Further to the lifeboat crew thread - who’s been rescued?

[Elessar]

I have 3 times. And it goes without saying, thanks to the lifeboat crews.

1 was 20+ years ago and I would now criticise myself heavily for my actions that day. Too windy, just me and my young daughter and complacent because it was a short trip to move to another buoy. Not even lifejackets on a trip that really needed them. My daughter ended up in the dinghy and me in the boat. Real peril but all ended well.

2 and 3 were tows rather than rescues. One with a snapped prop shaft and one with a chain round the prop.

All coincidentally were by independent lifeboats.

who else?

 

[oldharry]

I had Bembridge IRB come out to me in Priory Bay after some idiot set a big unmarked Seine net across the anchorage. Ended up with it round the rudder, prop and keels. After battling in the water 40 minutes I was getting cold and tired, so called CG for assistance.

35 years ago we had Barmouth lifeboat on standby while we bought a child with a bad asthma attack ashore for emergency treatment.

 

[Boathook]

So far I have managed to avoid being rescued. I do pay a monthly sub to the RNLI just in case though ...

 

[Mark-1]

I'm on two, both AWLs in gales. One a genuine lifesaver, and one which I was very grateful for but I wasn't in any real danger.

 

[maby]

Not yet - but a lapse in concentration coming out of Chichester Harbour a couple of weeks ago did give me cause to be grateful that they are there!

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Towed by RNLI, once on my boat, several times on deliveries. All were mechanical/steering/diesel bug problems combined with no wind or searoom.

Properly rescued by Norwegian lifeboat..late in the season rounding Lindesnes, I was knocked out by the boom when a violent cross-swell crash-tacked her.
I was lucky to wake up when I did..

 

[bigwow]

I lost steering off Tusker rock, informed CG I would head for Rosslaire, CG was keen to deploy lifeboat, I declined but was told later they watched over me all the way in through their binoculars

 

[double_ender]

In distress but our flares unseen.
It was 1960, September, a charter boat from Cowes, Levanter. A group of scouts from Longridge all inexperienced. After a few days in the windy Solent , Cherbourg and duty free beckoned . Off the Nab gale warnings came over the bbc, and increasing wind, the jib fouled up on gibing, the topping lift parted, and the wooden dinghy on the cabin top was put overside as the boom was drooping with the reefed gaff main. The engine on the boat was a Kelvin petrol/paraffin and was now kaput, as the motion had stirred up all the rust in the tank

Now no hope of duty free, or even getting back to the Solent , it was running before the westerly wind . The dinghy disappeared in the night. Only about 3-4 of the 8-9 crew were fit for duty! I recall Owers light disappearing to port and a few ferries with lights crossing our track.
we had no real idea of where we were, except it must be up channel some where. With the murky light next day, it was wet, windy etc, we eventually saw signs of land to starboard , which as we continued to run before the wind, got nearer and eventually finished up ahead of us. We attempted to sail out of embaying situation with our reefed and drooping main, the fouled up jib and the u s engine. All to little avail and we got closer and closer to the beach we could now see. We let off the flares we had but in the wet, windy daylight they seemed pretty feeble. As we were forced closer in we could see a group of chaps roped together going up and down the beach in time with our ground losing tacks. We did drop the anchor, I recall being on the windlassss , clinging like mad to it as waves swept over the bow, the chain broke and we went onto the beach luckily steep to and near high water, the boat was stranded and secured by the locals.
I was Ault Onival, near Le Treport. We were taken to hotel Malvina I think. With calm weather in a few days the boat was dragged down the beach with a tractor which damaged the stem, refloated and towed to Le Treport.
With the damage we had to return by ferry!
As most will know, in 1960 sailing no vhf, our boat had no synthetics, cordage or canvass, fancy gear etc we had the blue kapok life jackets which were only put on when we were off the beach! Happy Days

 

[Rustyknight]

Many years ago, motor sailing down through the Alderney race, we went over pot marker and line which was under the surface. It wrapped itself around the sail drive, and at the time my partner on the helm let go of the tiller to reach the engine controls, causing the tiller to sweep across the cockpit and break..... by which time the engine had stalled.

With the tide pushing against the transom, frequent dollops of water would come over into the cockpit. In between checking that the engine deep sea seal wasn't compromised, and catching buckets of water as they came aboard, I put out a pan-pan call, whilst my partner got ready to deploy the liferaft.

