Portsmouth Harbour Entrance Blocked to Rescue Grounded 60ft Yacht
Portsmouth Harbour’s entrance was temporarily sealed off this morning to rescue a stranded 60ft yacht that suffered engine failure. The Clipper yacht ran aground near Victoria Pier after being caught by strong winds and tides.
Yacht Loses Power and Runs Aground
At 10:07am on Wednesday 22 November 2017, the RNLI Portsmouth Lifeboat was scrambled after reports of the yacht stuck onshore at Hotwalls, right by the harbour entrance. The vessel lost engine power while approaching the harbour, leaving it at the mercy of fierce wind and tide, which pushed it onto the shore.
Quick Response from RNLI and Rescue Teams
The Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Norma T, launched urgently and arrived within 12 minutes. They found the yacht surrounded by the MOD Police Launch Sir Geoffrey Rackham and two commercial vessels that had already started towing efforts.
Harbour Traffic Halted for Complex Recovery
The busy harbour was shut temporarily as the windfarm supply vessel The Sure Pilgrim reversed into rough conditions, slowly dragging the yacht clear of the pier. Meanwhile, commercial tug Gaurdsman secured a bow line to maintain control.
Portsmouth Lifeboat and MOD Police inspected the yacht for damage while Bembridge RNLI arrived to take over. The yacht was eventually towed safely to Gosport marina.
