WHITSTABLE'S lifeboat crews had a busy afternoon on Sunday when they were called to assist three craft in difficulties off Herne Bay and Seasalter.

The first call came at about 12.25pm while the lifeboat Oxford Town and Gown was launched to assist a 34-foot motor cruiser Ocean Drive with six people onboard and suffering from the failure of both her engines around a mile north of Herne Bay.

The lifeboat took the Ocean Drive under tow and later brought her alongside in Whitstable Harbour. A water leak in her engine room had caused electrical failure.

Later in the afternoon the lifeboat was launched following a report of a capsized dinghy a half-mile off Preston Parade, Seasalter. One person was reported to be in the water.

The lifeboat located the dinghy about 50-yards north-east of the old concrete barge off Seasalter and began a search for the occupant.

Shortly after starting the search the dinghy sailor was located safely onshore, having been landed by another craft.

The lifeboat crew returned to the dinghy and attempted to right the craft but the mast had dug into the seabed and had snapped in the choppy conditions.

The mast and sail were taken onboard the lifeboat and the still inverted dinghy taken in tow.

While heading inshore, the lifeboat located a 13-foot speedboat that had come out to assist the dinghy and had itself broken down. The three occupants were taken onboard the lifeboat and the speedboat also taken under-tow.

Both craft were landed ashore at the Seasalter Ski Club where the Herne Bay Mobile Coastguard Unit was waiting.

Weather conditions during the afternoon’s incidents were southwesterly force 5-7 winds.

There have now been 28 calls for Whitstable Lifeboat so far this year.