Builder and pleasure fisherman Tony White races the tide to secure his 21ft Plymouth Pilot, which was driven ashore early yesterday. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0669661)

ANGLER Tony White was yesterday forced to leave his battered boat at the mercy of the elements.

The 47-year-old builder was called out early in the morning and was told his 21ft Plymouth Pilot had been driven onto rocks at Les Amarreurs and holed.

Its position made recovery impossible so he faced a race against time to secure the boat as well as possible and salvage valuables from it before the next high tide at 4pm.

‘I feel helpless. I just watch and hope as the tide comes up – there is nothing I can do about it.’

A crane could not get close enough to lift it to safety, he said, and the rough weather ruled out a rescue by sea.

‘It’s far too windy and the forecast is awful. If I can get her out in the next day she might be salvageable, as long as she hasn’t been broken to bits,’ he said.

‘I don’t know if she sank: the engine is flooded. I don’t know how bad the damage is – we have taken off the electronics.’