
Lytham St Annes RNLI bring broken down yacht to safety
Lytham St Annes Volunteer Lifeboat crew assist a drifting vessel in the Ribble Estuary that became a danger to navigation.
A 22 foot (6.7m) bilge keel yacht ran aground in the Ribble Estuary on the south side opposite the Inshore Lifeboat House, on Saturday 20th July 2024. As the tide was ebbing at the time, the vessel was stuck fast so the two sailors on board settled down to stay for the night until the high water the following day allowed their yacht to refloat.
The Coastguard MRCC (Holyhead) requested the Lytham St Annes Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) investigate the casualty at 12.14pm on Sunday (21st). The ILB MOAM was quickly launched at Seafield Road slipway with Helm Vinny Pedley in command and headed the mile upriver to where the yacht was now drifting after she had come afloat on the high tide. Although the vessel’s engine was running there was no drive to the propeller and the two sailors were unable to rectify the problem with the boat in that position.
The ILB arrived alongside, and a crew member was placed aboard the yacht to assess the situation. It was found that nothing could be done for the vessel while afloat and she would cause a considerable danger to Ribble navigation if left for another 12 hours until the following high tide, and even then, a solution may not have been found.
The logical option was to tow the casualty to the nearest place of safety, Lytham Dock, where the 2 sailors could get ashore and arrange repairs to the yacht before continuing their passage to Hesketh Bank on the River Douglas. The ILB towed the vessel to a safe berth on Liggard Creek and handed over to HM Coastguard (Lytham) before the ILB was recovered onto her carriage at the Lytham Dock slipway. The ILB was then driven back to her boathouse by road for 1.30pm to be washed off, checked and refueled.
Helm Vinny Pedley said on the ILB’s return, ‘The sailors tried their best to get the propulsion going as the engine itself was working, but in the situation at the time were unable to do so. Therefore, the only sensible option left open was for the ILB to tow them to the nearest place of safety.'
RNLI Media Contacts
For more information, please contact David Forshaw, Lytham St Annes Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at [email protected] or call 07904 685 206, Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager on 07977 728315 or at [email protected]. Alternatively, contact the RNLI Press Office at [email protected] or call 01202 336789.
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