The St Mary's RNLI lifeboat, The Whiteheads, under the command of Coxswain Peter Hicks, was launched at 3.06 yesterday afternoon (Friday 29 October) to go to the aid of the Polish tall ship, the Fryderyk Chopin, which was dismasted and drifting 93 miles south west of the Scilly Islands.
Of the 47 people on board the brig, 36 were teenage cadets.
The Newlyn registered fishing vessel, Nova Spero, managed to get a line on board and took the stricken vessel in tow.
Of the 47 people on board the brig, 36 were teenage cadets.
The Newlyn registered fishing vessel, Nova Spero, managed to get a line on board and took the stricken vessel in tow.
The St Mary's lifeboat rendezvoused with the Fryderyck Chopin at 8.30pm after a long five and a half hour journey in force nine gales.
Coxswain Peter Hicks described the scene: “The ship was rolling heavily in a big swell with all the rigging hanging over the starboard side. If we were to take anyone off it would have had to have been on the port side in a rise and fall of over 10 feet.
"It was a difficult decision not to take anyone off but, basically, the people were safer on the vessel even though it was in some sort of distress. We could have done it if we had to, but the master was happy to leave them aboard.”
James Instance, Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Co-ordination Centre Manager, said: “We are incredibly appreciative of the role the crew of the St Mary's lifeboat took in operating at the most extreme range of their capability in such challenging weather conditions.
"Their offer of rescue assistance or escort duties, and reassurance of their presence to the captain, crew and children on board the stricken Fryderyk Chopin was simply invaluable.”
The lifeboat stood by the casualty through the night until a tug, Independence from Alderney, arrived on the scene at 7.30 this morning (Saturday 30 October), releasing the lifeboat to return to St Mary's.
This was Deputy Coxswain Peter Hicks' first service as Coxswain, a "baptism of fire” as he put it, and one of the longest continuous trips in recent years for the volunteer lifeboat crew: almost 20 hours at sea.
Once alongside the quay at St Mary's, the lifeboat was refuelled immediately and made ready for service.
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