The Alderney Lifeboat was launched, and a crewman transferred over to us when it arrived on scene. A tow had to be passed and we had to be turned head to tide before we could reach the offending pot line and cut it. We were then towed at about 12 knots into Braye.

All in all, quite an experience....

 

[PhillM]

I have, once. Long set of threads about it on here:

Well done Pantaenius insurance

and here: What did PhillM do wrong?

Was most grateful for the help.

As it happens, post accident, the surveyor found a pre-existing defect (rot around a 1.5 inch seacock, meaning the whole thing could have dropped out leaving a bloody great hole) ... with serious consequences, if I had made it onto the Jester Challenge and it had failed while half way across the Irish sea. So, out of a bad situation, a worse one might have been averted.

 

[UK-WOOZY]

5 years ago got previous fin keel boat stuck on blythe sands by the entrance to the thames when i first got the boat. I was in the galley checking ironically the new depth gauge and a new club member was at athe helm, the tide was going out then a sudden stop. got towed back to the club which is near the dartford crossing by the Gravesend RNLI. The rudder was snapped off when we got pulled off the sand bank. Id never called for assistance but passing boats did. was grateful for the RNLI assistance of course. one of our club members is now with the same RNLI station.

 

[Lightwave395]

Once for me 10 years ago, hopefully not more, a Sunday afternoon going downwind in SW 25 knots from Yarmouth back to Hamble, self and partner setup for a gybe off Gurnard, just as we went for it her hat blew off... stupidly as it flashed past my ear, without thinking I lurched forward to try and grab it leaving my arm between two coachroof winches just as we gybed (bridge deck mainsheet track). The traveller hit the back of my elbow with my forearm trapped between the two winches.

Result, most agony I've had in my life thus far as upper and lower arm halves detached at the elbow

Cowes inshore lifeboat was there within 10 mins accompanied by the Hamble independent life boat. Two guys were put onboard, one ministered to me, my partner and the other took care of the boat, we were at Trinity Landing 20 mins later where the Ambulance was waiting, off to St Marys and an Op that evening to put my arm back together

Hamble lifeboat put a guy onboard with my partner and they took the boat back to my Hamble mooring

Thereafter made a donation to Hamble lifeboat and increased my RNLI monthly stipend !

We lost the hat too !

 

[Stemar]

Rescued and glad to be, though not in any immediate danger.

One October Sunday, one of the last club races of the season and a blustery 7 from the northeast. The skipper's 75+, and the crew's a diabetic in his 60s in a Sunfast 20, so we make the sensible decision to give it a miss and put the boat to bed. It's blowing hard enough that the only way to pick up the mooring is going astern, with me hanging over the transom driving the OB like a motorbike. All done, into the dinghy to get back to the club, then we hit something with the prop. The shear pin snaps and we've no drive or way to fix it. The tide's falling fast and the wind's blowing us on shore. I try to row, but the little tupperware bowl of a dinghy pays more attention to the wind than the oars, so we end up on the mud a couple of hundred yards from the shore. Portsmouth mud's not to be trifled with, so staying put is the only sensible option. We settle in to wait for some water and call the club to let them know our situation. They in turn inform QHM, who send GAFIRS, our local independent lifeboat out.

By the time they get to us, there's 100 yards of mud between us, so a young guy - could have been Carrot Ironfoundersson on his day off - came to us, using a kayak to keep from sinking too far into the mud. He puffing and panting when he gets here, so I'm darned glad we didn't try to make it to the shore! They get a rope to us and try to tow us off, but the dinghy's just folding up. Pause for reflection, and a radio conversation, presumably with Solent Coastguard, who were real back then, and they say "There's a helicopter in the air, en route Brighton to Yeovil (I think, it was a while ago). Would you mind (!) if it picked you up? It would be some useful training." No, we don't mind so, in due course, the helicopter picks us up and drops us in a nearby car park, where the GAFIRSLandrover is waiting to take us back to the club. By the time the paperwork's done, the boat has recovered our dinghy and it's tied up on the club pontoon. Full marks to GAFIRS.

It wasn't until we were dropped off that we realised how cold we were. There's a world of difference between being dressed for a couple of hours of active racing round the cans and being dressed to sit still in a tiny dinghy in an October yatchsman's gale for several hours.

The most embarrassing thing was that all this happened in full view of the clubhouse, bringing the weekly raffle to a stop while a packed audience watched the fun. I got stick for that little incident for years.

