Richard Spreckley set off from Brixham, Devon, on 6 February for what was meant to be a simple trip eastward along the south coast to deliver a 33ft sailing vessel to new owners in Langstone, Hampshire.
But a combination of rough weather, engine failure and bad luck instead put him through a two-day ordeal from which he was rescued by RNLI lifeboats in an operation coordinated by HM Coastguard and assisted by a fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter.
Richard (74) recalled: “I was not overly worried at the time but it was clear from the reactions on the faces of the lifeboat crew that I was in slightly worse nick than I had realised.”
Richard spent the next nine days in hospital recovering from injuries including five broken ribs.
The vessel Richard was delivering had been used as a live-on boat by its old owners. Repairs caused delays so that when he came to leave, his timetable and navigation plans had been thrown out.
• Register your beacon here: https://www.gov.uk/register-406-beacons
The vessel’s battery died by the time he got as far as Weymouth – almost halfway – so when he then fell and injured himself too badly to work the sails, he was at the mercy of the elements.
“I was imagining I was about 20 years younger,” said Richard, a retired local authority finance director. He has sailed since he was a boy, taught the ropes by his father at Langstone, the very harbour he was trying to reach.
Winds strengthened to a Force 8 gale and the tide was against him, buffeting him south-west. Injured, exhausted and hallucinating after 40 hours of sailing, he activated the PLB and took shelter below.
Richard’s safety tips
- Carry a registered personal locator beacon (PLB) and a registered emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB) to alert HM Coastguard and give access to your details if you get into trouble
- Look at the battery and expiry date on your PLB and EPIRB and don’t forget to check it with the test function
- Take the sea seriously: double-check the weather and tide to ensure your plans fit the conditions. If risky, consider setting out another time
- Make sure your vessel is shipshape, especially the batteries if it’s been moored for a while
- Before a long voyage, nominate a shore contact to hold departure and estimated arrival times. If possible, log the passage plan with the HM Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre covering the destination
The alert giving Richard’s location within 60 metres – 14 nautical miles south-east of Berry Head, Brixham – was picked up by HM Coastguard’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Fareham at about 9.55am on 8 February.
Because it was registered, the team also had access to his contact details. It was a huge help to the JRCC which because Richard was overdue had already been searching the south coast.
Richard was soon met by RNLI lifeboats from Torbay and Dartmouth. The sight of them was a “tremendous relief”, he said.
By about 3.30pm he was brought safely into Torquay harbour where he was met by Torbay, Paignton and Brixham Coastguard Rescue Teams. They passed him into the care of South Western Ambulance Service and he was taken to hospital.
Praising the “fabulous people” who rescued him, Richard advised: “Regardless of how many miles you have done, take it seriously. I think I was complacent.
“I should have double-checked the conditions – if I had, I would have realised it would have been better to leave it for another day. Time was ticking by and I thought I could make it up but I was deluding myself.”
• For guidance about staying safe at sea, visit: https://hmcoastguard.uk/onboard
PLBs broadcast a location on the same 406MHz frequency as bigger EPIRBs but are designed to be worn on the body, rather than on a vessel or liferaft, and are always manually activated.
