BOTH Poole lifeboats were launched yesterday evening to the report of a vessel on fire off Brownsea Castle in Poole Harbour.

Portland Coastguard sent the RNLI lifeboats at 7.20pm after reports that at 31 metre Motor Sailor with two people on board feared their engine was on fire. They radioed for help, got into a tender and waited for assistance.

Poole Inshore lifeboat was quickly on scene and put casualties on the all-weather lifeboat. A volunteer crewman was put onto the smouldering vessel to inspect it.

The yacht was anchored, there was a strong smell of smoke and the engine compartment felt very hot but there were no visible signs of flames, only smoke.

A towline was attached and the all-weather boat towed the yacht to Poole Quay where the fire service checked out the vessel.

Volunteer lifeboat crew man Dave Riley said: “They did absolutely the right thing. They had their life jackets on, and had got of their vessel into the tender with a handheld VHF to call for help.”

As the crews were heading home, the pager went again, just before 11pm. The inshore boat was sent to a report of a dinghy seen drifting off Hamworthy Park. The crew found the unattended dinghy and took it back to the lifeboat station for safe keeping, just before midnight.