A LLYN lifeboat crew had an early wake-up call on Saturday when a 26-foot yacht ran aground.

Porthdinllaen RNLI lifeboat launched at 6.30am after the UK Coastguard at Holyhead had received a call that a yacht was aground on rocks near Porth Ty Mawr, a mile to the west of Porthdinllaen point.

On board was a lone sailor who was on passage from Felinheli on the Menai Straits to Porthdinllaen, and his yacht had suffered electrical failure earlier in the morning.

With no wind to power his sails, the sailor had gone down to the engine room of his yacht to try and rectify the fault so that he could use his engine to steam into Porthdin­llaen harbour.

The strong tidal current caught the yachtsman by surprise, however, and he was unable to stop his vessel going aground.

Keneth Fitzpatrick, launch operations manager at Porthdinllaen, said: “The yachtsman was shocked that his vessel had been carried ashore by the tidal stream in such a short time. The first he knew of it was when he heard his yacht’s keel hitting the rocky shoreline.”

After arriving at the scene, the lifeboat deployed its inflatable rescue tender so that two crew members could assist in securing a tow line and ensure that the vessel was safely eased off the rocks.

The yacht was towed to Porthdinllaen harbour and placed on a safe mooring, and the lifeboat returned to the station and was ready for service again by 8.10am.