James Walker from Lancaster and co-owner Phil Smith were delighted when their boat, which had been missing at sea for nearly two years, was found and returned to them by the RNLI. Fleetwood RNLI launched to a call from a merchant vessel steaming out of Heysham, that a small rowing boat was seen adrift in Morecambe Bay on Saturday August 3.
The D-class inshore lifeboat, Mary Elizabeth Barnes, launched at 5.45am, and reached the rowing boat to find it empty – and looking as if nobody had used it for some time. A painted name on the stern was practically illegible, so there was no easy way of finding an owner. Ken Harcombe, Fleetwood’s Press Officer, put out an appeal on their Facebook page, with a photograph. Among the many offers to buy and suggestions from supporters, was one from James Walker, who recognised his boat and told the volunteers, that it had been lost nearly two years ago, from Sunderland Point.
He said they could confirm it was his boat, by the unusual butt ended scarf joints and the name My Girls on the stern. The volunteers could just make out the name and confirmed it did indeed have the unusual joints.
James and co-owner, Phil Smith, collected the boat from Fleetwood RNLI and told them they had moored up at Sunderland Point after salmon fishing, in the summer of 2017. The boat must have broken free from its mooring and they assumed it had sunk. They was absolutely delighted to receive their boat back into their ownership.
Phil said: “We never thought we’d see My Girls again. She’s in remarkably good condition all things considered and it looks like she was probably aground on the marshes for some time. We are very grateful to get her back.” He told the volunteers at Fleetwood RNLI that the boat was originally a project, four years ago, to help give youngsters joinery skills.
Ken Harcombe added: “The power of social media never fails to impress me. I honestly thought we’d never discover the rightful owner, but we were delighted to hand it back to them. We can’t thank our supporters enough for helping us reunite My Girls back with their owner.”
Other recent RNLI news:
July 31: Yarmouth’s all weather lifeboat ‘Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer)’ was tasked at 2:24pm to assist a sailing vessel in distress north of Bouldnor. A solo sailor was in difficulty aboard his 28ft Westerly in 25knot winds and with engine failure. Sailor and vessel were towed to Yarmouth. More: HERE
August 6. At 5.30pm volunteers of Clacton RNLI launched their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat David Porter MPS into a 25 knot south westerly, creating rough sea conditions, after UK Coastguard had requested their assistance in locating a 28-foot yacht, suffering from complete power failure, and unable to deploy their anchor. See video and more details: HERE
Lowestoft RNLI LIfeboat Patsy Knight brings the yacht with the exhausted sailor into port. ©RNLI / Michael Howes
August 8. The volunteer crew of Cromer RNLI lifeboat ‘Lester’ was called at 6.41am to go to the aid of a 10-metre yacht with a solo sailor on board – discovered in the middle of the Leman gas field. The exhausted sailor, who had recently purchased the boat, had been at sea for 40 hours and had run out of diesel on his way to Scotland. The Lowestoft lifeboat was also called to the scene. More: HERE
August 9: Both Falmouth’s inshore lifeboat and then the Severn class Richard Cox Scott were called just after midnight to assist a lone yachtsman whose 34 ft wooden gaff yawl had dragged anchor in St Mawes harbour and had ended up against the quay. In strong weather conditions the inshore lifeboat arrived within six minutes and took over from the pilot boat Arrow which was assisting the yachtsman. The vessel was then towed to shelter in Falmouth’s Inner Harbour where it was safely placed at anchor at 01:34. The vessel had anchored off St Mawes earlier in the day (Thursday 8 August) after a passage from France. More: HERE