yacht and after her crew had secured a towing bridle, the tow towards Porthdinllaen began. Upon arriving at Porthdinllaen, the yacht was placed on a safe mooring in the harbour until repairs could be carried out until the morning. The lifeboat returned to station and was refuelled ready for service by 9:30pm.

Robert Jones, Second Coxswain at Porthdinllaen RNLI said: 'It is suspected that contaminated fuel was the reason for loss of engine power and with daylight fading fast, the sailors made the correct call by requesting for assistance, we were glad to be of assistance'

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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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