Yacht Setantii rescue

Account of rescue from Yacht ‘Setantii‘.’

Yacht Setantii  30^th August, 1982 –  Weekends, and especially Bank Holiday weekends are a time when many people go to sea for pleasure, and also a time when many calls are made on the lifeboat service.  In the case of the yacht Setantii in 1982 the Fleetwood offshore lifeboat ‘Lady of Lancashire’ was launched at 18.30 p.m. on August 30th 1982 (Bank Holiday weekend) following a report of distress flares sighted off the Blackpool coast.  It was believed likely to be the Setantii a 25 foot yacht reported overdue in sailing from the Isle of Man, some 60 miles away.  The lifeboat proceeded in bad weather to a reported position 3 miles West of Blackpool Tower.  The winds were gale force 8 from the North West and the seas were very rough.  No radio contact was made at all despite repeated calls, and in the rough seas progress was relatively slow. Approximately 45 minutes after launching and still in daylight a mast and sail was sighted and the lifeboat was steered toward the casualty.  

As we approached we couldn’t quite believe what we were witnessing.  Only one person was observed on board the yacht Setantii but two others were being dragged through the water behind the yacht, attached by their lifelines.  A small storm sail was keeping Setantii moving through the water but despite his efforts the single person on board the yacht was unable to drag the two people who had been washed overboard back on to the yacht.

Having recovered the 3 people from the water and yacht they were taken on-board the lifeboat.  They asked for their boat to be saved.  The yacht was taken in tow towards Fleetwood but the tow became difficult and the yacht mast came down.  The yacht began to tow stern first and the lifeboat continued towards Fleetwood.