Anstruther RNLI lifeboat nighttime launch to stricken yacht off the Isle of May

An exhausted, lone sailor of 26-foot yacht experienced engine failure 2 miles south of the Isle of May and made an emergency call to HM Coastguard requesting assistance.

The Coastguard requested a launch of the Anstruther lifeboat at 11:22pm, which was authorised at 11:25pm. The Anstruther RNLI all-weather lifeboat the Robert and Catherine Steen, with a volunteer crew of six, was launched at 11:40 with good visibility, a cloudless sky, and a slight swell. The stricken vessel had drifted from its originally reported position, but due to the advanced technology aboard the Shannon class all-weather lifeboat, the volunteer crew were able to deploy their practiced skills to quickly identify and locate the yacht and arrived at the scene at 11:55pm.

After transferring a member of the RNLI crew aboard the yacht it was quickly established that the lone sailor was completely exhausted from his planned passage from Shields to Granton, and that his vessel has suffered engine failure. Therefore, the safest way of recovering the stricken vessel was to tow it into a safe harbour.

With a south westerly, force 3 wind the crew secured the stricken vessel and towed it into Anstruther harbour, where it was safely moored to enable a later assessment and repair of its engine.

Michael Bruce, RNLI Coxswain for Anstruther, says: ‘The casualty made the correct decision by making a timeous call to the Coastguard and requesting assistance, If the call wasn’t made when it was it could have resulted in a far more serious incident developing, especially considering the light level and the degree of drift. This rescue enabled the volunteer crew to conduct its first real-time tow for the Anstruther RNLI Shannon all-weather lifeboat, and to have to execute it in the dark added a degree of difficulty, which was only made possible by the regular training undertaken by the crew.

The incident was concluded at 01:10am on 11 June 2025 and the volunteer crew recovered the lifeboat to Anstruther RNLI lifeboat station. The lifeboat was washed and refuelled and at 02:25am the Coastguard was notified that Anstruther’s Shannon was ready to respond to the next emergency.

Notes to editors

The attached pictures show Anstruther RNLI all-weather lifeboat the Robert and Catherine Steen with the casualty vessel under tow. Credit Anstruther RNLI

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Simon Full, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer for Anstruther RNLI, 07748907702, [email protected]

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