Falmouth lifeboat tows drifting cruiser off the Manacles

A 40ft cabin cruiser with four people on board lost all its power on Wednesday evening and began drifting toward the Manacles Rocks. What followed was Falmouth’s volunteer lifeboat crew answering their second call-out of the day, and it had them back on dry land just in time to catch the end of something the rest of Cornwall had been watching all evening.

A Mayday and a drift toward the rocks

The shout came in after a Mayday from the cruiser, which had lost all power and was being carried dangerously close to the Manacles with four people aboard. Falmouth’s all-weather Shannon class lifeboat, Decibel Too, launched at 4.40pm and was on scene within 22 minutes.

A RIB already on the line

By the time the lifeboat reached the casualty, it was not the only boat there. A RIB from Falmouth Sea Safari had also answered the Mayday and had managed to get a line onto the cruiser, holding it and arresting its drift toward the rocks.

Towed back to Falmouth

Given the cruiser’s position, and with four people on board, the decision was made to take the vessel under tow back toward Falmouth. The lifeboat brought it in and secured it alongside a marina pontoon.

Once the boat was tied up safely, Falmouth Coastguard released the lifeboat from service.

Back in time for the eclipse

Decibel Too was back at the lifeboat house by 6.15pm, where it was refuelled and made ready for the next shout. Anyone wanting to support the station can do so through the crew’s JustGiving campaign, which helps keep the RNLI volunteer lifeboat service on the water.

It was the second call-out of the day for the Falmouth crew. Getting back when they did left them a moment for the thing much of Cornwall had spent the evening looking up at, and they were in time to watch the remainder of the eclipse.

📷Credit: RNLI