Scarborough RNLI to the rescue when lobster pot lines snare yacht

It was an overcast, dark night with no moonlight so the yacht had no chance of spotting the white canisters floating on the surface without a light or a flag.

The all-weather Shannon class lifeboat crew used a grappling hook to pull close to the beleaguered vessel, which was sailing from Inverness to Lowestoft.

A crew member boarded the craft and managed to cut one of the pot lines loose, releasing the propeller. But a second one was inaccessible, being trapped under the hull while jamming the rudder.

The lifeboat escorted the 12m yacht close to shore while summoning its smaller partner, the inshore lifeboat, whose crew were able to reach low enough to cut the propeller free.

The Shannon launched at about 10.30pm, followed by the inshore lifeboat at about 12.40am. The volunteer lifeboat crews, six on the Shannon, three on the inshore lifeboat and four on shore, were finished by 3am. The sea was calm with a light swell.

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 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter 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.