| Bembridge Lifeboat Services |
Most recent service at the top
| 2003 | Tyne Class Lifeboat 47-018 "Max Aitken III" |
| Date | Service |
| Wed 31st December 2003 | Bembridge's relief "Tyne" class
lifeboat, was launched today at 0430hrs to a 17' open
fishing dory, "Wight Whisper", with three
persons on board broken down and at anchor a quarter of a
mile of Whitecliff bay Bembridge. The lifeboat, proceeded
quickly in the force 3 weather conditions and arrived
along side the casualty some 15 minutes later. The lifeboat had the casualty berthed at the fisherman's pontoon in Bembridge Harbour at 05:40am and was itself re-housed in the Lifeboat station at 05:55 am |
| Sat 27th December 2003 | Bembridge's relief "Tyne" class
lifeboat was launched at 0936hrs on Saturday
morning to the aid of the fishing vessel "Ocean
Pride" with 3 persons on board. she had engine
failure and was anchored 1 mile north of the Nab
lighthouse. The lifeboat reached in her 30 minutes and she was towed into Chichester Harbour where repairs could be undertaken. The Ocean Pride was along side by 11:30 am and Bembridge Lifeboat was re-housed at Bembridge by 12.15. |
| Sun 30th November 2003 | Bembridge
Lifeboat "Max Aitken 111" was launched at
1547hrs on Sunday afternoon to the 65ft
motor fishing vessel "Ocean Quest" with 3
persons onboard. The lifeboat launched into a slight sea with a greatly reduced wind from Saturday's incident, being only a Force 4, to assist the boat which had suffered a total steering failure in Stokes Bay which is situated between Portsmouth and Lee on Solent. The lifeboat reached the casualty some 33 minutes later,a tow line was passed and they proceeded to tow the "Ocean Quest" to Portsmouth Harbour arriving at 6 pm. |
| Sat 29th November 2003 | Bembridge
Lifeboat "Max Aitken 111" was launched at about
0530hrs on Saturday morning to the aid the
44ft yacht Adelaide Star. Which was in difficulty 20
miles south of the Island with a steering failure. The 4
person crew were also experiencing heavy seas. The lifeboat arrived along side the yacht at 07:00 , by this time the crew of the yacht had managed to rig an emergency steering system. The Lifeboat Coxswain decided that the best course of action would be to escort the yacht back to their home port of Gosport as they were now making reasonable progress. The escort took nearly 4 hours, because of the sea and wind conditions, which at 9am in the morning were recorded at in-excess of 45 knots, but shortly before 11am the yacht and the lifeboat reached the safety of Gosport when the yacht and its crew were passed over to the care of the Coastguard. Bembridge lifeboat then returned to her home station and re-housed ready for her next service some seven hours after launching. |
| Fri 15th August 2003 | Bembridge
Lifeboat "Max Aitken 111" was launched at
1925hrs on Friday evening (15.8.03) after calls for
assistance were received from two different vessels off
the island. The first incident involved a small 14ft angling boat "Blue Oyster", which was in difficulties 1 mile west of the Nab Tower. The vessel had suffered engine failure, and was also making water through her stern gear. The lifeboat towed the vessel back to the moorings at Bembridge, and the inshore lifeboat then took the stricken craft into Bembridge Harbour when there was enough water to enter. The all-weather lifeboat then proceeded to the second vessel in trouble off St. Catherines Point. The second casualty was the motor sailing yacht "Salter Boy", which had asked for assistance after suffering engine failure while returning from a trip to Cherbourg. The weather had deteriorated, and the yacht had been attempting to sail back to Langstone Harbour since 0500 on Friday morning. The man and woman crew aboard were both fatigued and seasick, and felt they could not cope with the worsening conditions. The crew were unsure of their position, and thought they were 2 miles off St. Catherines Pt. The lifeboat actually located the yacht 6 miles off St. Catherines Point, and towed them back to the safety of Bembridge Harbour by 0100hrs Saturday morning. The vessel was based at Langstone Harbour. |
| Mon 4th August 2003 | Bembridge
Lifeboat was first launched at 1745 hrs on Mon 4th
August to the 25ft yacht "Treberys"which called
the coastguard for assistance after suffering engine
problems and a fuel leak in a position 2 miles SSE of
Dunnose Point. She was having difficulties sailing and
required assistance. The lifeboat quickly reached the
yacht, and towed her back to Bembridge, where her
problems were sorted out so that she could continue on to
Portsmouth. There were three persons aboard, and the
yacht was on passage from Falmouth to Greenwich. The second launch was at 2130hrs; A 30ft yacht "Greensleeves of Kent" called for help when she suffered engine failure and was unable to sail in a position 3 miles NW of Bembridge. The lifeboat quickly located the vessel and towed her to the moorings at Bembridge, and she was taken to a local boatyard for repairs the following day. The yacht had three crew aboard, and was on passage from Kent to Falmouth. |
