Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat called to vessel with ropes around both propellers

The volunteer crew of Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat ‘Patsy Knight’ were called out at 11.46pm on Sunday 2 August to go to the aid of an ex-pilot vessel that had reported they had ropes around their propellers and was stranded close to a sandbank.

Deputy Second Coxswain Phillip Holdsworth said “we were soon underway to the 14-metre vessel which was six miles south of Southwold, off Sizewell and about a quarter of a mile offshore.

On arrival the three crew on board told us that the ropes attached to a buoy had become wrapped around their boat’s propellers and they were unable to get at them to cut themselves free.

We decided a stern-to-stern tow might create enough slack in the ropes to enable them to be cut and this proved to be the case.

With the vessel free from the buoy but with the ropes still fouling the propellers, their engines were still out of action.

The vessel was very close to a sandbank but still afloat and with the weather turning fresher it was agreed that the safest course of action was to tow the stranded craft to Lowestoft.

With a conventional stern to bow towline connected we headed for Lowestoft although progress was slow as there was a one metre sea swell and a Northeast wind against the tide making it quite choppy.”

After three hours the ex-pilot boat was finally brought into the harbour and moored in Hamilton Dock at 5.30am

Mr Holdsworth was full of praise for his ‘amazing’ volunteer crew who he said coped exceptionally well with a challenging incident.

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For further information, please contact:

Michael Howes, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI North and East, M[email protected]

Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for North East and East England, 07824 518641, [email protected]

Richard Grange, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for North East and East England, 07483 112015, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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