A Cornwall lifeboat spent 19 hours at sea in just a 34-hour period, covering 170 nautical miles and assisting 12 mariners.
The Lizard lifeboat was first tasked by Falmouth Coastguard at 1.30pm on Thursday to a position seven miles south-east of Lizard Point to assist the Madeleine May – a 35ft charter fishing boat with three people onboard that had suffered engine failure.
A line was passed to the vessel and it was towed to the safety of Falmouth harbour, with the lifeboat returning to station at 5.30pm.
At 3.30am the following morning, it was tasked to assist the Newlyn-based fishing vessel Silver Dawn, with four people onboard, that had also suffered engine failure, 22 miles south-south-east of Lizard Point. After eight-and-a-half hours at sea, the lifeboat had towed the vessel back to its home port by midday.
The alarm was raised again at 5.30pm on Friday when the yacht Serefe, with five people onboard, was dismasted two miles west of Lizard Point. It was towed back to Falmouth Harbour.
Peter Graves, one of those aboard the yacht, left a comment on The Lizard lifeboat's Facebook page over the weekend.
"A big thank you to The Lizard lifeboat guys for towing us home," he wrote. "There appears to have been a rigging failure in the forestay.
"The mast went overboard very quickly but no-one was near it. The crew worked to stop it sinking too deeply, then to pull the rig alongside using the winches and available lines.
"Once we had the rig and all the lines onboard we started motoring offshore with the plan to go back to Falmouth. Two other yachts came to see we were OK, which was very kind.
"Then The Lizard lifeboat crew arrived and gave us a much appreciated tow home, with great competence and good humour – what a great bunch of lads and thanks to everyone who helped out."
