In this post I documented the tragic sinking of a narrowboat in Savick Brook on the Ribble Link, and here I shall complete the story.
If there’s one man I’d want to be involved if my boat were ever in this sort of trouble, it’s Chris Miller. He’s spent a lifetime in the industrial removals business, and is often tasked with less than ordinary requests to move very large or heavy items in to or out of rather obscure places. He is also the man behind Preston Marina, and his love of boats is very apparent.
The boat had ran aground at the height of spring tide, so there was only one chance to rescue it. If it failed, then the lifeless narrowboat would certainly have been there for at least a month by which time it would be weighted even further by potentially tons of mud. If this rescue failed, it could have very probably lead to a total loss. Preparation time was very limited, but Chris was quick to formulate a plan.
Because of the attitude the boat was laying at it wasn’t buoyant as the tide returned. There simply wasn’t enough hull in the water to support the weight of the boat, and so it flooded in to the cabin. The solution was to seal the cabin at the stern end thereby increasing its buoyancy; hopefully enough to make it float!
Work started early on the morning of the rescue. High water was at 1230, so the boat needed to be prepared before 1000 or it would be too late. Men were sent down by land to seal up the cabin with duct tape and expanding foam. Wherever there was a potential way for water to enter the boat, it was liberally taped up and injected with foam. IF this worked, it would then be possible to attempt to tow the boat off.
A rescue party was formed further up river at Preston Marina. We were put on standby, ready for the word from Savick Brook that the plan had worked and the boat was starting to float. The aged work boat at the Marina is the only remaining item from the original docks. The ‘Lamb’ was a tender to the visiting ships during the commercial life of the docks, and it’s big slow turning prop had the torque for the job. The trouble is the ‘Lamb’ is an old girl, she’s sank 6 times to date, and be revived from the dead on each occasion. We needed backup, and that came in the form of a 260hp ski boat, and a small RIB.
Tension mounted, and the word from Savick was confused. It seemed to be working, but she was heavily stern down and they weren’t sure how much longer she’d last. We chanced it, and the rescue party departed the docks.
As we motored down the river with the RIB and Mastercraft holding pace with the Lamb, we had no idea what we’d find at the other end. As we turned off the Ribble and in to Savick Brook, spirits were raised at the sight of a floating victim.
Chris’s plan had worked, but only just. The narrowboat was barely floating so we had to act quickly. The lamb came along side and pumps were quickly rigged, running off a portable generator. After 20 minutes it was clear that the two pump were winning, but not winning fast enough. High water was fast approaching and the stranded canal boat still had too much water in her to risk attempting to tow her. The narrow hull of the aptly named narrowboat does not lend to stability, and with tons of water free to slosh around below it posed real risk of her turning turtle. We needed to get the water out, and quickly. A phone call was made, and a 4″ pump was quickly delivered by road. The RIB darted off in to the shallow water to pick it up, and before long it was put to work.
As the weight of the boat reduced, her stern started shifting around in the now ebbing tide until, all of a sudden, it was apparent that the whole outfit of the formerly stranded narrowboat and the attached rescue vessels were now drifting towards the Ribble. Coordinated power bursts from the attached boats kept her on course as the tide carried us out of the brook and in to the river.
Once in to the river, and now drifting towards the Irish Sea, we repositioned the chosen tow boat; the 5.8l V8 powered ski boat. This boat is configured for high speed, and not pulling power but it did a sterling job, and is testament to the build quality of Mastercraft since it pulled the 20 ton liveaboard attached to the ski pole!
It wasn’t long before the convoy arrived back at the lock in Preston, and the narrow boat was lifted to safety.
nice!!
Well done!