Yarmouth RNLI was tasked with assisting a large survey vessel which had experienced a full power failure off Lymington this afternoon (Thursday).
Volunteer crew members were paged by Solent Coastguard just after midday and by 12:22 the A,ll Weather Lifeboat had arrived alongside the stricken craft – an 88ft trimaran which had suffered a complete failure of its electrical control unit.
The powerless vessel was anchored securely but in danger of running aground with the ebbing tide. To remedy the situation, the lifeboat crew cut the anchor line and marked the anchor with a buoy for future recovery before establishing a tow line by which the trimaran was towed into Lymington harbour.
At 10.5 metres in width and weighing 105 tonnes, this is believed to have been the largest and heaviest tow ever carried out by the Yarmouth Lifeboat; a great deal of skill was required for the lifeboat coxswain to manoeuvre in the confined waters of the harbour with such a large vessel alongside.
