The 36 foot yacht Giselle, en-route from Holyhead to Cardiff, became totally becalmed in the glorious weather last Saturday. The husband and wife crew resorted to engine power in the calm conditions, however, after a few hours the engine failed after a discarded fishing net became wrapped around its propellor.
HM Coastguard were contacted and maintained communications with Giselle. By dawn there was no change to the benign conditions so, after drifting for more than 12 hours, the Coastguard requested the Fishguard RNLI all weather lifeboat (ALB) to assist the yacht with a tow into Fishguard harbour early on Sunday morning.
The ALB launched at 8am and soon had the yacht under tow in mirror-calm conditions. Once in the harbour a commercial diver was arranged to remove the fouling net.
Yacht-owner, Squadron Leader Steve Cox, a serving pilot with the RAF said: “Although we were never in any danger, the professionalism and service provided by the RNLI and Coastguard was superb and we cannot thank them enough.”
After a rest the couple ventured safely on to their destination in Cardiff Bay.
