An unconventional launch followed by 8 hours at sea in near gale force conditions – ‘business as usual,’ say the crew of The Lizard lifeboat, Cornwall.

At midnight on Saturday 11 September the crew assembled on the village green. It’s an odd meeting point for a crew on a call out, but for months now they have had to work around the building of their new lifeboat station. From The Lizard Green they are driven over to Cadgwith Cove and the boarding boat takes them to the Tyne class lifeboat on her temporary moorings.

The crew, used to the interim arrangements, launched the all-weather lifeboat as quickly as possible, with Coxswain Philip Burgess in command. They received initial reports that a lone sailor was in trouble 10 miles south of Lizard Point.

On the way, due to a problem with the lifeboat radar that night, the crew had to keep a particularly good look out in the busy shipping lanes. Phil comments: ‘It’s like the M1 out there – the crew had to use the old eyeball to get across safely.’

The conditions were rough: near gale force 7 and a 3m swell – not uncommon in the exposed seas off the southern-most tip of England. When the crew got a revised position of 20 miles south, they knew they were in for the long haul.

After nearly 2 hours the lifeboat found the 6.5m yacht. Phil remembers the moment they spotted the stricken vessel: ‘Lo and behold, there she was – the sails were ripped, hanging out like clothes on a washing line.’

The lifeboat manoeuvred close to the yacht, and the crew shouted across to check the yachtsman was OK. He was pleased to see his rescuers. The crew threw him a heaving line to help set up a tow and they were soon all on their way back towards Falmouth. At 6–7 knots the 30-mile tow took 4 hours, reaching their destination after sunrise on Sunday morning. After refuelling at Falmouth the crew got home at 8.30am, ready for a hearty breakfast.

After almost 40 years serving on the crew of The Lizard lifeboat, the last 22 as full-time Coxswain, Phil (pictured right, who has just retired), has seen a lot of services like this one and plays it down as ‘pretty average’. The lone sailor who was rescued, James Gaskin, has a different take on the night: ‘I know the sacrifice these guys and gals make. It’s not just time, it’s emotional input too, any time, any weather – ready to come to someone else’s aid.’