A dramatic rescue (but not us)

Tamarisk
Mon 18 Jul 2005 13:25
After one attempt to leave Ramsgate was foiled by fog and 100m vis around
Dover, we eventually got away on Friday. Wind was 20-25 on the nose and it
was slow getting past Dungeness but we tacked on till about 1800 when the
wind dropped and we decided to motor the last 10 miles to Eastbourne.

We were on course to get in by supper time when we were waved down by
another yacht. Their engine had broken, the crew was sick and the skipper
wanted a tow to Eastbourne. We agreed and took their line but it was hard
going into the remaining Westerly and our engine was soon steaming and we
were only making a couple of knots. The other yacht wasn't answering his
radio and appeared to be in a bit of a panic. Night was falling so we
radioed the coastguard to tell them what was going on in case our engine
gave out.

The coastguard decided to send the Eastbourne lifeboat for the other
yacht. It turned up after about an hour and took over the tow. We motored
on, arriving in Eastbourne about 2230. We'd left Ramsgate at 0700 and done
70 miles in the day. We're now 110 miles from home.

The Lifeboat men said we'd done the right thing. The skipper of the other
yacht was a bit embarrassed. Turned out he had a bug in his fuel.

We were planning to leave for Brighton early Sunday but found a leak in
our engine cooling system. It doesn't look like a big problem but we're
having to wait till Tuesday morning for the replacement part. Will press
on weather permitting then.

We're settling in - managed to stow most of our stuff. Weather is good -
swimming in the sea, getting brown etc.

Below are Anna and Eddie eating supper in Ramsgate. Love to all.






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