Fishing

boats are

rescued

Four Looe trawlers had to call for assistance from the RNLI and other boats in the area, during the week, while they were out fishing following a long spell tied up in port during bad weather.

On Sunday the Looe inshore lifeboat received a call from Brixham coastguard just after 6pm, to be told there were two trawlers stuck on the rocks known as the Outer Kimlers, on the west side of Looe Island.

The Marigold, skippered by Victor Henwood, had gone aground and the Arrant, skippered by Armand Toms had gone to help, but had also become stuck. The Arrant managed to refloat itself again and the Looe relief lifeboat 'City of Chester', helmed by Louis Portman and crewed by Tom Baker and Timothy Jackman, was able to guide her back into deep water.

However, the Marigold remained firmly wedged on the rocks until the lifeboat threw her a line and was able to tow her, in spite of her 30 tonnes weight, off the rocks where she had been receiving a pounding from the 3' swell. She was able to tow the boat for a further half a mile while waiting for the arrival of Fowey's trent class lifeboat Maurice and Joyce Hardy. Looe Lifeboat had put out a call for assistance because of the Marigold's weight and the dark conditions.

The Fowey lifeboat towed the Marigold to Toms Boatyard at Polruan for repairs to a seriously bent rudder, propellor and skeg, and the Arrant made its own way for repairs with a slightly damaged rudder.

An RAF rescue helicopter from RAF Culdrose flew overhead throughout the rescue operation.

The Fowey lifeboat was launched again on Wednesday at 8.17am following reports that a fishing boat was taking in water five miles off Fowey.

A helicopter from RNAS Culdrose was also scrambled to the 'Valerie May', a Looe fishing boat skippered by Philip Spencer, which had two people on board. Nearly four foot of water had got into the fish room before the skipper stopped the flow by turning off his engine. But this left him unable to pump, or manoeuvre the vessel.

The helicopter, which had a pump on board, stood by while the lifeboat went alongside to put two volunteer crewmen and pumping gear aboard the fishing boat. The helicopter was then stood down, and the lifeboat coxswain, second coxswain Steve Barker, reported that they were tackling the water levels within the boat, before assessing the situation and deciding what to do next.

The Valerie May was then towed back to Toms boatyard at Polruan. On the same day just before 1pm the Our Catherine, with two persons on board, called the coastguard to report a broken fuel line and therefore engine failure, near Udder Rock, just to the west of Polperro. Looe trawler the Lunar Beam heard the radio message, and was able to offer assistance by towing the stricken trawler back to Looe. No one was injured in any of the incidents. Fowey's lifeboat crews who man both the Trent and the smaller D class inshore boat, along with the crews of the Looe inshore lifeboat, will be on duty throughout the Christmas and New Year period, day and night.