At 1.50 A.M. on the 1st April, during a dense fog, it was reported that the Gull Light-vessel was firing guns and rockets.

The Charles and Susanna Stephens at once proceeded to sea in tow of the tug, but at 4 A.M. the fog was so thick that they were obliged to anchor. At 7 A.M., although it was still thick, they got under way and proceeded along the edge of the sands, and an hour later they could just make out the vessel in the middle of the sands. The Life-boat proceeded in that direction, but found that the vessel was high and dry. The Life-boatmen then waded to her, and later when the tide made they assisted to get her afloat.

The North Deal Life-boat Charles Dibdin was also launched at about the same time as the Ramsgate boat. When she reached the sands she also found it necessary to anchor on account of the fog, but later she found the vessel and stood by her whilst efforts were made to float her. During the afternoon the efforts to get the vessel off were success- ful, and the Life-boats returned to their stations. The vessel was the steamer Winstanley, of Dublin, and she was bound at the time to Rochester with a cargo of cement..