Boat Washed Up at Chain Ferry Slipway

Just after 7pm this evening, the team were tasked to Shell Bay to assist Poole lifeboat with an 18' speedboat that had broken loose from its moorings at a local marina. In the high winds, the boat was being buffeted against the slipway wall and was in danger of not only being severely damaged, but also of moving into the path of the chain ferry and/or getting tangled in its chains.

The speedboat was being pushed against the wall and rocks to the right of the slipway - conditions tonight were dark and very windy, making communications very difficult to hear

With a lifeboatman on board, the team donned full water rescue equipment and, once lines were secured on the boat, it was pulled a little further away from the harbour entrance and tied securely to the railings on the shore.  Once it had been secured, the chain ferry which had been temporarily suspended was able to resume its service.

With very blustery conditions, it had been proposed to leave the boat there for the night, but the boat started to take on a small amount of water, and, with fuel on board, it was considered better to tow it into Poole rather than risk it breaking up where it was. Once the lifeboat had attached a tow, the mooring lines were released and the boat was taken to a boatyard in Poole to be craned out.

The team returned to the station just after 9pm to clean up and dry the equipment.