HM Coastguard tasked Yarmouth’s Severn class all weather lifeboat, Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer), with launching a 48ft motor yacht on Tuesday 7 June 2022 at 2.08pm.
The volunteer crew from Yarmouth RNLI headed west out of the Solent towards Christchurch Bay, where a boat with two people on board was experiencing steering failure. When the RNLI crew arrived at the scene, they discovered that it was no ordinary casualty, but rather a historic vessel.
The motor cruiser Estrallita, built in 1934, was struggling with a 15 – 18 knot southwesterly wind and moderate to slight sea conditions. Her crew, two experienced ex-Royal Navy personnel, had attempted to keep the boat steady using her engines until assistance arrived.
Once on scene, the coxswain of the Yarmouth RNLI assessed the situation and determined that a tow was both necessary and the safest way to assist the vessel. An alongside tow was established prior to entering Yarmouth harbour in order to safely manoeuvre the yacht into a berth.
The 87-year-old Dunkirk little ship Estrallita and her crew were on a charitable fundraising journey, departing from Norfolk in mid-May and travelling along the south coast to raise funds for SSAFA and Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital. They are hoping to complete the repairs to their well-maintained vessel in time to continue their journey, with the goal of arriving at St Katherine Dock in London on June 17th, 2022.
At 5.15 p.m., the Yarmouth RNLI lifeboat returned to her berth and was ready for service.
The RNLI remains an independent charity that is funded entirely by voluntary contributions.
