Liam is readying himself for the shout as he laces his shoes. ‘As soon as you hear that pager, there’s an adrenaline rush. And then you take a breath and you mellow yourself. You think: “Right. What could we be going to?”’

Liam McAvoy has been on the crew at St Bees Lifeboat Station for about a year. He arrives first, followed shortly by Helm Ian Wrigley. ‘The winds are force 6 and there’s a thick fog,’ Ian says. ‘A sailing yacht is disoriented and struggling to reach Whitehaven
Harbour. We launch immediately.’ Belfast Coastguard give the volunteers the last known coordinates of the vessel and Liam takes position on the navigation system. Also onboard the Atlantic 85 are Crew Members Stephen Clifford and Dale Rickerby. ‘Conditions coming around St Bees Head are scruffy: low cloud, low visibility, a strong wind with stronger gusts,’ Ian continues. ‘We’re using the
GPS to pick a course through the waves and along the coast, before heading out at 300º.’ Out of the mist, on the starboard side of the lifeboat Joy Morris, appears a sailing yacht, its black hull and white top camouflaged against sea and sky. ‘The crew are pretty relieved to see us,’ Liam says. ‘It’s been a long crossing for them from the Isle of Man and the conditions have worsened since they set out. They thought they’d be able to handle it but now find themselves in wind too strong for sails and with an engine struggling to make headway.’ Ian recalls: ’Shouting across to the crew we establish that some are seasick but nobody is injured. Without anyone’s life at immediate risk we instruct the skipper to follow our course.’

Against the wind it is painstaking progress. In an hour, they move less than half a mile. ‘We realise we will need to bring them under tow to get them in safely,’ Liam explains. ‘But the conditions introduce a real risk of injury to crew if we put someone across to set the ropes. First we need to try getting the yacht’s crew to do it.’

Ian continues: ‘As we come alongside, we quickly throw the line to the chap on the foredeck. On the second pass, he catches it and makes it secure.’ With the sailing yacht under tow, they make way for Whitehaven Harbour at a steady 4 knots. Liam navigates the
hazards: ’There’s quite a lot of fishing in this area, so pot lines to watch out for on the way back in. Getting to the coast with a stern tow and the wind taking their vessel, we have to find a big enough gap between the lines to avoid entanglement.’ Reaching the harbour, the inshore lifeboat and sailing yacht break the tow to pass through a sea lock and find a mooring in the marina. ‘Safely ashore, we give them some friendly advice,’ Liam adds. ‘They are very appreciative, if a little embarrassed. It’s not easy to
go through something like that and anyone can be caught out, but you can reduce the chances.’ Liam’s message for readers? ‘Please
don’t hesitate to call us. If someone’s in distress, don’t think: “Oh we’ll get through it.” Make the call. That’s what we’re here for. We don’t mind whether we’re eating our breakfast, lying in bed, about to go out with our mates. It doesn’t matter. We’d rather be out there making sure you’re okay.’
Words: Anna Burn
Photos: RNLI/(Martin Fish, Colin Wadey)

IAN WRIGLEY
HELM | ST BEES
LIFEBOAT STATION

Safe passage
‘We have a lot of jobs involving tows, but the sea state and visibility made this one more involved. Ensure your vessel is seaworthy and only set sail when you are experienced and equipped for the conditions you may face. Book a free Advice Onboard session with us if you’re not sure. ‘Rescue was made more difficult because the skipper was the only one able to effectively steer the vessel and operate the radio. If you’re a skipper, always show others on the boat how to use the equipment to call for help. If something had happened to that skipper on the day, his crew would’ve had to use the radio whether they knew how to or not.’
RNLI.org/AdviceOnboard