Yacht Sinks Near The Skerries: Solo Sailor Rescued After Striking Submerged Rock off Anglesey

1 lives saved

Boat sinking

Boating

Ocean

Wind

What happened?

On the 24th of June, I returned to Holyhead following an overnight stay in Dulas Bay, Anglesey, aboard my 8-metre yacht. The wind was blowing a steady Force 5 from the northwest, with occasionally stronger gusts. I had a strong tidal stream in my favor, helping make good progress.

As I approached The Skerries, it became clear that the combination of wind and tide would prevent me from safely passing outside the islands. I decided to turn to port and take the inner passage between The Skerries and the mainland — a route I had used before, though cautiously.

Approximately one mile south of The Skerries, there was a sudden, loud bang. The yacht began violently pounding beneath me. I later learned I had struck a submerged rock. Within less than a minute, the mast had gone over the side, and I realized I was in serious trouble.

I immediately made a Mayday call on my fixed VHF and activated my BPIRB. It was placed on the cockpit seat next to my liferaft. Water was already rising rapidly inside the hull, so I made one final trip into the cabin to retrieve my handheld VHF. As I returned to the cockpit, a breaking wave swept across the stern, washing both the liferaft and the EPIRB into the sea.

Moments later, the yacht foundered completely and sank beneath me. I was now in the water. I inflated my life jacket and tried to remain calm. The sea was rough, with frequent waves breaking over me. I estimate it was no more than four minutes from the initial impact to the yacht’s total loss.

While in the water, I monitored my handheld VHF and heard confirmation that a helicopter, along with both the inshore and all-weather lifeboats from Holyhead, were heading to my last reported position. Shortly afterwards, I heard another transmission confirming that the rescue team had picked up the signal from my EPIRB.

The rescue helicopter soon arrived overhead, quickly located me, and directed the inshore lifeboat (ILB) to my position. The ILB crew pulled me aboard. By this time, I had been in the water for approximately 30 minutes. It was cold, shaken, and starting to show signs of hypothermia.

The crew transferred me to the all-weather lifeboat (ALB), and shortly afterward, the helicopter crew winched me aboard for evacuation. They then flew me directly to Bangor Hospital for treatment and recovery.

Words of wisdom

Consider fitting a VHF arieal other than on the mast.

Thank you note to the Ocean Signal team

While I am sure that the lifeboats would have eventually found me. The signal from my EPIRB ment they could locate me a lot quicker and I spent less time in the water than I would have.