lifeboat alerted

to missing yacht

RNLI Angle's all weather lifeboat was launched in the early hours of Saturday to search for a drifting missing yacht, which it was feared could pose a danger to shipping in the Milford Haven Waterway.

The Tamar class lifeboat Mark Mason was launched at 12.06 am, at the request of Milford Haven Coastguard, and conducted a radar search of the port's East and West Channels, but nothing was found.

The lifeboat then continued towards Dale to search between the moorings and at 12.56 am found the yacht on the south side of the bay, where she was fouled up with another mooring.

The Mark Mason transferred the owner, who was on board his friend's yacht, back to his vessel. The lifeboat was then released and returned to her station at 1.16 am.

It was the second night-time call-out in 24 hours for the all weather lifeboat. On Friday, the Mark Mason was launched at 1.32 am after a 10.3m yacht, with two persons on board, went aground off the inner pontoon at Dale.

The yacht's crew were concerned for their safety and asked to be taken off. Once on scene, at 1.44 am, the lifeboat deployed her Y boat and evacuated the crew. The Y boat then returned to the yacht and secured her to a nearby mooring.

It was decided that the lifeboat would remain on scene until there was enough tide to start to refloat the yacht. At 3.52 am, with sufficient tide around the yacht, her crew were placed back on board and the owner checked his vessel for any water ingress and damage. Nothing was found and the yacht's crew were happy to remain on board until she refloated.

The lifeboat recovered her Y boat and, as no other assistance was required, she returned to her station, where she was rehoused at 4.34 am, after over three hours at sea.

In the third call-out to a yacht in three days, the all weather lifeboat launched at 7.3 7pm on Wednesday (August 21) to a 7.3m vessel one mile south of Sheep Island, near the entrance to the Milford Haven Waterway.

The yacht, with two persons on board, was low on fuel due to a leak and was becalmed.

The lifeboat was on the scene in 10 minutes and took the casualty under tow to the entrance of Milford Docks. There, the tow was released and the yacht made her own way into the lock pits. Once the casualty was safely alongside the pontoon, the lifeboat returned to her station and was rehoused at 9.10 pm.

Charter fishing vessel towed IN

A 10m charter fishing vessel, which broke down 20 miles off the South Pembrokeshire coast on Sunday was towed to safety by RNLI Angle's all weather lifeboat.

The Tamar class lifeboat Mark Mason was launched at 9.26 am, at the request of Milford Haven Coastguard, and reached the Dale-based casualty, Atlantic Blue, which had seven people on board, in just under an hour.

A tow was connected to the drifting vessel and the lifeboat brought her back to Dale. There, she was put in an alongside tow and taken to her mooring to be safely secured at 1.54 pm.

The lifeboat was released to return to her station, where she was rehoused at 2.25pm, after nearly five hours at sea.

Motor yacht brought to safety

A 12.8m motor yacht, which was taking in water off the South Pembrokeshire coast, was brought to safety by RNLI Angle's all weather lifeboat on Monday night.

The lifeboat launched at 9.07 pm, at the request of Milford Haven Coastguard, following a Pan Pan broadcast from the motor yacht, which was 14 miles south-west of St. Ann's Head and had three people on board.

The vessel, which was on passage from Aberystwyth to the Isle of Wight, altered course and headed towards Milford.

While proceeding, the motor yacht instructed the lifeboat that the ingress of water had stabilised and they were comfortable to make their own way in.

The lifeboat rendezvoused with the casualty seven miles south-west of St. Ann's at 9.37 pm and transferred two crew members and the salvage pump as a precaution.

While being escorted in, the motor yacht experienced machinery failure, so the lifeboat rigged a tow and the casualty was taken under tow to Milford Docks.

Once off the entrance to the Docks, the casualty was put in an alongside tow and taken to the Mackerel Stage, where she was safely secured at 11.41 pm.

The lifeboat was released to return to her station, where she was rehoused just after midnight.