Both of Fishguard RNLI lifeboats were kept busy with three shouts over a three day period between Saturday 28 and Monday 30 January.
The first shout resulted in the inshore lifeboat turning out during Saturday afternoon to assist a local fisherman. The propeller on his 6-metre open dory had fouled a stray rope so the lifeboat, with a crew of three, towed the vessel back into Fishguard harbour and onto his mooring.
The second shout occurred in the early hours of Sunday. The all-weather lifeboat launched at 4.45am with seven crew to go to the assistance of the 10 metre scalloper, Our Rosanne, which had arrived from Cornwall to join the fleet of scallopers fishing the grounds off Fishguard. The vessel had suffered a complete steering failure. The scalloper, with three crew aboard, was picked up six miles outside the northern breakwater of Fishguard harbour and towed by the lifeboat to alongside the quay wall. The lifeboat stood down at 5.45am.
The all-weather lifeboat, with six volunteer crew and coxswain Paul Butler at the helm, was back in action again the following day to assist another scolloper, Kasey Marie, which had suffered engine failure whilst positioned 10 miles north-west of Fishguard. The scalloper was further hindered by the fact all of its trawling gear was down, dragging the seabed, and could not be retracted. The lifeboat set off at 12.20pm into a Force 4/5 SE wind and choppy seas with spare batteries and a hired generator aboard. Once alongside, the batteries were transferred but were incompatible and failed to start the fishing boat’s engine. Meanwhile another RNLI lifeboat – a Tyne-class, which was travelling from Workington to Weymouth and due to stop overnight en-route in Fishguard – diverted to the scene and helped the Fishguard lifeboat transfer the generator in a delicate operation onto the scalloper’s stern, while the all-weather lifeboat slowly towed the scalloper and its trailing gear. Once the generator was aboard, the scalloper’s crew were able to re-charge their batteries, fire up the engine and lift their trawling gear. Both lifeboats were then able to return to Fishguard, docking at 4pm.
Paul Butler, Coxswain RNLI Fishguard, said: ‘I would like to thank the Workington lifeboat crew for their considerable assistance in transferring the generator onto the fishing boat during what was a difficult and demanding operation for both lifeboats.’
