At 16h34, Saturday, 03 December, NSRI Table Bay duty crew were activated following reports of the local yacht Apricot in difficulties off-shore of the Table Bay Port breakwater.
Howard Godfrey, NSRI Honorary Life Governor, and his son Jeremy, an NSRI Bakoven crew member, out to sea on their 8.8 meter rigid inflatable boat Gemini One with two guests, at 15h30, had witnessed the yacht Apricot, with two crew onboard, experiencing difficulties with a blown out spinnaker and in some trouble after they had drifted towards the breakwater off Granger Bay and their yacht had appeared to have suffered a broken rudder and displaying a loose flying spinnake in the 25 knot Westerly wind.
Howard offered assistance and Jeremy was put aboard the casualty boat to help and Howard rafted his craft Gemini One alongside Yacht Apricot and commenced to take casualty Yacht, breasted up alongside Gemini One, towards the Victoria Basin whilst the NSRI Table Bay duty crew were responding.
NSRI Table Bay sea rescue craft Spirit of Vodacom and Spirit of Day were launched, said Ian Gross, NSRI Table Bay duty coxswain.
On arrival on the scene, in the vicinity of the Robben Island Ferry moorings we took over assistance of the casualty boat from Howard on Gemini One and we towed the casualty yacht without incident to a safe mooring at Royal Cape Yacht Club and no further assistance was required.
The crew of Gemini One are commended for their assistance.
