By a County Press reporter
Thursday, September 20, 2012
The yacht Shoney, which became stranded on a sandbank prompting a call out for Cowes RNLI. Picture courtesy of Cowes RNLI.
TWO yachtsmen whose vessel ran aground on a sandbank last night sparked an alert for Cowes RNLI Lifeboat.
The two men in their 60s had sailed from Hamble on board their 35ft yacht, Shoney, intending to enjoy a pint at Beaulieu, according to a Cowes RNLI spokesman.
However, their plans went awry when their vessel got stuck on a sandbank at the entrance to the River Beaulieu, the spokesman said.
The two men tried to refloat the yacht for half an hour on a falling spring tide before informing coastguards they were in trouble.
When the lifeboat arrived, the crew decided the only chance of the yacht refloating was to wait for the tide to rise.
The men were prepared to endure the wait and the lifeboat returned to its station.
The Shoney finally refloated at 11.10pm.