2 callouts to yachts for Courtmacsherry crew
A Cork RNLI crew had a busy 24 hours coming to the rescue of two yachts in two separate callouts.
On Monday afternoon, the Courtmacsherry All Weather RNLI Lifeboat Val Adnams was called out when a 47 ft yacht got into difficulties off the Old Head of Kinsale at 3.50pm.
As the crew pagers activated, the Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre sought immediate help for the vessel with one person on board which was on passage from Old Court near Skibbereen. Under Coxswain Ken Cashman and a crew of five, the lifeboat was underway quickly and located the vessel due south of the Old Head at 4.30pm.
The yacht lost power and the skipper was unable to make any progress under sail in a difficult north westerly wind. The lifeboat crew immediately attached a tow rope in order to secure the yacht which was about one and a half miles off the coastline.
With the yacht in disabled mode, a decision was taken to proceed to the nearest port and the lifeboat proceeded to tow the yacht to Kinsale Harbour where it was successfully berthed at a mooring up river at 6.25pm.
The crew on board the callout were Coxswain Ken Cashman, Mechanic Dave Philips and crew members Donal Young, Niamh Hurley and brothers Mark and Dara Gannon.
The lifeboat arrived back to its mooring at 7.45pm on Monday. This was the second callout to a yacht in difficulties in the 24 hours. Sunday night saw Courtmacsherry RNLI come to the aid of a 35 foot yacht off the West Cork coast.
The Val Adnams lifeboat was called out at 10.15pm when the yacht sought assistance after it got into difficulties off Dunworley Head in Clonakilty Bay.
Under Coxswain Ken Cashman and a crew of five, the lifeboat was underway quickly and immediately made its way to the area of the casualty. The distress alarm was raised by the yacht with the Coast Guard Marine Co-Ordinating Rescue Centre, when they developed mechanical issues while on passage from Kerry to Youghal.
The lifeboat located the casualty at 10.40pm and a tow rope was immediately attached in order to secure the yacht which was about one mile off the coastline. While there was little wind as sea last night, a dense coastal fog and rain was descending and a decision was made by the lifeboat crew to tow the causality, which had two crew on board, to Kinsale.
The lifeboat then proceeded to tow the yacht at low speed under the cover of darkness and in dense fog to the safe surrounds of Kinsale Harbour and was successfully berthed at the Dock Marina at 2.30am.
Lifeboat Operations Manager Brian O Dwyer said: “It was great to have 15 of our lifeboat crew arrive so quickly last night and all prepared to spend the night at sea if required in the assistance of others. It was prudent that the causality sought assistance quickly by contacting the Coast Guard.”
The crew on board the callout were Coxswain Ken Cashman, Mechanic Dave Philips and crew members Dean Hennessey, Niamh Hurley and brothers Donal and Kevin Young.
The lifeboat arrived back to its mooring at 4.15am on Monday morning having been at sea for more than 6 hours.