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The facts: a tragedy on the open sea
On August 5, 2025, the Mollie was sailing between West Wittering and Poole with four people on board. The skipper, Lyall Babington, 74, a New Zealand citizen, had left New Zealand three years earlier for a round-the-world trip. At around 11 am, he announced to his crew that he wanted to hoist the solent to sail upwind.
The solent halyard was normally routed to an electric winch at the rear of the cockpit, mounted on a cabinet. These winches were activated by knee switches. The starboard winch had been used earlier to hoist the tender, and the halyard had remained coiled around the drum.
As he tried to free it, the winch started up, trapping the skipper's right hand in the loop. As the drum turned, it caught him against the structure. The body wrapped around the winch, causing serious injuries to the arm, head and chest.
A swift but insufficient response
The crew tried to stop the winch several times. It finally stops, but the skipper is already unconscious, entangled in the halyard. The alarm was sounded at 12:18. The RNLI dinghy and R175 helicopter arrived on the scene at 12:49. As the team tried to free him, the winch suddenly started up again, releasing him onto the deck. Resuscitation was attempted, but without success. He was pronounced dead at 1:05 p.m.
An artisanal installation and a known defect
According to the MAIB's investigation, the winch was affected by a known intermittent fault: the motor could continue to run after the switch was released. There was no emergency switch nearby. To cut the power, the 24 V system had to be isolated from the front cabin. The installation appears to have been carried out by a small yard, outside any industrial series.
A call for vigilance
This tragedy is a reminder that poorly installed or ageing electrical equipment can have fatal consequences. In this case, an emergency cut-out or a more accessible disconnection system could have been decisive. The MAIB stresses the importance of electrical checks, switch testing and the presence of safety devices on craft installations.
Electrical and hydraulic equipment must be considered as potential sources of danger on board, in the same way as a blade or a sling under tension. The UK is currently considering stricter standardization of these devices, even for pleasure yachts.
The final MAIB survey is expected in the coming months.
