Oh dear, now a 9th emergency, should they be stopped?

by Sail-World.com on 27 Jan 2016 Two yachtsmen have called rescue teams a ninth time in seven months after their boat 'tipped over', causing a fire on board.

Oh dear, now a nineth emergency, should they be stopped?

This would be funny if it was not so serious, two 'sailors' though that might be the wrong term to use have once again struck trouble.

The entire British rescue system is likely to be on Red Alert as they take to sea again.

One wonders if there is any law that can stop this farce, before someone dies?

The two American Bob Weise and Steve Shapiro, both 71, left Norway in July and hope to sail to North America.

Mr Shapiro said the boat, called Nora, was tied up in Hayle Harbour, in Cornwall, when it tipped over.

Fire crews extinguished a 'small fire' on the 18-tonne yacht, which Mr Shapiro said was caused by a candle.

The pair, from North America, previously had to call on rescue teams in Norway, Denmark, Scotland and Ireland.

The duo called rescue teams seven times between July and 20 January, and again on Friday, when one of the crew was attempting to reach the moored yacht by rowing boat and got into difficulty outside St Ives Harbour.

After the ninth emergency, Mr Shapiro told BBC Radio Cornwall: 'We're re-tying up in Hayle, some things have to be fixed, but the boat is fine.

'There was a candle which burnt some clothes, otherwise there was no real damage.

'Soon as we get northerly winds we'll go out.'

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said a crew from Tolvaddon attended the fire, and water rescue teams from Penzance and Falmouth also assisted.

The two Americans have been rescued nine times in seven months

Two rescues by Norwegian and Danish teams, once when the propeller shaft was damaged and the second time when the battery failed

Two rescues in Scotland after running around and having more propeller problems

They were assisted in Northern Ireland when the vessel ran aground

They called a lifeboat when the boat ran aground in the Irish Republic

Two rescues in Cornwall, after a mechanical problem and when one of the men got into difficulty rowing to the yacht

The ninth callout was made when the boat tipped over causing a fire on board

Knox-Johnston is among those criticising the pair. He said the pair should 'get the hell out of our waters'

'It costs between £6,000 and £8,000 every time a lifeboat is launched. These guys are costing the RNLI a fortune.

'They need to frankly pack it in or, I hate to say it, get the hell out of our waters.'