Although swiftly on scene, the lifeboat crew found the sailing dinghy was being towed back to shore. Both people on board were safe and well and the lifeboat escorted the vessels back to Knoll Beach and helped them get the dinghy safely ashore.

Conditions in the bay were blustery, south westerly, blowing some 30 knots and the sea state was quite choppy.

After returning to the station, the lifeboat was re-tasked to attend a kayak off Old Harry that had lost an oar. The kayakers, a man and his son, had managed to get ashore and were on the small bit of beach under Old Harry.

While a lifeboat crew member went ashore to check the casualties were okay, the coastguard unit who were on top of Old Harry had spotted the missing oar and relayed the message to the lifeboat crew, who picked it up and returned it to the kayakers. The kayakers made their way ashore at Middle Beach whilst the lifeboat stood by before returning to the station.

Later in the afternoon the lifeboat was launched to a yacht that had encountered engine failure. The yacht had been on passage from the Isle of Wight to Weymouth. Poole became an emergency stop off to sort out the problem. The experienced yacht crew had also radioed the chain ferry to alert them to their predicament and that they had no other means of propulsion as they passed through the entrance to Poole Harbour.

They were sailing down the channel when the lifeboat met them at Aunt Betty buoy, a crew member was transferred across, and the vessel continued under sail. They made good speed all the way up the main channel, then at Stakes, the lifeboat slowed them down and instructed them to drop their sails. The lifeboat established an alongside tow to bring the yacht safely into Poole Town Quay Marina. Once moored safely, the crew returned to station.

Volunteer helm Alex Evans said: “The yacht crew were really experienced people and they did the best they could, they just needed our assistance to get them into the marina, a busy day for the lifeboat.”

So far this year the lifeboat volunteers have attended 84 call outs.