Although Hurricane Erin passed the Island causing minimum damage, her whipping winds had one boat owner and his two friends making a daring rescue of a 20-tonne yacht.

Howard Soares, owner of the Bermuda Princess, said he owed a debt of gratitude to his "mates" Donald Hassell and Jim Butterfield, for helping to save his craft after she broke her moorings.

The two men threw caution to the wind and dove overboard at Mangrove Bay, Somerset to stop it from running aground during gale force winds yesterday afternoon.

The 42-foot California-registered yacht also had two passengers on board. However, no injuries were reported.

"I was here waiting for my lunch at Country Squire," Mr. Soares said. "Donald was out looking at things at Mangrove Bay, when he saw my yacht tangled up with another boat.

"Then he realised that my boat was dragging her moorings and she just kept on going."

Mr. Butterfield said he arrived on the scene after monitoring the distress call from Mr. Soares to Harbour Radio.

And in a desperate attempt, Mr. Butterfield dropped his wallet, his cell phone and his shoes to try and make the rescue.

"Jimmy and Donald had decided to jump in and try to hang on to secure her," he said. "The weight of the boat was so much, it just dragged the chains and buoy away."

Mr. Soares said the two men managed to tie two lines to the Bermuda Princess from Mr. Butterfield's boat - Frolic - to prevent her from running aground further in the bay.

"I was in Hamilton when I heard the call and we just raced across the Great Sound," Mr. Butterfield said. "When I arrived, they were essentially high and dry. She was a big yacht and this is the type of thing you read about in the boat magazines, but you never think you would experience it."

Eventually, they towed Mr. Soares' boat to more secure moorings in the area and double anchored it to the bottom.

Mr. Soares said he owed a lifetime of gratitude to Mr. Hassell and Mr. Butterfield because of their quick thinking.

"Those are the type of friends you need when you are in trouble," he said.