This Saturday 2nd of August, approaching Cowes from the East at 02.30 hrs, we'd had a quiet sail from Portsmouth, with only the ocassional traffic. We headed up into the wind off Cowes and got the main down ready to motor down towards the Folley to find a mooring.
About 300 - 400 metres out we heard a call in the night. We circled slowly having dropped into neutral and killed the engine noise to a tickover. After several more calls and having quickly located the 2million candlepower lamp, we found the owner of the voice. A strapping young man in a black T shirt and shorts, in a large black inflatable without a light, with no lifejacket, no radio and an engine strangled by a length of rope.
We did radio the CG on a routine call and asked them to alert a ferry for us which was about a mile out and which we could see was heading in our direction. All whilst we had the inflatable alongside and its skipper was now trying to cut free the rope with one of our knives .
With the very strong offshore breeze he was destined to be blown right out away from shore in minutes if he hadn't been rescued.
What a silly young man!
