In for the long haul The yacht Paka’a was returning across the Channel from Cherbourg, on the evening of 27 May 2007, when her auxiliary engine began to fail The weather was appalling – against the 50–60 knot headwinds and torrential rain, the limping 10m yacht could not make headway. Fearing for their lives, her nauseated crew, Frank Barrett and Robert Keillor, wisely called for assistance and Selsey’s all-weather lifeboat Voluntary Worker launched at 9.45pm.

Coxswain Martin Rudwick knew he and his crew were in for a long night. Powering through the 3m swell, it took the Tyne class an hour to reach the stricken vessel, nearly 20 miles to the south west. By now, it was pitch dark and the storm was hammering them at a brutal storm force 10. But the radio direction fi nding equipment onboard proved true and the Paka’a’s navigation lights glinted through the blinding rain.

The lifeboat began to escort the casualty towards Chichester Harbour, guiding her through the safest course, but a further hour of the Paka’a’s struggling only saw her pushed west towards the rocky shoreline of the Isle of Wight. They were getting nowhere and a tow was the only solution.

Second Coxswain Willy Pledger tried to board the Paka’a with a towline, but the turbulent sea had other ideas. The yacht’s course was uncontrollable and there was a high risk of the two vessels colliding violently, perhaps even crushing Willy between them – the attempt was reluctantly aborted. Instead, despite his extreme fear, the Paka’a’s skipper negotiated his wildly pitching foredeck himself, securing a line thrown from the lifeboat.

But conditions were growing ever worse and, although the 14m Tyne had the strength needed for the task, the straining tow did not, and the line soon parted – and the skipper disappeared! To the crew, fearing him lost to the sea, the 10 minutes it took to return to the yacht seemed interminable; thankfully, he reappeared, safe onboard.

Martin now altered course north west towards the Isle of Wight, in the hope of gaining some shelter via the cliffs at Dunnose Head. At around 1.20am, Willy succeeded in his second attempt to board the yacht, and the towline was made fast. The alternative would have been to abandon the Paka’a to the storm. The lifeboat and her charge turned once more directly into the wind, for a slow but steady progress to Chichester. Throughout, the crew took turns illuminating the Paka’a (to check she remained connected and upright) and sheltering from the cold in the wheelhouse. As dawn broke they were 6 miles from shore and allowed themselves to think the worst was over but, at 4.45am and just 1 mile out, the tow parted yet again. This time, however, daylight was on their side and Willy’s repeat of the diffi cult and dangerous reconnection proved secure.

Harbour was reached at 7am although, disappointingly, it was still too rough to continue to the intended destination of Sparkes Marina. The dependable Voluntary Worker slogged on a further 2 miles until at last the safe water of Itchenor was reached.

At 7.45am, the Paka’a’s crew gratefully berthed at the visitors’ jetty.

The exhausted lifeboat crew arrived back at station close to 9am, 11 long and arduous hours after launching. The stamina of the men had been stretched almost to breaking point, but despite their bruises they were elated at the success of the tough service. Martin comments: ‘I want to praise and thank my crew for their efforts and the RNLI for providing the fi rst-class equipment to make us feel safe and confi dent throughout the service.’ As for their rescuees, they could not have been more thankful for their deliverance. See their letter to Martin on page 51. THE DETAIL ALL-WEATHER LIFEBOAT TYNE CLASS ON-1146 Voluntary Worker On station at Selsey: 25 February 2006 (previously relief ? eet 1988, Lytham St Annes 1988–90, relief ? eet 1990–2006) Funding: Volvo Car UK Limited Crew: Full-time Coxswain Martin Rudwick (52), Second Coxswain William Pledger (53, ? sherman), full-time Mechanic Geoff Mellett (54), Max Gilligan (51, steel fabricator), Colin Pullenger (40, steel worker), Phil Pitham (27, retained ? re? ghter, joiner), James Albery (24, ? sh sales worker) .