We had been alerted to a motor sailer that was due on Sunday asking if we could tow it in because they had a damaged water pump and couldn't run for more than a couple of minutes before overheating.

After many radio calls and phone calls up the coast to other groups to keep an eye out we got a message through that they were expected out front at 0700 yesterday. After taking the rescue boat out in real crap conditions we discovered nothing in sight so back to the pen.

The owner who was expecting his new boat to be here finally got a phone call through to the boat and found out that they'd got hit with a 50knot squall overnight and torn their sails out and damaged the mast head so they could drop the torn sails and put new ones up.

They needed a tow from 19nm out so off we went, I had cracked 3 ribs in a fall on Thursday and thought that I'll be right WRONG, after about 5nm I'd had enough and we turned around to head in and drop me off with another skipper to take over.

As they finally found the yacht and went to start the tow they copped a wave and the decky ended up with a cut requiring 6 stitches when they got back in The bloke skippering the yacht was none other than Jon Sanders, who has been non stop round the globe about 4 times, delivering the yacht to its new owner here from up past Indonesia.

The skipper who took over from me is sore all over today, Ian the decky is now known as Warnie because of the new strands of "hair"that have sprouted from his head and it will take me a few days longer before the ribs heal but the guys are in safe and sound and thats what matters.