At 12:40pm last Tuesday Rye Harbour RNLI lifeboat station’s new lifeboat Hello Herbie II was requested to launch to assist a local fishing boat.
The 19 foot MFV had broken down a half a mile south of the harbour entrance. The lifeboat crew volunteers soon secured a tow line and brought the boat and her crew safely back to her moorings without any casualties.
The final fund raising event for the new lifeboat will be an illustrated talk about the Mary Stanford disaster, the worst in the history of the RNLI, where the Rye Harbour crew of 17 all lost their lives. This will be held on Friday 20 October 20 at 6pm in Rye Harbour Church of the Holy Spirit. Tickets £20 (including wine and canapes) are available from Claire Stephenson on 01797 222032 or rc.stephenson@btinternet.com
[Editor’s note: the typically low-key account of the recovery of the fishing boat makes it sound a simple, straightforward incident. However, things are rarely as simple as they sound. The waters of Rye Bay can often be very choppy with wave heights of 2m not uncommon – particularly after a period of strong winds, such as those of the last few days. A small boat, with no power and perhaps starting to drift broadside on to the seas in those conditions, would be likely to be causing considerable consternation to its crew. For the lifeboat to approach it close enough to pass a tow rope across in safety, would demand a high level of seamanship and cool heads from both cox’n and crew. So this routine-sounding incident may not have been quite so easy as the report modestly implies. Almost certainly a very creditable and professional effort by our volunteer lifeboat crew.]
Photo: Steve Griffin