A sailing boat was towed safely into St Helier harbour this weekend after suffering engine failure, with smoke coming from its engine room.
Jersey Coastguard requested the launch of the Jersey Lifeboat Association’s inshore lifeboat Albert Pinel at 10.23am on Saturday 17 October to assist the 10.5-metre vessel south of Elizabeth Breakwater.
Four volunteers launched within minutes, having already been near the harbour when the call came.
On reaching the sailing boat, they confirmed that no further smoke had developed and those aboard were “not in immediate danger”.
A lifeboat crew member then boarded the vessel and established that it was safe to tow back to St Helier.
The association said that, with worsening sea conditions and the ebb tide strengthening, the crew decided to head back to the harbour.
The boat was brought through the pier heads in just over an hour and secured safely alongside the Albert Pier pontoon.
The association thanked Jersey Coastguard and St Helier Vessel Traffic Services for their communications during the operation, with a yacht race also taking place along the return route.
