Avast ye, mateys! A Jolly Roger flag can be seen flying at half mast in the Swale this morning after a pirate ship ran aground.

Lifeboat crews received a mayday call from the comrades aboard the 60ft sailing vessel near to the entrance of Faversham Creek a little before 8am.

The tides made it impossible for the lifeboat to get near to the boat so two of the five sailors tried to make their way out on an inflatable dinghy.

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The dinghy then also run aground, so they have returned to the ship to await the incoming tide due around 1pm today.

The boat is believed to belong to self-proclaimed pirate Finbar O'Brien from Bristol who now moors his ship in Ramsgate.

VIDEO: The ship was stuck in the Swale this morning.

Lee Rough from Sheppey, who has his own pirates’ ship normally moored at Queenborough, confirmed it wasn’t him in trouble. He said: “It must be a rival crew from Rochester.”

By coincidence, yesterday was International Talk Like A Pirate Day.