Skipper, Cat Mantra Donates £1,000 to RNLI
Cat Mantra kindly donated £1,000 to the RNLI because he didn’t need the lifesaving charity! In January 2021, After many months of work restoring his yacht Kenevara, Cat set off on the biggest voyage of his life.
Kenevara was off home to Cornwall from Fleetwood, Lancashire. The voyage began smoothly as Cat made his way in to Mousehole for a couple of days rest.
But as he embarked on the final leg to Falmouth, Mother Nature unleashed her fury. Cat was caught in a hurricane-force squall that tossed Kenevara violently. ‘She was thrown on her side, and I felt like a rag doll!’ he recalled, describing the moment when he heard the terrifying sound of the U-bolt snapping. Miraculously, he managed to get back to the safety of the harbour and secure the mast.
Being on a tight schedule he had to set off again. With damage to his sails he had no choice but to rely on engine power for the bumpy ride ahead. Going against the wind, it was going to be a slow journey.
Just off of Fowey, disaster struck again, black smoke started to billow out from the exhaust. A quick decision was made and Cat hoisted the genoa (the sail on the bow of the boat) Cat was then able to turn off the engine to allow it to cool down. He was now faced with two choices, radio for assistance or give it one more go. It was at that point that Cat said a prayer and promised that if he didn’t need the RNLI, he would donate £1000 to the charity anyway.
He was soon able to restart the engine and with no smoke Cat was able to carry on with his voyage to Saltash. Just as he reached his welcome party, it happened again, the engine seized.
Cat said, ‘What happened was nothing short of a miracle, simple as. I am NOT one to go back on a deal with the big guy! I chose Portishead for my donation because I know what an incredible job my cousin Jem Smale and all his fellow crew volunteers do for the RNLI.’
A heartfelt thank you to Cat Mantra for sharing his exhilarating journey and for his significant contribution to the RNLI. We are very grateful he made it back safely!
Remember, if you ever find yourself in need, don’t hesitate to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Notes to editors: Copyright on images are ©RNLI Portishead unless stated
· Cat Mantra stood with crew and volunteers from RNLI Portishead lifeboat station. Left to right Tony Hancorn, Simon Lynn, Paul Weston, Jem Smale, Cat Mantra, Simon Perks, Malcolm Came & Ian (George) Lazenby
· Cat Mantra with yacht Kenevara ©CatMantra
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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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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.
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 146,000 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.
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