Buckie Lifeboat tows yacht to safety after steering failure
A volunteer crew launched the RNLI’s Buckie Lifeboat at 2.00pm yesterday, Wednesday 20 July, on a tasking from the UK Coastguard to assist a yacht with steering problems at a position 2 miles northwest of Lossiemouth.
In calm conditions, the lifeboat made good speed to the scene where the crew of the 32 ft yacht were found to be well-equipped and in no immediate danger but, having suffered total steering failure, they were clearly unable to make their way back to port.
A tow was established to tow the yacht towards Lossiemouth – the nearest safe harbour. Outside the harbour, the tow was transferred alongside to allow better control of the yacht for the final approach to the harbour entrance and to bring the yacht alongside a pontoon.
The lifeboat returned to her berth in Buckie at 4.30pm where she was refuelled and made ready for further service.
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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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