St Leonards Rocks
JAMES ARNOLD-HO
A white sloop met a rocky end on the shoreline of St Leonards beach in the early hours of Wednesday (5 August), despite a frantic rescue effort launched the night before.
All that remains of the Maranatha
HM Coastguard teams from Hastings and Bexhill were scrambled on Tuesday evening after a flurry of 999 calls reported the vessel listing dangerously close to the shore. The Pett Level Independent Rescue Team were also called to help with the emergency.
When the Bexhill crew arrived, they found the yacht had already run aground. Welfare and registration checks were carried out, and the sole occupant, miraculously unharmed, was left aboard to pin his hopes on the rising tide in a bid to re-float the stricken craft.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, however, the vessel began taking on water. When Coastguard crews returned to the scene, the skipper had already abandoned the sloop and swam safely ashore. There are unfortunately few specific timestamps of the incident’s progress, besides a callout to RNLI Eastbourne for assistance that occurred at 05:43 on that Wednesday morning.
Hastings Borough Council (HBC) confirmed the vessel washed ashore at St Leonards’ Grand Parade. Nearby landmarks include Warrior Square and gardens, alongside the aptly named Goat Ledge – the stretch of rocks along the shore that emerge at low tide, said to have earned its name centuries ago from goats grazing on the exposed seaweed. The sloop is believed to have come to grief on these very rocks.
Local beach-goers and eyewitnesses reported seeing the sloop sailing unusually close to the shoreline in the days preceding it running aground. Regular swimmers at Goat Ledge, accustomed to watching sailing boats and the occasional cargo vessel drift far out on the horizon, said the sightings sparked mild concern. While skippers must comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs), the Merchant Shipping Act and local coastal bylaws, UK law does not currently stipulate a fixed minimum distance from the shore for vessels not entering port.
HBC has confirmed it is working with partners and contractors to oversee the cleanup. Parts of the vessel still remain on the beach and will be removed by Monday 10 August.
This unfortunate incident raises questions about navigation practices around St Leonards. The Goat Ledge rocks can be treacherous even for experienced sailors. Whether the wreck will prompt calls for tighter regulation or greater caution remains unclear.
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