In the high winds and turbulent seas, a 36ft yacht broke free of its moorings in Poole, and drifted close to the Channel Islands’ ferry as it was docked, becoming trapped between the larger Condor vessel and a barge.
With winds rising to force eight and waves ‘bouncing off the wall’ at the harbour, the RNLI’s D-Class boat was dispatched to prevent serious damage to the yacht.
A spokesperson for the RNLI described what happened next: “When the lifeboat arrived on scene, they went to the sheltered side of the Ro-Ro terminal and put a member of crew ashore to access the vessel. A line was put across using a heaving line; the lifeboat then towed the yacht off the wall and brought it to a mooring in the close-by Port of Poole Marina.”
“It was evident that the vessel had broken away from its mooring, as there was a broken shackle on the bow, and as it was all locked up, it appeared that nobody had been on-board.”
Volunteer Helm Jonathan Clark described the conditions in the water as “lively”.
“The condition of the vessels would have been a lot worse if they had been left any longer, pounding against the wall and barge,” he said.
“We would advise all boat owners, when it’s safe to do so, to make sure that their mooring lines, ropes and chains are in good condition, and of adequate size for your vessel.”