The emergency lifeboat crew were alerted to a yacht drifting between the islands of Bute and Cumbrae on Sunday evening at 6pm.

A couple and their dog had anchored their yacht in Kilchattan Bay off the Isle of Bute, and rowed ashore in their own dinghy.

As they returned, they noticed the yacht was not where they left it - the vessel had dragged its anchor and was drifted some two miles off shore.

The owner immediately dialled 999, and asked for the coastguard, who raised the alarm.

The lifeboat crew found the couple on shore, as the water was very shallow. The couple, with their dog, rowed out to the lifeboat and were taken on board and conveyed to their drifting yacht.

Once on board, the anchor was retrieved complete with a rock embedded in it, this proved to be the reason the anchor did not hold on the seabed as expected.

Now that the owners were re-united with their vessel the lifeboat returned to station to be made ready for her next service.

The Rothesay shore based Coastguard rescue team were also in attendance. There was a Saturday night call-out for the Largs RNLI as a rib suffered engine failure with two people on board.

The lifeboat R A Wilson and her volunteer crew were summoned by Belfast coastguard as the rigid inflatable was suffering from engine failure, and drifting towards Wemyss Bay Pier.

It was discovered that the RIB’S own ‘Painter’ had passed under the boat, and became entangled in the propeller of the outboard motor.

The lifeboat crew freed the rope, re-started the engine allowing the inflatable, escorted by the lifeboat, to continue its passage to Inverkip Marina.

RNLI spokesman Alasdair Woods explained: “For those not familiar with nautical terms, a Painter is a rope attached to the bow of a vessel and used normally for tying up when alongside or being towed behind a larger vessel, it is well known that any Painter or bow rope, should never be longer than the length of the keel in order to prevent such situations arising.”