Long night at sea in poor visibility Alderney South West Division Alderney's Waveney class lifeboatLoww Marches! of Round Table spent seven hours at sea on the night of 8/9 July attending four separate calls in poor visibility, which was sometimes down to as little as 100 yards.

The first call for the lifeboat came at 2143 when a 38ft motor cruiser Rollo of Braye reported that she had hit rocks off Braye Harbour at some 20 knots and was taking water rapidly. Louis Marchesi launched from Braye Harbour at 2155 and was soon alongside the casualty, standing by until she could be beached safely in the harbour.

Rollo of Braye had been on her way to the assistance of a 48ft yacht Solveig, which was out of fuel and drifting with the tide in thick fog in the Alderney Race, some 4.5 miles SE of Alderney lighthouse.

The tidal streams in the area are very strong and Solveig asked for assistance.

Mayday Relay Setting out again for the yacht the lifeboat was within a quarter of a mile of the yacht's position when the French authorities issued a 'Mayday Relay' and asked Louis Marchesi to proceed to a French yacht, Pupas, which was sinking in the vicinity of Cap de la Hague, a headland on the nearby French coast.

The lifeboat notifiedS0/w/g of the situation, turned back towards Cap de la Hague and by 2253 had reached a position one mile to the west of the headland.

At this point a British yacht some 12 miles NNE of Alderney issued another 'Mayday Relay', reporting red flares approximately five miles to the west of her position.

The French authorities asked the lifeboat to investigate the latest casualty, reporting that the French lifeboat at Cap de la Hague had now launched and would deal with the yacht Pupas.

By 0006 the Waveney had reached the position from which the flares had been sighted and began to search an area five miles by three miles. Nothing was found and at 0133 it was agreed that the search having been completed with no sign of a casualty the lifeboat should return.

She finally reached Braye Harbour in Alderney at 0220 after seven hours at sea..