A family’s Solent outing in a chartered yacht came to an abrupt halt today when they encountered problems twice-over, requiring the urgent help of Cowes RNLI lifeboat.
The family, aboard the 35ft Islana, discovered that not only had a rope become wrapped around their propeller but they were unable to retrieve their anchor. The incidents occurred at Lepe Spit near the entrance to Beaulieu River just after 13:00 this afternoon (Saturday).
When the crew of Cowes lifeboat also had difficulty taking up the anchor of the Islana, they decided to cut it free and tow the yacht back to Shepards Wharf, Cowes. Later, as the anchor could be deemed a danger to navigation, the lifeboat returned to Lepe Spit where, despite increasingly choppy conditions, the crew eventually managed to recover it; then it was back to Cowes to restore it to the yacht.
Aboard the Islanda were a couple, two young children and a dog, from Kenilworth in the Midlands.
The volunteer crew of Cowes RNLI remained off station for nearly two and a hour hours.
