DEATHTRAP YACHT AT LARGE

Is there no end to this recklessness? Being rescued four times in four days must surely be logged in the Guinness Book of Records under ‘Nautical Buffoonery’. But believe it or not a 55-year-old Irish skipper has achieved just that. His most recent escapade ended with his 22ft Pandora being guided back to Holyhead harbour on Saturday evening after allegedly trying to make the sixty-mile crossing to the Isle of Man.

On inspection the ‘Pippa’ was found to have only half it’s rudder, no life jackets, no VHF radio and a child’s dinghy for a life-raft. Spokesman for RNLI Holyhead, Ray Steadman, was somewhat flabbergasted and told sources 'He was asking the crew what the different colours on the charts meant and a crew member explained that the white shading meant deep water… It turned out that this guy had been rescued four times in 12 days, twice by Portdinllaen lifeboat, Abersoch and the sea king from RAF Valley was also involved in the search.”

And it got worse 'We had to take one of the flares off him because it was in such a dangerous condition that it was in pieces and it was taken to the coastguard station for safe disposal and he's using a child's dinghy to get to and from the shore… The coastguard has said the craft is not safe but it can't be impounded because it's not a commercial vessel.'

The Pippa was last spotted moored at the Mackenzie Pier in Holyhead harbour.

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