News

Rescued twice on a trip to Portsmouth

Published

9 years ago

July 3, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Engine trouble: The Vita Lote II

A YACHTSMAN had to be rescued twice in one week after he attempted to sail 300 miles along Britain’s coast using nothing but a mobile phone app to navigate.

The hapless sailor was trying to sail his 32ft yacht single-handedly from Milford Haven to Portsmouth when he got stuck in shallow water in Poole Harbour, The Daily Mail has reported.

A week previously he had been towed into St Ives, Cornwall, after getting into trouble a mile from the seaside holiday town.

Lifeboat crews said they had to tow the boat and its exhausted skipper to the safety of a nearby marina in Poole, following the most recent rescue. Coastguards then visited the vessel, where they discovered the man had been using an app on his phone to work out his route along the coast.

They also found that the skipper, in his 40’s, had 27 out-of-date emergency flares on board the boat – some which were more than 13 years out of date. According to The Mail, he had not used a passage plan for his trip and had not told coastguards about his trip.

The week before two lifeboat crews from St Ives were called out after the engine on the yacht, which is named the Vita Lote II, stopped working. They found the yacht drifting perilously close to rocks but were able to take it back to the safety of the harbour.

It is understood the man, who was described as an experienced sailor, bought the yacht in Oban, Scotland, last year and had then sailed it to Milford Haven to spend the winter there.

He was making his way to Portsmouth when the incidents occurred.

On both occasions the man raised the alarm with the coastguard.

The first incident took place on June 8 and the sailor was rescued again on Monday. Coastguards were so concerned about him they gave him a safety briefing and checked over his equipment including his lifejacket and radio.

A spokesman for St Ives lifeboat crew said: “While out on exercise the all-weather lifeboat and inshore lifeboat were tasked to a yacht that was in difficulty half a mile north of Hor Point. The yacht being close to the shore and with a strong northerly wind blowing the inshore lifeboat was tasked to go and stand by the vessel to wait for the all-weather lifeboat to arrive and attach a tow line.

The spokesman added: “The all-weather lifeboat arrived on scene shortly after and attached a tow line and bought the casualty vessel and two persons onboard into St. Ives.”

After rescuing the sailor again a week later, a spokesman for Poole coastguard said: “We were paged to meet a vessel at Salterns Marina which had run aground in Poole Harbour and needed some safety advice. The vessel was using an 2014 almanac and an app on a mobile phone to navigate from Cornwall to Portsmouth. It turned out he had already been seen by the RNLI down south so seeing us was nothing uncommon to him.”

Allan Norman, of the Marine Coastguard Agency, said: “In this case the skipper had been caught out by the weather. He was singlehanded and had been sailing for quite a long time, so he was exhausted. He was using a navigation app on his mobile phone but he did have the right equipment on board. He was quite experienced so our advice to him was to make sure he got enough rest and to call us with his passage plan in future.”

Community

Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity

Published

7 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.

Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.

The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.

Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.

Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.

(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)

Business

Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure

Published

14 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.

The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.

The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.

A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”

Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.

From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.

Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.

(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

15 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.