Gravesend RNLI Volunteers Assist Yacht Fouled on Mooring in Northfleet Hope

Upon arrival at 7:22pm, the Atlantic 85 lifeboat crew of four found the yacht’s stern in an unusual position, facing into the tide, with a partially submerged tender visible under it. The crew identified challenging tidal conditions, with an ebbing tide exceeding two knots and two hours remaining until low water.

RNLI volunteer Ashley Bard said, ‘Thanks to the skippers quick thinking he raised the alarm with his VHF radio'

'The mooring buoy the yacht had struck was being pulled beneath the surface by a fouled line under tension, making it invisible and increasing the risk of further damage to them, us, and any other assisting vessels’.

With the casualty vessel unable to be safely secured to any mooring, the priority was ensuring the two people on board were safe, the lifeboat volunteers and Harbour Launch crew made the decision to stand off and monitor the situation until tidal conditions improved.

Following a scheduled crew change, the RNLI night duty crew relaunched and returned to the scene at 10:08pm to reassess the situation with Harbour Launch Kew, who had remained at the scene.

With Kew standing off providing additional safety cover, RNLI crew members were placed aboard the casualty vessel, where they secured a line from the yacht’s bow, along the deck, to the stern, and then onto the mooring buoy. This setup enabled the safe cutting of any entangled lines without risking the vessel drifting into nearby vessels, moorings or running aground.

Ashley who was at the helm of the lifeboat added, ‘with the fouled lines safely cut and using careful power on the lifeboat, we were able to carefully turn the bow of the sailing yacht to realign it, the yacht then settled correctly on the mooring, freeing the tender, which the crew could safely reattach.’

With the vessel now secure and the casualties able to reach shore safely via the tender, Gravesend RNLI were stood down from service and resumed a scheduled training exercise at 11:01pm before returning to station ready for service at 00:33am.

Notes to Editor

Gravesend is one of the RNLI’s newest lifeboat stations and one of four lifeboat stations operating on the River Thames – the first stations to specifically cover a river rather than estuarial waters or the sea.

Our lifeboat is Olive Laura Deare II, an Atlantic 85 B class inshore lifeboat, which is one of the fastest types in the fleet.

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact:

· Ashley Bard, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on [email protected]

· Hatti Mellor, Regional Communications Manager [email protected]

· RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

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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.

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