Busy week continues for Islay lifeboat with double call-out
After a call-out on September 25, Islay’s Severn-class lifeboat was launched again at 9.07pm on Thursday September 27 to a stranded sailing yacht.
The 36ft yacht, with a crew of four, had run aground on the south end of Cara island off Gigha with rock shelving all around it.
Belfast Coastguard had asked both Islay and Campbeltown lifeboats to launch and also called out the rescue helicopter from Prestwick.
The helicopter was first to arrive on the scene and established that there were no casualties and no apparent damage to the yacht. A winch man was put on board for safety reasons and remained on board throughout the rescue.
Due to the very shallow conditions and a swell running, it was necessary to launch the Y boat to transfer the tow rope from the bow of the lifeboat to the yacht.
Despite the falling tide, the difficulties of the shallowness of the water and the presence of rocks and much kelp, the yacht was towed to deeper water.
After checking that she was not taking in water and that engine and rudder were functioning the yacht made her way to Ardminish Bay at Gigha.
Relief coxswain Alastair Cameron said: ‘It was a tricky operation due to the darkness, the falling tide and the yacht’s position but thanks to the excellent teamwork of the crew, all went well.’
In the previous callout, Islay’s volunteer lifeboat crew went to find and help a motor cruiser that appeared to be unable to navigate and was lost in bad weather.
On Tuesday September 25, the lifeboat was paged at 2.43pm by Belfast Coastguard, which had been notified that a 40ft motor cruiser, with four crew and a dog, was somewhere off the west coast of Islay and had a navigational system failure. Subsequently, it was discovered that she was in fact off the south east coast of Jura.
Although conditions in the Sound of Islay were reasonably calm at the time, it was very stormy in the open water south of Islay and Jura and the cruiser was taking on some water.
By the time the Helmut Schroder of Dunlossit II had located her, she was safely alongside the pontoons in Craighouse Bay with the local Coastguard in attendance.
Having ascertained that the cruiser was no longer in danger, the lifeboat was able to return to the station and was made ready for service again at 4.40pm.