RNLI volunteers from Bembridge and Cowes came to the rescue of 2 powerboats in separate incidents during today’s round the Island race. Bembridge’s All Weather Lifeboat was launched on exercise this morning, keeping an eye on the competing crews as they rounded St Catherine’s Point. Whilst en-route back to the offshore boathouse, at around 13:00, Solent Coastguard tasked the lifeboat with assisting a broken-down powerboat, Top Banana, near to Bembridge Ledge buoy. Once on scene and having conferred with the 2 crew on board, lifeboat volunteers established that it appeared the powerboat had probably lost a propeller. The casualty vessel was towed back to Cowes by Bembridge ALB. Commenting afterwards, Coxswain James Pink said:
“On a glorious day like today with ideal conditions for probably a very fast transit time around the island, it was highly unfortunate for them to suffer the prop failure. Fortunately, we were close by and were able to get them back, but unfortunately not at a speed they were used to travel at!”.
On the other side of the Island, Cowes RNLI went to the aid of a powerboat taking on water off The Needles. When the emergency was declared, Cowes’ inshore lifeboat – which was already afloat on the Solent – offered to provide assistance. However, before the crew could arrive on scene another boat had successfully pumped out the water. The decision was taken for the lifeboat to escort the powerboat and its 2 crew to Lepe, where Hamble Independent Lifeboat took over escort duties as the powerboat carried on to Southampton Water.
