Selsey Lifeboat Station

Selsey Lifeboat Station - Launches

4th NOvember 2020

Motorboat with Machinery Failure Calls for Assistance

The owner of the 27-foot motorboat called UK Coastguard after an oil pipe fractured spraying oil over the engine. The vessel's position was approximately 300 metres south of Bognor Pier and the owner feared running aground on Bognor rocks or hitting the pier.

At the request of the Coastguard the Selsey all-weather Lifeboat (ALB) launched at 3.25 p.m. on Wednesday 4th November and headed towards the given position. At 3.44 p.m. the Lifeboat arrived on scene to find that the two persons on board the vessel had managed to deploy the anchor but they were unfortunately directly above Bognor rocks and with the tide going out they needed to be pulled clear before the tide dropped more exposing the rocks. The motorboat had recently been purchased and was on passage from Cowes I.O.W to Brighton Marina.

The weather on scene was wind north north east force 1-2 sea state smooth in sunshine. A Lifeboat crewman was transferred to the vessel to assist with the retrieval of the anchor and set up the tow. After consultation with the Coastguard, Littlehampton Harbour Master and the Littlehampton RNLI, it was decided to tow the motorboat to a position 1 mile south of Littlehampton and anchor the vessel as the tide was too low to get into the harbour. Littlehampton Lifeboat were training later on in the evening and agreed to go out at 9.00 p.m. and assist the motorboat into harbour.

At 4.50pm the casualty vessel was anchored off Littlehampton and the Lifeboat crewman was recovered to the Lifeboat. The Lifeboat was released from the incident to return to Selsey. The Lifeboat arrived back at 5.40 p.m. and was recovered a short while afterwards.

CREW: Rob Archibald (Coxswain), Phil Pitham (Mechanic), Max Wiseman, Kristina Dolan, Harry Emmence and an RNLI assessor.