The yacht Solus, which ran aground on Brambles Bank. Picture courtesy of Cowes RNLI.
A MOTHER and her two young children were rescued from their grounded yacht by Cowes RNLI lifeboat yesterday (Thursday).
The lifeboat was called to the 41ft ocean yacht Solus, which went aground on the Bramble Bank in a force five south-westerly just before 3.30pm.
The woman and her daughters, aged five and nearly two, were taken off as a precaution.
Solu skipper and the woman’s partner, Peter Simpson, called Solent Coastguard after going aground. They had left a mooring at Shamrock Quay in the River Itchen, bound for Newtown Estuary.
Cowes' Atlantic 85 RIB, Tabby Cat, helmed by Patrick Moreton, put crew-member James Rankin aboard the Solus and then attempted, without success, to tow it off the sandbank.
A second, successful, attempt was made to tow her off once mother and children were safely ashore and the yacht, apparently none the worse for the grounding, accompanied the lifeboat back to Shepards Wharf at Cowes.
The operation took around three hours, according spokesman.
Mr Simpson said: "It needs to be understood that the Solus is not just a boat — it is our home. So we are particularly grateful for the successful tow operation. And the lifeboat crew were consummate professionals."
The Trinity House tender Galatea had also gone to the scene of the grounding, the water proved too shallow to get close enough to the Solus.