Lifeboat crew tows yacht caught in galeforce winds near Loch Ryan to safety

A 40ft yacht with one person on board was towed to safety by lifeboat crews during galeforce winds in Dumfries and Galloway.

The stricken boat was reported to HM Coastguard after becoming adrift and unable to maintain control in galeforce conditions, following the failure of its anchor line on Sunday evening, near the north of Loch Ryan.

Around 6pm, Stranraer RNLI’s inshore lifeboat (ILB) was deployed by HM Coastguard to “urgent” reports of the yacht heading out to sea, and later assisted by the Girvan RNLI ILB.

The yacht was being driven by strong winds and heavy seas towards hazardous waters, creating increased risk, according to the charity.

The Stranraer RNLI lifeboat was launched by “experienced volunteer crew” as it was best-placed to reach the casualty and provide immediate assistance.

The crew of the Stena Superfast VII also kept a continuous watch on the yacht and provided accurate position updates, enabling the lifeboat to locate the vessel swiftly in reduced visibility.

The ILB crew arrived and found the yacht rolling heavily and drifting beam-on to the seas, with no effective means of control, the charity said.

The situation was assessed as serious and deteriorating, with a high risk of the vessel being overwhelmed by the weather, before the yacht was safely towed to Stranraer marina by the RNLI Girvan all-weather lifeboat.

A spokesperson for the RNLI said: “Working carefully in the conditions, the lifeboat crew established control lines and brought the yacht head-to-sea, a critical manoeuvre that stabilised the vessel and significantly reduced the immediate danger to the person onboard.

“Given the size of the yacht and the strength of the winds and seas, RNLI Girvan’s all-weather lifeboat was requested to provide a safe and controlled tow to harbour.

“Once on scene, the tow was transferred in a managed operation and the yacht was towed to Stranraer Marina.

“With the assistance of HM Coastguard teams ashore, the yacht was secured safely and the casualty was brought to safety.”

A Stranraer RNLI spokesperson said: “This was a challenging service carried out in very difficult weather.

“The yacht was being driven by strong winds and heavy seas after its anchor failed, and the situation was deteriorating.

“Following a full assessment, our inshore lifeboat was launched as it was the quickest asset able to reach the casualty and reduce the immediate risk to the person onboard.

“Our volunteer crew worked calmly and professionally in demanding conditions to bring the vessel head-to-sea and stabilise it until Girvan’s all-weather lifeboat could arrive to complete the tow.

“We are very grateful to HM Coastguard and to the crew of Stena Superfast VII for their excellent support and co-ordination, which played a vital role in bringing this incident to a safe conclusion.”