Another day older and another day spent at sea...

We spent a fewhours on boat cleaning in the morning... fine - usual day.

1630 - Pager goes off.. launched to a fishing boat with a broken gearbox - position given about 85 miles east of Flamborough Head.

2050 - we arrive on scene - nearly over 4 hours at 20 kts.

2100 - Tow underway towards Bridlington - I m navigator - 85 miles, estimated speed 6 kts, 14 hrs steaming away

0000 Birthday gone for another year!

0845 ish pass tow to Bridlington ALB for last 10 miles and off home.

1030 back on station.

1200 indoors - bath, food, bed!

Total of 202 miles, 18 + hours at sea and no birthday cake

W.

Happy birthday-can I  ask where the launch of the ramp boats at Bridlington;Scarborough and Whitby were?

Phil

Bridlington took over the tow into harbour...

Brid and Scarborough have Merseys - range of 140 miles so could have been a bit of a push for fuel...

Whity has the Trent, which has the same range (250 miles) so should have been OK... can't say why they didn't go - possibly as we re fulltime? CG would have know that it was going to be a long day. Don't know to be honest.

Casualty was 18 metre fishing boat out of interest. Initial comms were difficult for CG and us even on MF and the standby ship Centrica Pride was invaluable as a relay.

W. 

Thank you Chas.

W.

Hope the grateful fishing crew gave you plenty of rum to make up for it!

Unfortunately not

W.

Do you ever feel that you are used a bit like Car recovery services?-as well as real emergencies are there those who use RNLI as alternative to good maintainence and sensible seamanship?-would love to know but realise it might be a little bit too political a question.

Phil

Probably not a question to answer in an open! The opinions or views I post here are solely mine and not those of the RNLI. They will often agree... thou also we may have less PC views on somethings.

In this case it was (as far as we know) mechanical failure, the vessel looked well maintained and the crew were clearly professional. Yes it was 'just a tow' but the forecast was for SW 8 soon so although there were other vessels in the area it was more of a rescue to prevent a more serious incident - drifting without power in a North Sea gale. Better a long tow than a search for a capsized vessel with 3 people in the water - think the outcome would not be favourable, especially in the dark.

Clearly there are jobs around the country that are a pi$$ take... usually the HMCG spokesperson is less PC when interviewed

W.

Well just having got my old boat refloated of the beach in Inchnacardoch Bay at the south end of Loch Ness I was just chatting with a friend when a very expensive looking big power boat came in thru the moorings(note I had been stuck on the mud for 6 weeks) and cut  between the shore and Cherry Island. Cherry Island is a Crannog-a  bronze age fortified house site connected to the mainland by a causway!-all be it now under about 4 foot of water.

We awaited the crunch!-luckily no RNLI call out -the idiot was going fast enough to be on a semi plane-little does he know how close he came to ripping out the bottom of his boat!

But if he contuinues like that someone will be out somewhere rescuing him-probably was one of the round Britain power boat racers hangers on!

Phil

Belated happy birthday Wolfie.

I have great respect for all you lifeboat types and was never more glad to see anything in my life than the one that helped us 27 years ago.

having sailed all my life I always thought I was a careful yachtie and it only proves that things can go wrong for any of us.