Yacht collides with chain ferry

The yacht was towed back to the quay

A yacht has become the second vessel in weeks to collide with a chain ferry in Dorset.

The 46 ft catamaran, which had seven people onboard, collided with Sandbanks Ferry in Poole Harbour on Saturday.

Poole Lifeboat was launched at 17:30 BST by UK Coastguard and found the stricken vessel drifting down the channel.

The yacht, which had extensive damage down the port side, was towed back to the quay. No-one was injured.

However, its port keel had broken off and was floating nearby, partly submerged in the water.

It also had to be retrieved to avoid it becoming a hazard.

Sandbanks Ferry operates between Poole and Studland

Volunteer helm Jonathan Clark said: "This is the second vessel that has collided with the ferry that we have launched to in recent weeks."

He added: "The combination of the tides, the narrow entrance to the harbour and the chain ferry make this an extremely hazardous area."

The incident marked the 100th call out this year for the Poole volunteers.

Another yacht collided with the chain ferry on 11 August.

Poole Harbour Commissioners declined to comment.