Selsey Lifeboat Station - Launches
28th June 2014
Both Selsey Lifeboats Aid French Yacht Aground and Taking on Water
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Selsey RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat crew launched the 'D' class Inshore Lifeboat at the request of Solent coastguard who received an emergency call saying there was a yacht aground on the Kirk Arrow shingle bank. The RNLI crew were paged at 8.03 a.m. on Saturday 28th June 2014 and launched the reserve 'D' class Lifeboat, D675, at 8.12 a.m. The weather on scene was wind 4-5, sea state slight to moderate. The Lifeboat was quickly on scene with the 35-foot French yacht 'Ommage'. The lone skipper reported that the craft was taking water.
The inshore Helmsman, Colin Pullenger, requested that the station salvage pump be taken round to their location by road and picked up from the beach. He also requested that All-Weather Tyne class Lifeboat 'Voluntary Worker' was ready to assist when the incoming tide allowed the vessel to be towed off the bank.
The Inshore Lifeboat crew set the salvage pump to work on 'Ommage' and established a tow between the two vessels. At 9.20 a.m. RNLI AWL 'Voluntary Worker' launched and proceeded to a position to rendezvous with the inshore boat which had managed to tow 'Ommage' off the shingle bank. It was now believed the water ingress could be coming from the stern tube so the pump and one crewman from the Lifeboat would be kept on the yacht.
The Inshore Lifeboat towed 'Ommage' to deeper water and a tow was established between 'Voluntary Worker' and the yacht. A was course set for Sparkes Marina just inside Chichester Harbour where they had a crane available to lift the vessel straight out of the water on arrival.
The Inshore Lifeboat was released at 10.05 a.m., returned to station and rehoused at 10.15 a.m. The Helmsman, Colin Pullenger, said that when they arrived on scene the skipper of 'Ommage' asked if he was in Freshwater Bay (Isle of Wight). He was on passage from Dunkirk to the Scilly Isles.
The entrance to Chichester Harbour was reached at 10.47 a.m and 'Ommage' was birthed alongside at Sparkes Marina at 11.30 a.m. The Lifeboat crew assisted with the lifting operation, keeping the pump going till the vessel was out of the water. 'Voluntary Worker' departed Sparkes Marina at 2.00 p.m. to return to station, arriving at 2.40 p.m. and rehousing straight away.
ILB CREW: Colin Pullenger (Helmsman), Pip Skeet (Trainee), Max Wiseman (Trainee).
AWL CREW: Geoff Mellett (Coxswain), Dave Lamdin (2nd Coxswain), Phil Pitham (Mechanic), Willy Pledger, Craig Sergeant, Gary Pearce, Dan Langford (Trainee), Kristina Dolan (Trainee).