Two sailors spent yesterday recovering after an exhausting rescue off Lake Macquarie.
They eventually sailed into Newcastle harbour in the early hours of yesterday morning after one of the sails on the vessel failed and they could not make headway one nautical mile off Redhead Point.
Marine rescue NSW says its volunteers were sent to the scene.
The crew onboard the sloop were exhausted because they had been unable to amend their sails as required for the weather conditions.
They had tried for three hours to continue their journey before requesting assistance from Marine Rescue NSW.
The Marine Rescue crew reached the distressed vessel and, over four hours, escorted it safely into Newcastle Harbour, included waiting for a couple of bulk carriers at the mouth of the harbour.