October 24, 2026 - 169 views
Llandudno RNLI came to the aid of two people aboard a yacht suffering engine problems off the North Wales coast.
The 29-foot yacht was travelling from Bull Bay to Preston Dock on Monday (October 19), when it issued a Mayday call approximately 16 miles north-west of the Great Orme.
The vessel was close to a busy shipping lane, and both people on board were also suffering from food poisoning.
Llandudno’s all-weather lifeboat launched at 10am and reached the yacht around half an hour later.
Two commercial vessels in the area had also responded to the Mayday call but were unable to provide assistance because of their size.
Duty Coxswain Les Howell assessed the situation and decided to establish a tow, bringing the yacht towards the relative safety of Conwy.
The vessel was eventually secured alongside at Beacons Jetty, where Llandudno Coastguard was on hand to help with the mooring lines.
The two people were then able to rest and deal with the problems affecting their yacht.
With the vessel and its occupants in a safer position, the lifeboat began its return journey to Llandudno, arriving back at the station at 4pm.
The incident highlighted the importance of the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboats in helping people in difficulty at sea, particularly when mechanical problems and illness leave crews unable to continue their journeys safely.
