Howth RNLI assists two sailors on French yacht in difficulty off Dublin Coast

Thursday 26 June 2025

Howth RNLI launched their all-weather lifeboat Wednesday evening ( 25 June) to assist two sailors on a 42ft French yacht that had suffered engine failure approximately four miles North East of Howth.

Howth Lifeboat passes tow line to yacht in the Irish Sea. Photo Credit: RNLI/Howth

The volunteer crew were paged at 6.46pm and the lifeboat launched shortly afterwards with seven crew members onboard. Conditions on scene were challenging, with southerly winds at Force 4 to 5 and moderate to rough seas.

Howth Lifeboat comes alongside yacht in difficulty off the North Dublin Coast. Photo Credit: RNLI/Howth

The yacht was located under sail, attempting to make its way to Howth. With no English spoken by the crew onboard, communication was limited. After assessing the situation and noting the vessel couldn’t make any safe onward progress, a decision was made to tow the vessel to the nearest safe harbour. The Coxswain manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside the yacht, enabling a crew member to safely transfer across. Working with the yacht’s crew, the sails were lowered and a tow line was passed.

The lifeboat then towed the vessel safely back to Howth Harbour.

Howth Lifeboat alongside yacht in the Irish Sea. Photo Credit: RNLI/Howth

Speaking after the call out, Howth RNLI Coxswain Fred Connolly said: ‘The crew of the yacht did the right thing by calling for help when they realised they were in difficulty. With engine failure and nightfall approaching, they could easily have become a navigational hazard to shipping traffic entering Dublin Port. By alerting the Coast Guard early, we were able to assist before the situation deteriorated.

‘The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea, and we rely on the generous support of the public to continue our lifesaving work. We’re always ready to launch, thanks to that continued support.’