Selsey Lifeboat Station - Launches

29th June 2021

Selsey RNLI Investigate Reports of Small Yacht Aground

Ciceronian Ciceronian

The UK Coastguard requested that the 'D' class inshore Lifeboat launch to check the area known locally as the winkle beds northeast of the Lifeboat station as they had received several reports of a small yacht aground.

The inshore Lifeboat (ILB) launched at 7.56 p.m. on Tuesday 29th June and headed towards the winkle beds and arriving on scene they could see that the vessel had floated off. The ILB went alongside the yacht and spoke to the lone sailor aboard. He confirmed that he had been aground and had anchored in his current position hoping to spend the night there. The ILB crew informed the man that his anchor wasn't holding, the yacht was drifting, and the position he was anchored in would dry out at low water. At this stage the yacht skipper asked for advice from the Lifeboat crew. The weather on scene was wind northeast force 1, smooth sea in overcast sky.

The crew advised him that they could arrange for him to use a mooring close to the Lifeboat station and they would escort him to the mooring avoiding any shallow water on route. The skipper accepted this advice and so an ILB crewman was transferred to the yacht to assist retrieving the anchor and giving advice on the local waters. At 8.50 p.m. the yacht was safely moored and after informing the Coastguards of the yacht's position and the skipper's plans the ILB was released. The ILB returned to station at 8.55 p.m. and was recovered straight away.

CREW: James Albrey (Helmsman), Dan Langford and Max Wiseman.