Following global media stories over the island’s links to the Paradise Papers, this weekend national newspapers covered the dispute which led to the RNLI taking the unprecedented step of standing down the whole St Helier crew, and removing the Tamar-class George Sullivan lifeboat.

In what was a dramatic weekend, just hours after the lifeboat left its mooring to head back to Poole, a 62ft motor yacht sank in St Aubin’s Bay, after hitting a buoy.

Two men needed to be pulled from a life-raft by the fire service’s inshore rescue boat on Friday night, after they escaped the stricken yacht which hit the Raudiere buoy just before 18:00 on their way to Guernsey. 

Portelet

Pic Credit: MarineTraffic.com

The wreck was towed into a position off Portelet so that it was out of the commercial shipping lanes. 

The western approaches to St Helier harbour were reopened to commercial traffic on Saturday after a hydrographic survey confirmed the wreck does not pose a danger to navigation – it is currently lying in about 20 metres of water. 

A Ports of Jersey spokesman said they are working with the boats insurers to decide on next steps. 

Following the event’s of last week, the RNLI dispute has since entered the UK national papers.

Guardian

Pictured: The story was covered in multiple national news outlets, including the Guardian.

On Friday the Guardian covered the story, under the headline, ‘RNLI recalls lifeboat from Jersey after dispute with crew‘. 

The Telegraph referred to the sacked St Helier team as a “rebel lifeboat crew”.

The Times, meanwhile, interviewed a former member of the New Brighton lifeboat team, who said that the situation in Jersey had been a “complete repeat” of what had happened to his crew.

Third Sector – the UK’s leading publication covering not-for-profit and volunteer work – also followed the news.