Shivering with cold and in a state of shock having lost his crewmate, Stuart Harrison on board his 1964 Elizabethan 29 Aleana was tasked to wait 14 miles off Fécamp, for the French lifeboat, which was making its way out to him from Le Havre. In heavy seas, in May 2023 with an easterly Force 6-7 he was put on a ‘welfare watch’ by Dover coastguard, who were staying in touch with him telling him not to go to sleep. Dover had coordinated the rescue which had seen his crewmate Dave Currie airlifted to hospital earlier. At that stage Stuart didn’t know that Dave had died from drowning after the pair were knocked overboard into the water by a high wave. Dave had just taken his harness and lifejacket off ready to go below.
Eventually the French lifeboat reached Stuart and he was towed into Fécamp at 0100hrs, 11 hours after he had gone in the water. He was charged €3,500 for the rescue-tow, which he described as “good value”.
Who knows when we might need a lifeboat? Both Stuart and Dave were experienced sailors who were taking part in the Sussex Yacht Club’s annual offshore race – the Royal Escape.
But if this incident