Falmouth Coastguard co-ordinates yet another international rescue off the isalnd of Sri Lanka.

Overnight, Falmouth Coastguard are co-ordinating the rescue of two British yachtsman aboard their 14m yacht Bacchus as they are caught in storm conditions off the island of Sri Lanka. This is the second time in a week that the service has been directly involved in co-ordinating the response to sailors in international waters far from the coast of the UK. Jeanne Socrates aboard her dismasted yacht off Cape Horn is now safely round Cape Horn thanks to Falmouth.  Below is a story from nearer home involving the team at Falmouth.

Wayne Davey and the Scilly Boys' boat, Gulf Grace in Newlyn in 2008 prior to her attempt to break the 100 year old trans-Atlantic record. 

In the summer of 2008, Tim Garratt, Joby Newton, Chris Jenkins and Wayne Davey, christened The Scilly Boys, had hoped to beat the current Atlantic crossing record of 55 days 13 hours.  But the Scilly Boys' vessel capsized 13 days after leaving New York ending their bid to break the 100 year old record.

Here is Wayne Davey's recollection of that event and, in particular, the crucial role that Falmouth Coastguard played in their rescue:

"On the 13th June 2008 at approximately midnight BST I, along with 3 Scillonians was sat inside my capsized rowing boat the 'ScillyBoys' some 800 miles east of New York, to the east of the treacherous Georges Bank, in 40kts of wind and 20-30ft seas. I managed to contact Falmouth CG via Satellite phone, and spoke with Jimmy Miller, who was over 2000 miles away at Falmouth CG. I explained to Jimmy who I was and what had happened to us and that our cabins were flooding. He reassured me that help was on the way, as he had alerted the US CG, and gave me advice. I was then passed to Watch Manager James Instance. The reassurance and advice that was given was what I needed, and the immediate co-ordination with the US CG meant that we were picked up from our liferaft by a 290 metre oil tanker the Gulf Grace approximately 8-9 hours later. 

Without doubt, if it wasn't for Jimmy Miller and James Instance and the rest of the team working through the night at Falmouth CG, then myself and the other 3 men would have drowned in the North Atlantic.

As a crew member aboard the Penlee lifeboat I have experienced the professionalism and knowledge of the Watch Team at Falmouth CG on numerous occasions, this time from the right side of the rescue, and the skills and organisation of the men at Falmouth are second to none. I think that it is ridiculous to day-man the station, especially with the TSS off Lands End and the Lizard."


Doubtless, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of other seafarers who owe their lives to the truly international role that Falmouth Coastguard plays in maintaining a watch over the world's oceans. Sailors Jeanne Socrates and Wayne Davey are two of many who are eternally grateful that FCG were there when they needed them.