Sennen Cove RNLI tow catamaran and cat to safety off Cape Cornwall

A cat, two seasick sailors and a 27 foot catamaran drifting towards one of west Cornwall’s most notorious rocks. That was the scene Sennen Cove RNLI’s volunteers met on Saturday afternoon, just north-west of Cape Cornwall.

A Mayday off Cape Cornwall

The crews were tasked by HM Coastguard Falmouth at 3.17pm on Saturday 18 July, after a call for help from the catamaran with two people and a cat on board.

The two occupants had made a Mayday call, telling HM Coastguard they had lost control of their steering, suffered engine failure and were drifting towards the Vyneck, an isolated rock formation that has wrecked many vessels over the years. Both were also seasick and disorientated.

Two lifeboats launch

The Tamar class all-weather lifeboat ‘City of London III’ launched under the command of Coxswain Kirstan Gorvin with a total of six crew.

The D class inshore lifeboat ‘Arangy’ launched too, with Izzy Puddiphatt at the helm and a total of three crew.

By the time the volunteers arrived, the catamaran had dropped her anchor just metres from the Vyneck. Two RNLI volunteers were put aboard to attach a tow line and release the anchor, allowing both lifeboat and casualty vessel to move into deeper, safer water.

The long tow to Penzance

Kirstan Gorvin judged that towing the vessel to the nearest convenient port was the safest option. That port was Penzance.

The two casualties and the cat were transferred to the all-weather lifeboat by the inshore lifeboat while the tow was set up. After crossing the bay, they were moved back to the inshore lifeboat and taken to Sennen Cove lifeboat station, into the care of the shore crew. The inshore lifeboat was then stood down, recovered and made ready for service.

Steady progress brought the lifeboat and catamaran into Penzance at around 7.10pm. Once the catamaran was secured in the wet dock, the volunteers made the passage back to station, arriving at Sennen around 8.15pm, where the lifeboat was recovered up the short slip, refuelled and readied for service again.

For Izzy Puddiphatt, it was a first: her first service launch as helm of the inshore lifeboat.