#RNLI - Sunday's aid of a fishing trawler with a fouled propeller near Lambay Island was just one of five callouts or the volunteers at Howth RNLI within five days, marking one of the busiest seasons for the North Co Dublin crew.
These callouts were mainly to vessels that had developed problems while at sea and the lifeboats were called to assist and tow them to safety.
The first was on Saturday 9 August, when Howth’s inshore lifeboat was launched at 10.30am to locate and assist a motorboat that had started to take on water and was trying to make its way back to Howth Marina. The lifeboat crew escorted the vessel safely back to the harbour.
On Sunday evening, following the all-weather lifeboat's fishing trawler rescue previously reported on Afloat.ie, the inshore lifeboat was launched as darkness fell to assist a vessel which had run out of fuel outside Howth Harbour.
The motorboat, with three people aboard, was located and towed back to the public slipway where the motorboat had departed from earlier that day.
More recently, yesterday (Wednesday 13 August) the all-weather lifeboat launched at 1.40pm to tow a sailing vessel with steering problems back to the harbour.
The 43-foot sailing yacht, with three people aboard, was taken in tow and brought to Howth Marina.
Later in the evening, the all-weather lifeboat was again launched to assist a motorboat with engine problems to the north west of Ireland’s Eye. The vessel was quickly located and towed back to Howth Harbour.
“It has been a particularly busy time in Howth for both our lifeboats," said Howth RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew member David Howard, "but we are pleased that all our recent callouts resulted in no injury and all casualty vessels were safely towed back to Howth Harbour.
"All the vessels had means of contacting the shore and we compliment the skippers of the boats in not hesitating to call for help at the first sign of difficulties.”