Peel’s RNLI volunteers responded to a HM Coastguard request just before 6 am on Tuesday to assist a sailing yacht with a fouled rudder.
In misty and squally conditions, Peel’s Shannon class lifeboat, Frank and Brenda Winter, was quickly on scene, some five miles to the west of Peel Castle. A 38-foot yacht with two people aboard had become entangled with a lobster pot marker.
Jon Corlett, volunteer coxswain with Peel’s lifeboat, explained:
‘After an initial assessment, we attempted to dislodge the lines wrapped around the rudder by towing the yacht. When this was unsuccessful, one of our crew members went aboard the casualty vessel. Using a long boat hook he was able to free the rudder from the lobster pot marker lines.
‘The pair aboard the casualty vessel had been wearing lifejackets and were uninjured. Freed from the lobster pot the yacht was able to continue its journey towards Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland.’
By 9am, the lifeboat had returned to Peel and due to tidal conditions was left moored along the breakwater until later in the day.
The volunteers who had responded to their pagers at such an early hour returned to their homes and then prepared to go to their day-jobs.
Peel Lifeboat’s Chairman, Stuart Blackley added:
‘RNLI volunteers come from all walks of life, including the finance sector, education, construction services, office workers, health care and emergency services. We are always ready to welcome new recruits, especially in this, the RNLI’s 200th Anniversary year. Benefitting from the charity’s extensive training programmes and state-of-the-art equipment, our volunteers come together as one crew to save lives at sea.’
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