Skerries RNLI was requested to launch last Thursday afternoon (7 May) following a distress call from a yacht that had become fouled on fishing gear one mile east of Rush Harbour.
The volunteers in Skerries responded shortly before 2pm to launch their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Louis Simson and navigated around the headland and islands of Skerries before proceeding towards the position given by the casualty vessel.
As they approached the position, the crew quickly spotted the stricken vessel. The lifeboat was positioned alongside the yacht to allow the crew to assess the situation and speak to those on board.
There was a lone sailor on board and he had, as suspected, fouled his rudder on a length of line from a lobster pot.
The lifeboat volunteers managed to successfully free the rope from the underside of the yacht. The lifeboat then stood by as the sailor completed some checks before deciding that he was satisfied no damage appeared to have been caused to his steering or running gear, and he was happy to complete his journey to Howth under his own steam.
The lifeboat returned to the station in Skerries where it was recovered to the boathouse and made ready for the next service.
Conditions at the time had Force 3–4 southerly winds with a slight sea swell and good visibility.
The lifeboat also launched a couple of times in the previous weeks. On the afternoon of Saturday 25 April, a call was received from a member of the public stating that a person was stranded on Shenick Island and attempting to swim to shore.
Arriving on scene, the volunteer crew found that the person was in fact attempting a long swim, was well equipped and was in no difficulty. However, they did accept the offer of a lift back to shore.
Shortly after 8pm on the evening of Wednesday 29 April, the lifeboat was launched following a 999 call to Dublin Coast Guard reporting that a windsurfer was in difficulty off the south beach in Rush. While the lifeboat was en route, the windsurfer managed to make their own way ashore, and the lifeboat was stood down.
