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According to media reports, the boat drifted all night in the fast currents of the tidal race between France and Alderney and ended up on a rock ledge under the island’s Fort Corblets in the early hours of Monday.

The boat later floated off and became stuck at the high water mark just below a road where it was secured by Mainbrayce marine engineers and then lifted to safety by a crane lorry. 

Mike Fitton, of Mainbrayce, who supervised the salvage and recovery, said there had been some damage to the keel.

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Pictures by David Nash.

He added that the owner, who had ‘wandered off after collecting a pair of shoes’, was lucky to be alive because he could have ended up in a dozen worse spots where the boat could have been pounded by the waves without anyone being able to help.