Yacht family assisted after running aground

Laura Hodgetts

A family of four received help from Bembridge RNLI lifeboats on Monday, 2 January, in the first launch of the year for the volunteer lifeboat crew.

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Both the inshore and the all weather lifeboats were launched at the request of the UK Coastguard after a yacht with four people on board ran aground on the east coast of the Isle of Wight.

The all weather lifeboat, Alfred Albert Williams, was launched just after 4pm on Monday afternoon to assist the 29ft sailing yacht Go Crazy, with two adults and two young children on board.

The yacht had run aground just outside Bembridge Harbour having gone the wrong side of No 11 buoy on a falling tide.

The yacht Go Crazy. Credit: RNLI/Bembridge

The yacht Go Crazy. Credit: RNLI/Bembridge

Attempts were made to tow the yacht back into the channel, however this was aborted after it became clear that the lifeboat was in danger of running aground herself in the narrow channel.

The crew decided to launch the smaller Y boat – a smaller lifeboat stored on the Alfred Albert Williams – was then launched and the yacht’s crew were transferred to the main lifeboat and taken back to the lifeboat station. In the meantime, the inshore lifeboat, Norman Harvey, had been launched and the crew were able to make sure that the yacht was secure and lay out an anchor.

Both lifeboats were recovered by 5.30pm. The two young children and their mother were taken by Bembridge RNLI’s John Keyworth to Ryde to catch the ferry back to the mainland, while the skipper of the yacht was given a lift by Mike Samuelson to the Duver where he was placed aboard and waited for that night’s high water.

Arrangements were made for the inshore lifeboat to launch at 11pm that night to stand by the yacht as she was refloated and to escort her back into Bembridge.