Margate RNLI called to aid of stranded yacht

Under tow Photo Margate RNLI

Margate RNLI was called to the aid of a yacht disabled and becalmed in busy shipping lanes off the north Kent coast yesterday (July 21).

The yacht, with two people on board, contacted UK Coastguard around 2pm reporting that they were experiencing machinery problems and becalmed in benign weather conditions in the Princes Channel around five miles north west of Margate.

The yacht’s crew requested assistance and Margate’s RNLI all-weather lifeboat was tasked to assist. The lifeboat found the yacht with the assistance of Port of London Authority’s radar coverage of the estuary and once it was established that the crew were safe the vessel was taken under tow to Ramsgate harbour.

Nick Smith, Deputy Launching Authority, Margate Lifeboat, said: “The yacht was disabled and becalmed in busy shipping lanes and asking for assistance at an early stage was a prudent course of action which avoided the situation developing into what could have been a more complex operation perhaps in the dark. We urge people to talk to the coastguard at an early stage in these situations”.