 

[LittleSister]

Not a rescue as such. Early 1990s on a friends boat, engine out of action, and we were sailing at night in calm conditions and light airs through the Goodwin Sands' Gull channel en-route Burnham to Dover (and then on to Brest). Wind died, and we were in no immediate danger but pirouetting as we were being washed on our way, and out of the sands, by the tide.

We were unable to display 'not under command' lights (not the only time I've wanted them!), and our identity and intentions would not have been be clear to the shipping we could see we might be mixing with once we got away from the sands. The skipper called the CG to explain our predicament (perhaps thinking maybe they'd broadcast a Securite warning?).

CG told him to stand by. We sailed along, relaxed, while we waited for them to get back to him, assuming they had more pressing things to deal with at the time. Next thing they come back on telling us the Dover LB is on its way!

Whether the CG misunderstood our skipper's (unclear?) intentions, or (more probably?) just thought it would be easier to get us in before we got ourselves into a pickle, I don't know. We were mightily embarrassed.

While we wafted along, waiting for the LB to arrive, we rigged up a bridles from the heavy wooden foremast and winches to spread the load of the towline, and drank more tea.

We saw a boat coming towards us from the Dover direction at high speed, lights blazing, and prepared to pass a line. As it came alongside for this, though, we realised it was not the lifeboat, but a fishing boat. At the time we assumed they were fishing for salvage money and refused a tow, but perhaps they were just trying to help.

The lifeboat arrived shortly afterwards and towed us to Dover - the most frightening part of the saga. We were being towed at well above our normal speeds, stern dragging down, and had to ask them to slow down a bit. We hid in the cockpit with our heads down, fearing the tow would part any moment. At one point I had to go to the foredeck to sort out some tangle or fouling, and was terrified the line would part and whip back at me while I was there.

On arrival my skipper made a substantial donation to the LB, and next day took round some bottles of whisky for the crew.

Afterwards I wondered what we should have done. I think the skipper should have made a Securite broadcast himself, or at least have been much clearer about why he was calling the CG. Had we felt in danger we probably had enough chain on board to anchor where we were, but otherwise it was calm enough we could have got the dinghy alongside and use the outboard to push us into shallower water. The main engine had failed because the pressed steel alternator pulley had disintegrated. I had bodged it back together again, but didn't think it would last long, and we were saving it to get into Dover harbour (though with a bit of wind we could have sailed in and anchored). We didn't need the alternator, but did need the seawater pump driven by the same belt. If need be, to get us out of danger, we could have rigged up a manual bilge pump to push water through the engine.

Apart from the severe dent to our pride, and the skipper's wallet, it all ended up well, which was the main thing. It took a few days in Dover to get a replacement pulley (I think we had it machined up). We then made it on to Brest, and eventually home to Essex, albeit with a few more scrapes and adventures on the way.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Thirty years ago, in my 21' Westerly Jouster. Heading north up the Sound of Islay with 6 knots of spring tide. Forecast said southerly force 3, actual changed quickly to northerly force 6. Trapped in waves later estimated by the lifeboat coxswain as 25 feet high off Port Askaig. Couldn't go south because the tide was more than my hull speed. Couldn't go north because even under storm jib and a scrap of main we made 6 knots through the water south. Just had to sit there and take it. I got seasick and at that point called the coatsguard. Port Askaig LB, bless them, came and got us from around one mile from their base. It took them a while though, because they hadn't expect things to be as bad as they were and lost two crew members overboard just coming across to us.

I finished that trip and did one or two more that season, then stopped sailing for the best part of ten years.

 

[Kukri]

26th August 1973. Was towing a pram dinghy astern of my 18ft boat in a light following wind off the North Foreland, bound north, when the dinghy surged down the face of a swell and broke the rudder stock. Tried the usual methods of steering with no rudder. No good. No radio of course. A capable looking boat, a Seadog from Woodbridge called ‘Mutiny’, offered a tow into Margate which we gratefully accepted but the flare had been seen so we caused a wasted shout for the Margate ILB.

Still embarrassed, 46 years and four months later.

