Weather

The weather picked up to a Force 7 on the Beaufort scale over night, dropping to a 6 by about 0700. A force 7 is the operational limit of an Atlantic 75 lifeboat when completely rigged up by the RNLI with a capsize self righting bag, 3 crew all in dry suits, and engines that will stop and protect themselves if upside down. We don't have drysuits and are four (so one always sits on the side), we don't have a self righting bag or self stopping engines. For these reasons we have decided that a Force 6 should be our operational limit, possibly 5 at night. 

For this reason, and the fact that we're tired, we hoped that the boats wouldn't come last night. Amazingly, considering the rough seas, at 0710 we got a call that one had reached the lighthouse at Korakas. We proceeded there and together with Frontex Adare (the Portuguese boat) and Proactiva we escorted/guided the dinghy in to Skala. We decided to escort them because trying to transfer them in those waves could have ended in disaster. At the beach at Skala they were met by Lighthouse Relief and given blankets, hot tea, food and changes of clothes if they were wet. 

There were 22 in a 15 foot rubber dinghy, including 3 children. The dinghy was driven by a tiny engine that must have struggled to move the boat with that weight when the sea was flat, let alone when it was rough. They were wet and cold but relieved to be in Greece. 

Watching them sit and smile and chat to the volunteers from Lighthouse Relief and the Frontex officers and seeing the slight flash of fear when they looked at the sea, I can only hope that they were the only boat to try last night. No others have been heard of. 

Escorting the dinghy with Frontex Adare

 

 

 

Providing "overwatch" for the landing