Yacht Secured After Mooring Failure in Guernsey Marina

Marina personnel in Guernsey successfully rescued a 26ft (7.9m) sailing yacht that had come loose from its mooring. Guernsey Harbour reported that the vessel’s owner, though “very shaken up,” expressed gratitude for the intervention. The incident occurred in Victoria Marina on Thursday around 09:00 GMT, where the yacht became unmoored and was described as “moments away from crashing into the quay wall.” According to Guernsey Harbour, staff members, who were on patrol across the marinas, reacted without delay. The authority stated, “Within two minutes, as the vessel was approaching the quay wall in large swells, they had managed to get lines around the boat and bring it under control.” It added, “Marina attendants and Technical Services staff were then able to tow it to safety and secure the yacht with stronger ropes and additional fenders before the weather deteriorated further.” Kieran Higgs, the duty harbourmaster, commented that staff demonstrated “all their skill and experience to bring the vessel under control before it hit the wall.” Mr. Higgs further remarked, “The visiting yacht has now been firmly secured along the marina wall and will likely be lifted out of the water once the weather improves to assess its condition. At this stage, it appears that the vessel has only sustained minor damage, but it could have been a lot worse. The vessel’s owner was understandably very shaken up, but also very appreciative of our staff’s collective efforts to get to his boat in time.” Mr. Higgs noted that the weather conditions were particularly challenging due to coinciding with Thursday’s morning high tide, though no significant damage had been reported within the harbours thus far. He also stated: “As Guernsey harbours are an easterly facing port, strong winds from this direction are always the most unpleasant.” Vessel owners are advised to ensure their boats are adequately secured, especially in anticipation of severe weather, by inspecting mooring lines, hatches, covers, and the operational status of bilge pumps. For updates, follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Story ideas can be submitted to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its external linking policy is available.