A large yacht in difficulties in a gusting south-easter off Glencairn in False Bay‚ Cape Town‚ was towed to safety in Simon's Town by the National Sea Rescue Institute late on Wednesday.
Darren Zimmerman‚ NSRI Simon's Town station commander‚ said eyewitnesses reported that Sarah M‚ with a Canadian solo sailor on board‚ appeared to be dragging anchors between Roman Rock Lighthouse and Glencairn and drifting toward the shore.
"He had been sailing around False Bay throughout the night with no motor power in up to 50-knot winds‚ attempting to find shelter but unable to get into harbour.
"We launched Spirit of Safmarine III and on arrival the sailor‚ in his 50s‚ said with no motor power he was having no joy in the gusting 35-knot south-easter‚ requesting that he really needed our help‚" said Zimmerman.
The Sarah M had been sailing from East London to Simon's Town.
"He had deployed both his anchors to try to hold his 21-metre yacht off against the the winds‚" said Zimmerman.
"Realising the task it was going to be to raise the anchors we put four NSRI crew on to the yacht and raced back to our base to pick up additional crew.
"It was obvious the sailor was happy to see us having clearly endured quite a night at sea in False Bay.
"It took our NSRI crew an hour of heavy work to manually raise both anchors.
"We towed the yacht into Simon's Town harbour‚ assisted by the Mariner manager on their rigid inflatable boat launched to come to lend a hand‚ and once inside the harbour the crew of the Sea Fisheries boat Ruth First offered to moor the big‚ heavy yacht alongside their boat. They assisted us with mooring lines.
"Naval officers also arrived to help moor and tie the yacht safely alongside Ruth First‚" said Zimmerman.
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