Yacht towed to safety from breaking seas on lee shore A difficult service in darkness, gale force winds and heavy breaking seas just yards from a sea wall has earned Coxswain James Kinnon of Ramsey lifeboat station the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum.The remainder of the crew, second coxswain Raymond Stanfield, assistant mechanic Mark Kenyon, and crew members Kevin Christian, Kim Holland and Robert Wade will receive Vellum Service Certificates. The actions of the driver of the launching tractor driver Juan Sable and his assistant Mervyn Sims have earned them a letter of appreciation from the Director of the Institution.

The events leading to the service began during the night of 29/30 August 1992 when a singlehanded yachtsman was taking his 30ft yacht Lugo north from Fleetwood to Arran. In worsening weather conditions he decided to shelter in Ramsey on the Isle of Man, but as he approached the harbour in a ESE wind of between Force 7 and 8 the yacht's engine failed and she was swept down towards the promenade wall.

It was almost at the top of the highest tide of the year and the breaking seaswere some 12ft to 15ft high, with a swell estimated at about 9ft. Although the yacht was swept to within 15ft of the promenade at one point the seas reflected from the wall held her off and this enabled the skipper to rig a small outboard motor and claw his way some 50 yards out to sea.

The anchor was let go and the yacht lay rolling violently, her mast almost touching the water on each side, caught between the onshore breakers and the waves reflected from the promenade wall.

Liverpool MRCC were alerted by the local police and contacted the lifeboat station. As a result the Mersey class Ann and James Ritchie was launched at 0120, in very difficult conditions with waves hitting the front of the station itself as a result of the high tide and large breaking seas. Boat and tractor were battered by the waves during the launch, and the coxswain was later full of praise for the tractor driver and his assistant who 'made a splendid job of the launch'.

The casualty was close to the station, and the Mersey reached the scene just five minutes after launching. Circling the yacht to establish just how much space was available the lifeboat touched bot-torn in the troughs between the seas - which were breaking continuously over both lifeboat and casualty - in a position where there should have been 16ft of water at that state of the tide.

Lugo was so close to the promenade wall that the coxswain decided the only way to weigh her anchor and establish the tow without being driven ashore was to attach the line to the yacht's anchor cable. Then, by steaming ahead, the yacht could be pulled clear and the anchor weighed simultaneously without losing precious searoom.

There had been no radio contact with Lugo so all communication had to be by loudhailer, despite the appalling conditions.

On the first attempt the lifeboat's port engine cut out, but restarted immediately.

Four further attempts were necessary before the tow was secured and the lifeboat began to ease the yacht out to sea. About three-quarters of a mile to seaward, and clear of the heavily breaking surf, the loose end of the anchor cable was recovered and the lifeboat coxswain James Kinnon turned both lifeboat and tow through almost 180° to run in to the harbour entrance.

Surf was breaking heavily across the entrance to Ramsey harbour, but by increasing his speed to 10 knots coxswain Kinnon was able to negotiate the tricky entrance and bring lifeboat and casualty into the shelter of the harbour. Lugo was secured alongside a coaster at 0200 and the lone yachtsman was treated in hospital for an injury to his hand before returning to his boat.

Conditions were so bad that the lifeboat could not safely be recovered, so she was left in the harbour until 1100 the following day when she was rehoused..