 

[Daydream believer]

Twice, both on my round UK trips.
First one was between Peterhead & Eyemouth. I had been ill in Peterhead after a dodgy meal but decided to leave as bad weather coming & i wanted to get to Eyemouth. The strong winds came quicker than expected & I was making exceptionally good time meaning that I would arrive at too early & at night in low water & rough sea. Having lived in berwick I knew that Eyemouth might be shut to yachts due to the onshore wind. I dropped all sails but was ( according to the coastguard) still doing over 5kts under bare poles. The food poisoning came back with vengance & I chucked up 7 times & was visiting the heads every 15 mins.After a while I was unable to move being struck down in the cockpit floor.
I called the CG to ask them to contact the HM at Eyemouth to check on possibility of entry & if not possible could they give me a bearing for The firth of Forth Bridge so I could find the marina there ( I did not have a chart for that area) Whilst talking to them I was chucking up so had to explain i was ill.
they then informed me that they had alerted Eyemouth LB.
They arrived some time later & wanted to board me but weather was too bad ( They later reported that they could only make max 14 kts due to high seas)
I was by now suffering from Migraine & limited eyesight down to tunnel vision & aura, but said that I could follow them under engine, if they just went in front.
When we did arrive the ambulance wanted to take me to Melrose but I refused as I would not be able to get back easily.
I later found that the RNLI had 3 people on the bay watching the sea & were really worried that it was too rough to enter. It seems the wind dropped for a short while as we went in.
I was ill in Eyemouth for the following week. The crew ere fabulous several visited me and they even washed the vomit off my oilies & dried & folded them. They made several boats move to put my boat next to the pontoon &the coxswain put me in his car & drove me all round Eyemouth to save me a 100 yard walk over the footbridge back to where the boat was parked after I left the ambulance where they had done med checks. I was having difficulty walking. He kept apologising for taking so long to get to me. Seems the crew had just gone to bed as they had just finished their annual dinner, dance & were all the bit worse for wear.!!!

The second time was off Inverness when the tiller pilot failed & i grounded & lost my rudder. The inshore life boat was alongside within 3-4 minutes as it had been on training duty under Kessok bridge. They insisted I did nothing & took me & my boat into Inverness & parked me up as a training exercise. the chap who came aboard actually lived 5 miles from where I lived for 15 years. They had a female crew, who was the next best thing to a mermaid. She was gorgeous . It was worth the rudder just to be rescued by her.
Glad I lost the rudder when I did because It was found to be absolute rubbish build & would not have survived a bad wave at sea. I could have been in real danger, rather than a simple grounding in zero wind. Thankyou Mr Hanse!!!.
Both rescues cost me a few hundred £squids. But well worth it. Times like that one gets to appreciate being British.

 

[PilotWolf]

Never by the RNLI but towed in the last part of the trip by the Newhaven pilots. Failed raw water pump, jury rigged it using hand bilge pump - they took pity on us! Our berth was right next to theirs so we did know them well.

I’ve been out of the UK for a long time but I wonder if these local ‘relationships’ still exist in ports?

Another time I lost my HH vhf, a commercial vessel from a very poor country at the time was docked behind us. It was probably more than a month’s wage for them but they went out of their way to return it rather than sell it.

id like to think that still exists.

PW

 

[Hacker]

My offering caused great amusement at the time! I used to be crew/coxswain on an independent boat in the west Solent. If the wind was southerly we couldn’t recover on our usual slipway but had to use the slip at Calshot. On this occasion I was shore based and tasked with taking the land rover and trailer around to Calshot for recovery.It was a (very) low-water spring and I had to rope the trailer down the slip, but unknown to me the wheels had dipped over the end of the concrete. We recovered the boat into the trailer and then I tried to pull it up the slip; the wheels jammed on the slip edge and we couldn’t move at all. Whilst we tried a number of different ideas the tide was coming back in and I ended up sitting in the landrover cab with water lapping around my ankles. It was this stage that the Calshot RNLI crew turned up with their launch tractor and pulled us out. They took the michael for moths afterwards.

 

[elton]

I lost sail, then my propshaft coupling snapped, as I was driven towards high cliffs and a rocky shore. VHF couldn't reach Coastguard due to the cliffs, but an offshore drilling platform heard my Mayday, and relayed it. RNLI came just seconds too late to prevent my grounding, but they couldn't get close enough to attempt rescue. But while I was grounded, ,and taking on water up to my chest, and being battered by a swinging boom, an RAF Sea King magically appeared among the dark clouds above, and a man came down on a winch, and plucked me to safety. I'm not ashamed to admit, it sometimes drives me to tears thinking about it. I've had dozens of spectacular motorcycle accidents over the years, but they were over in a second, rather than the solid hour I faced death in the water.

BBC News report on my wreck