25 Hours Aground: Hayling Lifeboat Crew Assist Lone Sailor
'The plan was a short shakedown trip, but turned out to be much longer than expected'
This year began busier than 2025 for the crew at Hayling Lifeboat Station.
The first launch came on 2 January, when pagers sounded to reports of a 24ft sailing vessel drifting into shallow water following mechanical failure. The Atlantic lifeboat launched and, once on scene, established a tow to deeper water before placing the yacht in an alongside tow and recovering it safely to the pontoon at Itchenor.
On 12 January the D Class launched to a report of an empty kayak floating at Northney. After a search, it was confirmed the kayak had fallen from a boat in the marina and no further action was required.
On 17 January the Atlantic launched to assist a lone sailor whose 24ft yacht had gone aground at the top of Emsworth Harbour. On arrival he confirmed he was safe and planned to wait for the 11:00pm high tide to refloat. The crew were stood down, but just before midnight the Coastguard requested a relaunch when contact could not be made with the sailor. The D Class returned to check on the casualty and found him safe and well, but he had been unable to refloat. The crew provided him with blankets and he chose to remain onboard overnight and try again at the next high tide.
The following day, while out training, the lifeboats revisited the yacht shortly before high water, taking hot tea and food and checking whether the vessel would float clear. Although she did refloat, the engine failed to start. The crew switched from training to service, set up an alongside tow and returned the yacht to her berth at Emsworth Yacht Harbour before resuming their exercise.
The sailor, Adam Caplan from Berkshire, bought the boat last July and has only recently begun sailing in Chichester Harbour.
'I had planned a short shakedown trip before giving her a clean,' he said. 'The engine failed while I was raising the mainsail and the wind pushed me aground. I expected to float again at high water but realised I needed to call the Coastguard. What was meant to be a couple of hours at sea turned into 26. I had food, water and warm clothes, but my phone battery ran low, so I had an enforced ‘digital detox’ not always a bad thing. I had plenty of time to give the cabin a deep clean.'
Reflecting on the experience, he added: 'In the end I actually enjoyed it. I had planned to spend a night on the boat this year, I just hadn’t expected it to be in mid-January. In future I’ll ensure I can charge my phone so I can call the Coastguard if needed. I’ll be more prepared I'll get the outboard checked and book onto a Day Skipper course to improve my skills. The RNLI were fantastic I’m grateful for the blankets, food and hot drinks, as well as their assistance and good advice'.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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