After a brief search, the volunteer lifeboat crew located the casualty vessel about seven miles east of Tenby.
The lifeboat then went alongside the vessel, where the crew requested a tow to Tenby. Two lifeboat crew were put aboard the yacht, where its crew confirmed the bilge pump was broken. Luckily, one of the lifeboat crew is also a station deputy mechanic and fixed the bilge pump whilst on the way back to Tenby!
Once back in Tenby, the vessel was placed on one of the outside moorings, and the lifeboat then returned to station, arriving at 3.15 pm.
Only a day later, another report was received that a yacht had gone aground on Tenby’s Whiteback in thick fog, resulting in the resort’s RNLI inshore lifeboat launching shortly after 1.30 pm on Saturday.
The lifeboat was quickly on scene, with the crew recognising the yacht as the same one the all-weather lifeboat had rescued the day before.
Tenby coastguard confirmed that the skipper of the yacht had been taken ashore by a windsurfer and was in their company on South Beach.
With the vessel well aground, and surf running onto the bank, the helmsman of the lifeboat made the decision to request the extra power of the all-weather lifeboat.
The all-weather lifeboat was soon on scene. The inshore lifeboat then took the tow rope and made it fast on the bow of the yacht. The vessel was then towed off the sandbank and around to Tenby harbour where it was put safely alongside the pier.
The lifeboats then rehoused at 3.10 pm.