Joint exercise turns into joint service for Sennen Cove and Penlee Volunteers.
Our RNLI volunteer crews were on passage to an exercise with Penlee ILB last evening, Thursday 17 July, when all three lifeboats ended up helping a small yacht in trouble near the Runnelstone.
The Tamar class all-weather lifeboat ‘City of London III’ launched at 7.00pm under the command of RNLI volunteer Coxswain Kirstan Gorvin with a total of 7 crew on what was thought to be a normal training exercise. The D class inshore lifeboat Arangy, also launched with four volunteers with Tom Nicholas at the helm.
The plan was to meet our colleagues on Penlee ILB to carry out a joint training exercise near Porthcurno.
Whilst on passage to the area, our crews discovered that Penlee ILB had been tasked to a small disabled yacht near the Runnelstone buoy. The yacht, with two crew onboard, had lost all propulsion and steering.
On arrival our lifeboats could see that the Penlee volunteers had already attached a tow and were making way to Newlyn, the nearest safe port.
After ten minutes towing, the yacht’s crew alerted the Penlee volunteers that the yacht was taking water through her stern tube. The yacht only had a hand pump onboard so the helm on the Penlee ILB asked our volunteers to help.
Our D class ILB transferred two of our crew from our ALB to the yacht to assess what help was required.
On assessing the situation our volunteers requested that the ALB salvage pump be transferred to the yacht so that the ingress of water could be controlled.
As the small yacht was getting crowed with two extra crew and a pump, one of the yacht’s crew was then transferred to the Tamar class lifeboat.
With a bit of ingenuity from our RNLI volunteers aboard the yacht the ingress of water was stabilised, water cleared and the yacht made safe to continue the tow to Newlyn by Penlee ILB.
At 8.23, and approaching Lamorna Cove, the D class inshore lifeboat was released to return to Sennen Cove. This is probably the furthest that an inshore lifeboat has ever travelled from Sennen Cove on a service.
The Sennen Cove and Penlee volunteers continued their tow and escort to Newlyn Harbour arriving around 9.10pm
Before entering the harbour, the tow was shortened, our two lifeboat crew and pump recovered from the yacht and the yacht’s crew returned to the yacht for the Penlee volunteers to take the yacht into safety.
The City of London III then made the passage back to Sennen Cove where she was recovered up the short slip around 9.50pm and made ready for service.
Coxswain Kirstan Gorvin said ‘Both volunteer crews worked extremely well together to help the yacht. A great example of teamwork between the charity’s two lifeboat stations.’
Ends
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 146,000 lives.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.