Angle RNLI lifeboat crew had a busy week, assisting multiple vessels in distress and ensuring safety on the waters.

The first shout came at 6.33am on Saturday, April 5, when the All-Weather Lifeboat launched to assist a yacht that had become fouled on a mooring buoy in Dale overnight. The two people aboard had lost their dinghy in the process of attempting to free the yacht.

The lifeboat arrived on scene around 10 minutes later. A crew member boarded the yacht to try and free the foul. The yacht’s crew had managed to secure their bow onto another mooring buoy and, after a few attempts, the lifeboat crew member managed to cut the yacht free. With the yacht now secure by her bow, the lifeboat’s inflatable Y boat was launched to recover the yacht’s dinghy.

Once the dinghy was recovered, the yacht’s crew dropped the mooring and began making way to test the functionality of their propeller and steering. Lifeboat and crew returned to the jetty and were readied for further service by 8am.

Later that day, at 5.57pm, Angle Lifeboat crew were paged again; this time in response to the coastguard receiving multiple 999 calls reporting a jet skier clinging to the piles of the jetty at Hobbs Point. However, when the lifeboat arrived on scene it was confirmed that the jet skier had self recovered. After a quick welfare check, the crew were stood down.

At 10.50am on Friday, April 11 the crew were tasked to assist a 13 meter yacht fouled on fishing gear approximately seven miles south of St Ann’s Head. The vessel, whose crew had been trying to free themselves to no avail, was currently stuck fast to the sea bed.

The lifeboat arrived 25 minutes after launching and two crew members boarded the yacht.

After working to free the vessel for around 10 minutes, the crew succeeded in cutting the gear free. The skipper soon confirmed however that his rudder was hard over to port and he had no steering. So a tow was rigged and a course set to Neyland Marina where the yacht could be lifted out the following day.

Shortly into the tow, the yacht’s skipper informed the lifeboat that the steering had started working. The crew dropped the tow and after shadowing the vessel briefly, all was confirmed to be in working order.

The lifeboat returned to jetty and was readied for further service by 1.30pm.

On Saturday, April 13 at 9.17am, whilst afloat on exercise, the crew were made aware of a small day angling vessel with two people onboard suffering fuel issues in the channel off Milford Docks. A local pilot vessel was standing by but requested assistance.

The lifeboat was soon on scene and a tow was passed. The crew took the vessel to Neyland Marina, where the marina workboat then came out to take over the tow and return the vessel to its berth.

With no further assistance required, the crew returned to their planned exercise.