UK: Royal Navy Sailors Rescue Stricken Army Yacht

June 22, 2012

Royal Navy sailors came to the rescue of fellow Service personnel when they answered a distress call from a yacht stranded in the middle of the Celtic Sea

Patrol ship HMS Severn was tasked with assisting an Army-skippered yacht after she suffered a steering gear breakdown on Monday night and a nearby fishing vessel had tried and failed to tow her in.

Despite being 75 nautical miles away, HMS Severn sprang into action and sailed through the night to reach the Spirit of St George which had been left drifting at the mercy of wind and tide.

On arrival on Tuesday morning, the Fishery Protection Vessel found that the yacht was being skippered by two Royal Logistic Corps Army officers on board, who had been racing the yacht before it broke down.

A team of three sailors assessed the damage, quickly establishing that the yacht had entirely lost her rudder and required a jury rig or emergency rudder to enable her to continue her journey back to land.

Using materials provided by HMS Severn the trio built a jury rudder and also supplied the yacht with a means of long range communications and extra water and fuel before she began her transit back to the UK.

Commanding Officer of HMS Severn, Lieutenant Commander Marcus Hember, said:

“We were delighted to be able to assist our fellow servicemen and allow her to continue to land without the need for being towed.”

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Naval Today Staff , June 22, 2012; Image: Royal Navy