A sailing vessel struggling against strong winds and big tides off Jersey was brought safely into harbour after the Coastguard spotted something wasn’t quite right…
The vessel was making “very little progress” south of the Demi des Pas lighthouse when it caught the attention of Jersey Coastguard yesterday afternoon.
St Helier’s all-weather lifeboat crew was called to assemble at 4.25pm before launching to assess the situation.
The RNLI said the lifeboat stood by the sailing vessel and provided assistance before accompanying it towards St Helier.
Once inside the harbour, the lifeboat crew also helped those aboard get the vessel alongside and safely secured.
The rescue came amid challenging conditions around Jersey’s coastline, with strong winds and big tides affecting the Island over the weekend.
RNLI Jersey said the incident was “a good example of Jersey Coastguard watching over our waters, and how in strong winds and tides it can make a challenging situation for vessels at sea”.
The rescue came ahead of further challenging conditions around Jersey’s coastline today.
Jersey Met has issued a yellow tide warning for tonight’s high tide at around 8.50pm, with strong winds expected to bring waves and sea spray over sea walls along parts of the south coast.
Minor disruption is possible on coastal roads, promenades and cycle paths, while debris could also be washed into affected areas.
Jersey Coastguard has urged Islanders to take extra care around the coast this evening and advised boat owners to ensure their vessels and moorings are secure.
The weather has also caused disruption to bank-holiday travel, with six DFDS sailings to and from Jersey cancelled across Sunday and Monday because of the strong winds.
