Llandudno’s relief all-weather lifeboat Fisherman’s Friend together with Moelfre all-weather lifeboat and a ‘Sea King’ SAR helicopter from RAF Valley took part in an intensive search to locate the 36′ yacht Beverley Rose which had reported breaking down whilst on passage to the east of Anglesey on Saturday afternoon (26 March). She had a crew of two.
The yacht had passed the Skerries off the north-west of Anglesey at 8:15 that morning, steering an eastward course. However when the craft broke down at 1:15pm and its crew called Holyhead Coastguard for help they were unsure of their position due to the very poor visibility at sea which included fog patches.
The yacht was at first thought by the Coastguard to be around twelve miles north of Great Orme’s Head, but an extensive air and sea search in that area revealed no trace of the vessel. However at 4:20pm the Isle of Man ferry Ben-my-Chree which had just left Liverpool’s Queen’s Channel on passage from Birkenhead to Douglas reported she had in sight a small craft answering the description of the Beverley Rose. As a result the operation was passed over to Liverpool Coastguard for completion, and the helicopter and two North Wales lifeboats were released to return to their respective stations.
Llandudno’s Fisherman’s Friend arrived back at the north shore at 5 p.m. for recovery and refuelling.
