RNLI Ramsgate double call out includes yacht collision with cargo vessel

Photograph by Phil Mace RNLI Mechanic taken from onboard the lifeboat.

RNLI Ramsgate crews were called out to two incidents in 12 hours when a yacht became stranded due to engine problems and another collided with a cargo vessel.

The Inshore Lifeboat Claire and David Delves was launched by HM Coastguard at 5.09pm yesterday (September 21) to a yacht with engine problems off Stone Bay. The crew had managed to anchor to stop themselves from drifting and once on scene the volunteer crew were able to fix a tow line and tow them into the safety of Ramsgate Harbour.

Twelve hours later the pagers went off at 5.26am for the All Weather Lifeboat Esme Anderson to reports of a 9m yacht which had collided with a cargo vessel and was being escorted by a local Pilot boat who had come to the yacht’s aid.

The experienced lone sailor onboard had been making his way from Cornwall to Harwich stopping at various places enroute. Sadly he had a head on collision with the tanker but thankfully his wooden sailing boat had absorbed the impact of the damage to the bow and he was able to stay afloat.

The sailor, who had received no injuries in the collision, refused a tow line and was able to motor his boat back into the harbour with the Lifeboat escorting the casualty.  Before arriving at Ramsgate, two of the volunteer RNLI crew were transferred to the casualty vessel to assist the gentleman sailor with berthing once in the harbour.

A spokesman for Ramsgate RNLI said ‘ The gentleman was very lucky that he had a wooden yacht as the wood absorbed the impact of the collision. Thankfully he was able to alert the Coastguard for assistance. Whenever you set to sea make sure that you have the right safety equipment for your journey, you never know when you will need it.’

9 Comments

  1. Unlike car engines, boar engines spend their life exposed to salt water. Many boats are over twenty years old. It’s no surprise that reliability is an issue. I hope the owners pay for their rescue, or the lifeboat claimed salvage over them to recover costs

  2. The RNLI has spent many £1,000’s of their funds/donations on rescuing those coming across the Channel.
    That cannot be right, as should be used to rescue those who find themselves in trouble in British Waters, not those putting themselves at risk to reach British Waters, when France is internationally recognized as a safe country in which to seek asylum.

    • What a nauseating comment. The first duty of the RNLI is to save lives at sea. Any lives. Not just white English people.

      • You miss my point!
        There is no need for them to be at sea, and they shouldn’t be! They are putting their lives (and those of others) at risk. The ‘financial cost’ however, IS being borne by a charity the RNLI, which has limited funding resources, to which my family donate.
        At no time did I mention White or English people!

        • RNLI does what it does no matter who is in trouble, we all know this. But I agree with Graham Cosby. The RNLI is a charity which receives it’s funding from donations by the public. They have no income from Government and neither do they want it as they are thus independent of government rules, regulations, etc. It is not fair on the charity or those funding it to see their hard to come by funding being called out daily to people who deliberately put their lives at risk crossing the channel illegally in trying to escape French soil for the UK. The government needs to beef up their border patrols to stop this risk of crossing over.
          And to conclude, this has nothing to do with black, white, English or whatever, just an illegal trade in crossing the channel. The RNLI do a brilliant job and if you can, they rely entirely on donations which they urgently need to keep going.

  3. It’s a strange thing to say check that the engine is OK it’s like saying I checked the washing machine before turning it on it was OK guess what it has broken down. If everyone knew when an engine or a motor would breakdown then they would get it sorted before using it. No body knows or can tell, it’s no different to your body would you know before you went for a walk that you would have a heart attack no you nor I would suspect we would it’s your engine keeps the blood flowing through your body supplying oxygen to keep you going etc we do our best to keep well but all engines & motors can breakdown when we least are expecting it.

    • If your car broke down on the M2, would you expect mechanics from the NHS ambulance service come out and fix it? Or do you depend on a breakdown organisation like the AA or RAC?
      Maybe we need something like that in our coastal waters. Skippers sign up (and pay for) a tug boat rescue organisation. If your engine breaks down or you run out of fuel, a quick call on your VHF radio an a bloke comes out to tow you in.

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