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Oriole

WATERLOGGED YACHT BEACHED ON MUD FLAT Selsey, Sussex. At 5.17 on the morning of the 9th July, 1962, a local fisherman, who was preparing to go to sea, saw red flares being fired from a ketchrigged boat about a mile north-east of the life-boat station. She was a quarter of a mile off shore and was drifting helplessly towards some moored fishing boats. The life-boat Canadian Pacific was launched at 5.25 in a moderate to fresh south-easterly wind and a moderate sea. It was one hour after high water. The life-boat found the yacht Oriole with two people on board. Her engine had broken down and she had no sails. The life-boat took the yacht in tow and made for Chichester harbour.

At 7.30 the life-boat arrived off Hayling Island close to the entrance to Chichester harbour and asked the harbour master to arrange for moorings for the yacht. These were found at Itchinor, but the tide was falling and the Oriole was now making water fast and was almost completely water-logged.

So when a boat arrived from a Hayling Island boatyard it was agreed that the best course was for this boat to help beach the yacht on a mud bank. This was done, and the life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 9.40..