A Mayday call was made when an engine fire broke out aboard a 28ft classic wooden motor boat on the Lymington River.
The fire-stricken Fairey Huntsman 28’ motorboat named Here and Now, had starred in a boat chase in the Bond film ‘From Russia with Love’ in 1963 and won a prize in the 1962 Cowes Torquay Powerboat Race.
Engine fire on board the Fairey Huntsman Here and Now. Credit: RNLI/Yarmouth
Lymington RNLI A85 Inshore lifeboat and Yarmouth RNLI all weather lifeboat launched just after 3.15pm on Friday, 7 August and raced to the scene to the east of the river mouth.
Several other vessels in the immediate area also responded by taking off the two crew and putting a line aboard in order to prevent the craft from becoming a hazard to navigation.
Once the fire was extinguished, Yarmouth ALB took the vessel in an alongside tow with salvage pumps running through the crowded marina channel to Lymington Yacht Haven for immediate lift out and further fire investigation. Yarmouth RNLI crew provided fire watch astern.
Two fire engines from Hampshire Fire & Rescue Services were waiting at the lifeboat station slipway, their crews together with a plethora of firefighting and salvage equipment were transferred to the mooring by the Lymington Harbour Commissioners workboat.
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The Lymington lifeboat then recovered the casulty vessel crew from the original salvaging vessel and took them to the marina to be reunited with their boat.
Paul Fairall, owner of Southampton based Here and Now for the last 30 years, revealed the illustrious history of the boat to the Yarmouth RNLI.
A lifeboat spokesman said: ‘The boat had an illustrious past, having featured in a boat chase in the Bond film ‘From Russia with Love’ in 1963 and having won a prize in the 1962 Cowes Torquay Powerboat Race.’