| Fri 1st August 2003 | Bembridge Lifeboat was launched at 1700hrs on Friday 1st August after red distress flares were sighted 12 miles south east of Bembridge. A 27ft trimaran "XOO" had suffered structural failure to one of her hulls, and the vessel was in a semi capsized condition. The two man crew had taken to their liferaft and were clinging to the hull. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 1755 and took the two men and the liferaft aboard the lifeboat. A towrope was then secured to the trimaran and a slow tow commenced back to Bembridge. Due to the condition of the craft, it was extremely difficult to tow, as one hull was separated, but still attached and dragging along with the stricken trimaran. The vessel slowly submerged and filled with water under tow, and eventually turned over, but was still towed slowly back to the lifeboat moorings at Bembridge, arriving at 2250 hrs. It was then secured to the mooring and the lifeboat rehoused by 2345hrs. |
| Wed 2nd July 2003 | Bembridge Lifeboat was launched at 1430 hrs on Weds 2nd July following a request for assistance from the 38ft motor cruiser "HY FLYER", which had suffered fuel starvation in a position 19 miles SSW of Bembridge. The vessel was returning from a trip from Cherbourg to Hamble with two married couples aboard when the problem occurred south of St.Catherine's Point. The lifeboat located the craft, transferred the lifeboat mechanic and a supply of diesel fuel across, and subsequently rectified the problems. The "Hy Flyer" was then able to continue her passage back to the River Hamble. The two couples were both from the Hamble area. |
| Sat 21st June 2003 | Bembridge
Lifeboat was launched twice, first to the 22ft yacht
"Seaspite", which was trying to complete the
Round the Island race and had suffered engine failure off
Ventnor and was unable to sail or make headway in the
conditions. She also had total electrical and radio
failure, and one of the two crew aboard was suffering
from seasickness and fatigue. The lifeboat went to their
aid, and due to their condition, towed them back to their
home port of Portsmouth. The two male crewmembers were
from the Fareham area. Whilst returning from Portsmouth at around 0300hrs, another urgent call for assistance was received from the 25ft yacht "Eyecatcher", which had run aground on Ryde Sands and was pounding badly, being driven further on to the sands by the onshore easterly winds.The lifeboat was swiftly on scene, but was unable to get into the yacht from the east due to insufficient water, so an approach was made from the west and the lifeboat managed despite minimal water to get close enough to transfer a towrope across and then gently tow the stricken yacht out into deeper water, where she was checked for damage and water ingress before proceeding to Portsmouth. The lifeboat eventually returned to station at 0500hrs. |
| Wed 18th June 2003 | Bembridge
all-weather lifeboat was launched at 1640 hrs on Weds
18th June 03 following a call for assistance from the
21ft yacht "SVALEN", which was experiencing
difficulties in rough weather in the middle of the
English Channel. Two 45 year old Spanish men were aboard,
who had just purchased the vessel, and were en route to
Cherbourg from Yarmouth IW. Their ultimate destination
was Spain. Whilst halfway to Cherbourg, near the EC2 buoy, they encountered rough weather, and were also suffering from seasickness and fatigue. They sent out a "Pan" urgency call, and several ships in the area responded, including the warship HMS Southampton, who sent a medic over in a RHIB to assess the yacht's crew while the lifeboat was en route from Bembridge. The lifeboat arrived at 1755 hrs, and transferred a lifeboat crewman across to help sail and motor the vessel back to Bembridge, giving the yacht's crew a chance to rest and recover. HMS Southampton then continued on her way. The lifeboat crewmember transferred across to the yacht was the youngest and newest member of the lifeboat crew, who performed extremely well in bringing the yacht safely back to Bembridge accompanied by the lifeboat. |
| Thu 12th June 2003 | Bembridge Lifeboat was called out at 10 am on Thursday 12th June following a report from a ship that they had sighted a large portion of wreckage which looked like a part of a yacht hull. The wreckage was drifting 18 miles south east of Bembridge, and the lifeboat proceeded to the area and carried out a brief search in company with the Coastguard Helicopter India Juliet. Nothing further was found, and it was assumed that the wreckage was part of an old sailing catamaran/yacht which had been broken up somewhere. The lifeboat managed to get the debris aboard, and take it back to Bembridge. |
| Sun 8th June 2003 | Bembridge
Lifeboat "Max Aitken 111" was launched at
1500hrs on Sunday 8th June following a call for
assistance from the yacht "Folksong" which was
experiencing difficulties in rough weather off Dunnose
Point. The yacht's sails had been torn, and she had a
damaged rudder. The one male crewmember was finding it
difficult to cope in the conditions, and called the
coastguards for assistance. The lifeboat reached the stricken vessel at 1530 hours, transferred a lifeboat crewmember over to assist the lone yachtsman, and then towed the yacht back to Bembridge Harbour, where it was berthed safely alongside by 1730 hours. The yachtsman was in his 40s, and the yacht was based in Gosport. |
| Sat 17th May 2003 | Bembridge Lifeboat was launched at 17:15, along with the Coastguard helicopter, to a capsised triamaran South of the Island. In the strong winds the three person crew had managed to get themselves onto the upturned hull of the vessel. The helicopter having picked up the crew a member of the Bembridge Lifeboat swam to the vessel and attached a rope so she could be righted. The Lifeboat then towed the triamaran back to Bembridge. |
For launches prior to 2003 see the Archive
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