Red Star Boat Club rescue on Tuesday Night 7th May in Carlingford Lough
Rescue of the two Ares souls !!!!
The Call you don’t want as a Red Star boat man arrived at 10.30 on Tuesday night.
Three
men from the Red Star BC answered the call knowing the RNLI would take 45
mins to get to the top of Carlingford Lough, and we were only 15 to 20 mins away.
Zig
Zag cast off from the Warrenpoint pier pontoon at 10.40 pm with Walter as Skipper and Frank and Robert as Crew, in order to find and rescue the two lads on Ares who - unknown to ourselves - were
holding on to the marker pole on top of Gannaway Rock.
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| Zig Zag on the way to Ares |
Our first problem was to get to Ares without hitting the Rock. We
sailed to the first red marker buoy and took a 90 degree turn towards the Rostrevor shore, and then
when we passed the 1910 Victorian baths on the port side.
Ares navigation lights were visible, and she came into view, but engine failure had her adrift and heading towards the shallow ground of Maggie’s Island at the end of the Well Road in Warrenpoint.
Thankfully it was just after the top of the tide, and depth readings ranged between 4.0 and 5.5 meters. We called Ares on the VHF 16 and then both switched to 9. The plan of action was related. We could hear the relief in the voices of the Ares souls.
Walter manouvered Zig Zag into place, Robert and Frank had to land ropes, secure the stricken boat side-on to Zig Zag and effect a safe towing position in total darkness, force 3 to 4 winds, and increasingly lumpy sea conditions.
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| safely under tow |
It was getting to the stage of ebb tide against a strengthening SW wind, and a slow, safe passage was directed towards the first red buoy - thus avoiding the treacherous Gannaway Rock. We headed out to sea with
the baths behind us, but the wind was pushing us in the wrong direction and
into the path of the rock which we could not see - as it is, incredibly, unlit !
Eyes
were peeled by the five crew on board both boats, still no sign of the rock. What seemed to be a considerable period of time was only 5 to 10 mins. "I can see the rock," Robert shouted. It being on the starboard side only 20 metres away - with wind blowing us on and tide ebbing.
Hearts were beating faster, prayers were silently said by some, and hope was written across the crew's faces. Out and safely around the Rock, immediate danger over, Zig Zag kept the same steady course out to the main channel, before turning to home. It was not comfortable.
We headed around the breakwater in Warrenpoint, and after a couple of attempts we landed both crews safely on the pontoon at 00.15 am. All five souls made it home safely that night; David replaced his engine the very next day and in future will throw the anchor out.
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| momentarily both boats ship a wave |
Well done to Robert, Frank and Walter on Zig Zag, teamwork at its best - and a big thank you from the stricken Ares crew.
As a postscript, Ares GPS tracked the whole journey - take a look !! Bear in mind that this was in complete darkness !!! The Gannaway Rock would appear to be highly magnetic !!!
As a postscript, Ares GPS tracked the whole journey - take a look !! Bear in mind that this was in complete darkness !!! The Gannaway Rock would appear to be highly magnetic !!!
A big thanks to all involved on the night, from the two idiots aboard. In all seriousness some lessons were learned that night mainly,always have an emergency plan or two in place and.... DROP THE ANCHOR!!!
ReplyDeleteGood job we are with the good club.
The two fellas on Ares took a full and active part, and the rescue would not have been possible without them - don't be so hard on yourselves.
ReplyDelete