Douglas RNLI lifeboat was launched again yesterday (5th June) at 9.37am following the report of a yacht in difficulty approximately 10 miles off Douglas.
 
The 8.5m yacht with three people on board had departed from Douglas earlier in the day but once out of the lee of the Island the wind had ripped the yacht's mainsail and when trying to make way under power the engine overheated rendering it unusable. The yacht was without electrical power because of the engine failure and the skipper made use of a hand held VHF radio to call for assistance.
 
The Douglas all weather lifeboat, Sir William Hillary, under the command of volunteer coxswain Graeme Cushnie reached the casualty vessel just after 10.15am when a tow was established to bring the yacht back to Douglas.
 
The yacht was towed back to Douglas and berthed alongside the Kind Edward Pier where the Coastguards were waiting to assist. The three people on board were all suffering from sea sickness, one quite severely. Coxswain Cushnie said 'There was a nasty swell of some 2-3m running on the open sea making conditions decidedly uncomfortable'.
 
Photo - Douglas lifeboat Sir William Hillary with casualty vessel in Douglas harbour. Credit: RNLI/Michael Howland.