Port St Mary RNLI launched its all‑weather lifeboat on Sunday evening after a yacht suffered mechanical failure south of the Calf of Man.
The volunteer crew launched at 7:48pm and reached the vessel near Chicken Rock at 8:10pm, finding the lone sailor safe but unable to make progress due to a gearbox failure and light winds.
With the yacht posing a potential hazard to navigation, the lifeboat took it under tow and brought it safely to Port St Mary, securing it on a mooring by 10pm.
The call out was the first for newly appointed Coxswain Rob Marshall, who praised the crew’s performance after a long day that had already included an exercise launch.
He said: “I’m really pleased with how everything went and how the crew performed. We had already been out on exercise earlier in the day, so it was a long day for some, but this is exactly what we train for.
“The skipper was able to contact the Coastguard, which meant we could locate the vessel quickly. I would also like to thank all of the team at Port St Mary RNLI Station, Isle of Man Harbours and Coastguards, their work on shore makes rescues like this possible.”
