Crew work through the night to assist yacht

At 17h44, Sunday, 09th November, NSRI Gordon's Bay crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following a request for assistance from the local yacht LIBRE reporting engine failure in gale force winds, 6 nautical miles South of Gordon's Bay, with 2 adult men, an adult woman (all three locals) and 4 young British women onboard (the 4 British women are due to return home to the United Kingdom on Wednesday and had been invited on the yacht for a sunset excursion before returning home).The yacht had originally departed from Gordon's Bay before suffering engine failure in strong winds and big sea swells, forcing the skipper to request rescue assistance.NSRI Gordon's Bay duty crew launched the sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF SURFSKI and on arrival on-scene found all 7 crew safe but the yacht requiring a tow in 4 to 5 meter sea swells and a gusting to 50 knot (92.6 km/h) South Easterly wind.NSRI Simons Town were activated to respond their larger sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF SAFMARINE III and on arrival on-scene, now 7 nautical miles West of Gordon's Bay, between Gordon's Bay and Seal Island (the shift in position caused from the yacht drifting in the strong wind) a tow-line was rigged from SPIRIT OF SAFMARINE III to the casualty yacht and following some deliberation on whether to tow the yacht to Simons Town or to Gordon's Bay the decision was made to take them to the closer harbour at Gordon's Bay.On arrival at Gordon's Bay a Spring low tide prevented the yacht from being towed into the harbour and the yacht was put to anchor off-shore of Bikini Beach and in the strong winds additional anchorage was ferried to the yacht from the Gordon's Bay sea rescue station to hold the casualty yacht from drifting.The 4 young British women (believed to be in their late teens) and the local adult women were transferred to shore by sea rescue craft (some of the girls were suffering from motion sickness) and later, in the rising tide, the yacht was towed into the harbour by SPIRIT OF SAFMARINE III and safely moored.The operation was completed at 03h15.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONESMS 32287 with your name and a message of support for our Sea Rescue crew (SMS charged at R1) File image: Spirit of Safmarine III Image source: GBYC Facebook page