RNLI teams from Port Erin and Port St Mary assisted a 45ft yacht that ran aground on Saturday evening.

The yacht, AJ Wanderlust, is registered in Davison, Michigan, USA.

Her American skipper had originally sailed from the States and is understood to have been sailing around the British Isles for some time.

It had suffered an engine fire and as a result lost steering and drifted onto rocks in Port Erin bay.

Port Erin lifeboat was paged at 5.19pm on Saturday and the inshore lifeboat ’Muriel and Leslie’ mobilised with a volunteer crew.

They found that the yacht had grounded on the rocks.

They contacted to make sure that the engine fire had been extinguished, no one was injured and the vessel was not taking on water.

Lifeboat teams then towed the yacht into deeper water, before it was taken to the visitors’ buoys in Port Erin harbour.

Due to the size of the vessel, Port St Mary’s all-weather relief lifeboat ’Forward Birmingham’ assisted with the rescue.

A member of its Marine Operations team said: ’We checked in with the vessel every hour overnight, with the casualty staying in the boat in Port Erin Bay.

’The yacht docked in Peel breakwater on Sunday and has been inspected for damages by the owner and a marine surveyor.’

Post St Mary RNLI crew doctor Juan Corkill said: ’The crew were well drilled in wearing enhanced PPE, maintaining their commitment to each other’s safety and to saving lives at sea.

’Recent Covid-19 restrictions have limited the opportunities to exercise but the Port St Mary lifeboat’s experienced crew members were as always there.’