Take four stupid men and the best RIB in the World

[The Jackeens]

The lads are fine.

Had a call an hour ago...have chatted to Alan.

The boat's down. But the crew are all safe and in Stornaway. Thank God. They've just dealt with media and the Coastguard were brill.

Alan, Egbert, Kevin and Paul are all fine and having a rest now.

The hull was breached and it was almost instantaneous.

You can help, if you're reading this.

Please post a positive message for them.

K.

[timboli]

Thank goodness they are alright,sounds like they must have hit something,they must be feeling really down now.I hope its something that can be sorted.At least it happened within coastguard range.

[Richard B]

Well I'm not 100% clear about what Kathleen means by "down", "breached" and "instantaneous" - terrible images come to mind - so natrually pleased to hear all are well.

So it's back to the pub then?

[peteb]

Press Notice No: Duty Notic
Tuesday, August 3, 2004
Posted 00:44 GMT
STORNOWAY COASTGUARD HELICOPTER RESCUES FOUR FROM SINKING YACHT 200 MILES WEST OF MAINLAND

An emergency operation has been launched to rescue four people from a sinking yacht in the North Atlantic.

At just after 8.36 p.m. this evening an emergency call was received from `The Spirit’, a 35ft American-registered ketch which was in distress 200 miles north west of Stornoway on Lewis with four men on board. The crew reported that they were from Portsmouth with one crew member from Canada. The original distress call had been picked up by the Coastguard in Halifax, Nova Scotia from a beacon alert from on board the vessel and was passed to the UK. The vessel was on passage from Belfast to Reykjavik in Iceland.
The Coastguard Rescue helicopter `Mike Uniform’ was scrambled and an RAF Nimrod aircraft was also launched from Kinloss to provide top cover for the helicopter.
The crew from the vessel reported that they had been hit by a wave which had fractured the hull and that they were taking water. They were also wearing survival suits and required immediate assistance.
They reported that the water was up to the gunwales and the deck was awash. They also had lifejackets and a liferaft. One crew member was suffering from shock. They reported that they were cold and had hand held torches, but that the batteries were running low. The crew had also cleared an area on the sinking yacht of two metres by two metres to allow for a winchman from the helicopter to be lowered to the deck. All aerials had also been removed.
The Coastguard also broadcast a mayday signal into the area for any other vessel to assist. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessel `Fort George’ responded and is currently on her way to the yachts position. This vessel can also provide fuel for the helicopter and had medical facilities on board in the case of a medical emergency
As the Nimrod aircraft circled the area and was ready to drop rescue crafts for the men, the Coastguard rescue helicopter was able to winch a man down to the deck and take all four off at just after midnight before heading back towards the RFA vessel.


Posted by: Mark Clark


For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Duty Press Officer
Office hours: 023 8032 9401
Mobile: 07711 002678
Pager: 07693 345278

[Andy Stevens]

BBC NEWS

It seems if you are going to have a problem at sea, these boys are the ones to have it with!

Well done lads and good to know you're safe and well.

[peteb]

Well done for the professional way in which the situation was dealt with, good drills, well prepared, SURVIVED!

[Nick Hearne]

Thinking of you all!
Glad to hear you are safe & well, take care!
Nick

[MarkWildey]

Can someone just confirm what has happened to the boat.

Looking at the bbc site and stuff above it appears to have sunk?

It is of course great news that everyone is fine and a credit to planning on Alan's and others.

Regards to all

Mark

[Mark Halliday]

Stunned by the news this morning. Very glad to hear all are safe and well.

Congrats to Alan and crew for keeping a cool head in a nasty situation, and many thanks to the rescue services for doing what they do best.

Perhaps the BBC will learn the differance between a yacht and a motor boat one day.

[Allen]

Relieved to hear that all the crew are safe and well.

Chins up lads - worse things happen at... er.... well, you know what I mean.

Allen

[philip]

If it wasn’t risky it wouldn’t be such a challenge – gutted for you and hugely relieved to hear that you are all OK and were by the sound of it model rescuees.

[Matt]

I know, this confused the hell out of me too.

Glad to hear everyone is safe and well, could easily have been a much more sombre thread.

Originally Posted by Mark Halliday

Stunned by the news this morning. Very glad to hear all are safe and well.

Congrats to Alan and crew for keeping a cool head in a nasty situation, and many thanks to the rescue services for doing what they do best.

Perhaps the BBC will learn the differance between a yacht and a motor boat one day.

[Jonny Fuller]

To know the difference between a yacht and a motorboat would be good, but to describe it as a 'Ketch' is dumbfounding!...twin masted Yacht!

[Mark Halliday]

Originally Posted by Jonny Fuller

To know the difference between a yacht and a motorboat would be good, but to describe it as a 'Ketch' is dumbfounding!...twin masted Yacht!

I blame the yanks. The coastguard would have got the info from her registration documents.

RT traffic might have gone like this....

"Stornoway Coast - Mike Uniform. Can't find a ketch out here, but there is a bright yellow RIB in trouble. Should we get that one? Over"

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Jonny Fuller

.....a 'Ketch' is dumbfounding!...twin masted Yacht!

Yeah, when it could so easily have been a Yawl if the mizzen had been abaft of the rudder head as opposed to for'ard....these things are important ya know?

Congratulations to the "emergency services" for doing a fine job.

[Bittentobuggery]

Doesn't matter what the hell they call it; the boat's lost..

Gutted for you AP and all the boys. It must have been a helluva shock.

Puts everything else into perspective on a wet Tuesday.

Safe home, guys.

Brian

[Jelly]

Glad to hear you are all well and safe,
The BBC news report made me read it twice before realasising that it was you - Ketch!!!
Jelly

[Dave B]

Glad to hear that all the crew are safe.
It only goes to prove that we are living on the edge taking on such projects, at some time the luck must run out. If we stop and think for a few moments it is very few of us who would take on such a trip. So we must all admire Allan and crew for having the guts to go out and give it a try.

Safe journey home lads, the welcome home will be all the more poignant.

Dave B

Also to include Don and Jane Galbraith, Mark Pendlbury and Brian (The crew of Spirit of Lagavulin)

[Mark Halliday]

Brian

I am right with you, just a bit worried that they may go out looking for the wrong sort of vessel if they have duff info.

Very glad all are safe and well. I would not wish this on my worst enemy.

[robin]

Very very sad news re 'Spirit'

Very very good news that you are all safe.

Kathryn, I think the tins will need straightening.