The unnamed Jersey resident was saved by members of Alderney’s Harbour team and rescue services as his motor yacht was close to being swept onto rocks off the island’s north-east coast.
It is not clear how the vessel ended up 40 miles from its intended destination, although islanders in Alderney have speculated it either suffered mechanical problems or the sailor turned left instead of right as he left Guernsey Harbour.
Both Guernsey and Alderney authorities have confirmed that the sailor did not make a distress call.
One source said: “He didn’t give much away when we spoke to him. It’s all very odd.”
Pictured: Credit – David Nash.
The drama began late on Sunday when the boat was seen in a ‘precarious situation’ in Alderney’s Corblets Bay.
Harbourmaster Adam Rose, along with three Harbour first responders, Guernsey Border Agency staff and Alderney Police attended and the man was helped to safety.
The boat was then dragged to a safer area of the bay before being removed using a crane lift truck the following day.
David Nash (76), a local reporter and sailor who lives in Alderney, said that the “angels must have been looking down” on the mariner, as he somehow managed to dodge hundreds of rocks on his way into Corblets Bay.
“The south coast of Alderney is all cliffs and if he had come ashore there he would have been totally inaccessible. There are a couple of famous wrecks there and they had a terrible time rescuing people.
“But it appears as though he missed all this and came around to the north-east. There are basically hundreds of rocks that he could have bounced off and ripped a hole in his boat – but he somehow missed all of these and came ashore in pretty much the softest place possible. It’s incredible. The angels must have been looking down on him.”
He added: “What is also strange is that he stayed on the boat all this time and didn’t radio for help. If he had radioed, the coastguard would have come out, and if he was on the French side, the French coastguard would have come out but they would have charged him. The last I heard it was about £700, and it’s probably more now given inflation.”
Pictured: Credit – David Nash.
Mike Fitton, of marine-services firm Mainbrayce, which recovered the boat, said that the sailor seemed in good spirits despite his apparently unscheduled visit to the northerly isle.
“He wasn’t there at first and then turned up, climbed aboard to get a pair of trainers, and then headed off to the airport as he knew his boat wasn’t going anywhere as it had got a great big hole in the bottom of it from where it had come ashore.
“He didn’t say much but was quite jovial and seemed to take it all on the chin.
“I was told he ran out of fuel on way to Jersey but I am not so sure. He may just have turned left out of Guernsey instead of right.”
“It’s the talk of the island. I seem to be the most popular man in Alderney at the moment as everyone wants to interview me.”
The sailor spent the night in a local hotel and has now left the island.