When not involved in actual rescues, the Coastguard helicopters based at Lee-on-the-Solent often practice their considerable skills over the waters close to our stations. A suitable commercial vessel or pleasure craft is chosen, contacted by VHF radio, and asked if they would be willing to take part in a training exercise.
On Friday 28th April a motor cruiser in Stanswood Bay agreed to take part and was asked to proceed southwest at 12 knots, a course which allowed the whole exercise to be observed from the NCI Stone Point station in Lepe Country Park. In the first phase the winchman was lowered onto the motor cruiser. The Isle of Wight town in the background is west Cowes and the winchman was aboard the motor cruiser by the time it passed the yellow and black Lepe Spit buoy..
The helicopter circled away and returned back to the motor cruiser. The winch cable was lowered and the winchman returned to the helicopter as the motor cruiser proceeded past the red East Lepe buoy.
The entire exercise from start to finish took about 7 minutes… Helicopter magic!
NCI Calshot Tower & NCI Stone Point Blog 