Sennen Cove RNLI Tow Broken Cruiser to Newlyn Through Fog

A 57 foot motor cruiser sat dead in the water in the middle of one of the busiest shipping lanes off Cornwall, with two people aboard and visibility closing in around them. Eleven miles out from Sennen Cove, in the Lands End Traffic Separation Scheme, it was exactly where no broken-down boat wants to be.

A breakdown in the shipping lane

Sennen Cove RNLI volunteers were tasked by HM Coastguard, Falmouth at 1.35pm on Tuesday 16 June after a request for help from the cruiser, which had broken down eleven miles west-north-west of the cove. The casualty vessel was positioned in poor visibility, right in the middle of the Lands End Traffic Separation Scheme.

The Tamar class all-weather lifeboat City of London III launched nine minutes after the initial pager alert, under the command of Coxswain Nick Hichens with a total of five crew.

The LPG tanker Gust, on passage through the southbound lane of the scheme, altered course and stood by the casualty vessel until the lifeboat arrived.

Engines down, no other option

The RNLI volunteers arrived on scene around 2.15pm. Two volunteer mechanics were placed aboard the cruiser to try to restart her engines. Their attempts were unsuccessful.

Nick assessed that with the vessel sitting in the Traffic Separation Scheme it would be a danger to navigation and to the two people aboard. In the absence of a more suitable vessel, and given the risks tied to where the boat had stopped, a tow to the nearest safe port was decided to be the best option.

With one mechanic recovered, a tow was established and the 26 mile passage to Newlyn began around 2.45pm.

A slow haul back through fog

Steady progress was made, and the lifeboat and casualty vessel reached Newlyn around 6.50pm. Once the motor cruiser was secured and the two occupants were safe and well, the volunteers made the passage back to Sennen Cove through fog.

The lifeboat arrived back at the station around 7.45pm, was recovered up the short slip and made ready for service.