The lifeboat from Rye Harbour was called out on Saturday August 31 when the owners of a 22ft yacht reported that their engine had failed and that they were unable to use sail power.
It was 10:57pm and the vessel was approximately two miles south-east of the Harbour entrance when the distress call call came in. Within minutes the lifeboat was launched, Tim Dickinson at the helm and a crew of Matt Ellis, Rob Jennings and Brendan Towner. It was clear that the boat would ground at low tide so a tow-rope was attached. Once this was secure the lifeboat Hello Herbie II, an Atlantic 85, towed the yacht back to its moorings at Rock Channel.
Paul Bolton, LOM (Lifeboat Operations Manager) commented, ’It was fantastic to see so many of the volunteer crew willing to turn out for a late-night shout. They are a dedicated team and all their recent training certainly paid off.
‘It was great to be able to help the well-equipped and competent sailors on the yacht who had had a bit of bad luck with their engine failing so close to home,’ continued helm Tim Dickinson. ‘It reminds us all that accidents can happen to anyone and having the foresight to call for help by ringing 999 and asking for the Coastguard is always the right thing to do. We train and exercise for a multitude of scenarios so my crew were well-prepared to respond to shouts such as this one.’
Image Credits: Kt Bruce .