WITHOUT SLEEP FOR SEVENTY HOURS Ramtgate, and Walmer, Kent.—At 5.56 in th« evening of the 26th of No- vember, 1947, the coastguard tele- phoned that information had been received from Margate that a barge with her topmast carried away was driving towards Ramsgate. She was said to be south of Longnose and not to be carrying any lights. The Rams- gate motor life-boat Prudential was launched at 6.8 in a westerly breeze, with a rough sea running. She searched unsuccessfully for two hours, put back for further information, resumed the search, but still without result, and returned to her station at 10.10.

About 8.45 next morning, the missing boat was seen drifting over the southern part of the Goodwin Sands, with her sails and topmast carried away. She was the yacht Magnet, of Faversham, a converted Thames sailing barge. The Walmer motor life-boat Charles Dibdin, Civil Service No. 2, was launched at 9 o'clock. A moderate westerly breeze was then blowing, with a moderate sea. The life-boat came up with the Magnet one mile north of the South Goodwin Light-vessel. She had been blown across the sands during the night. She had lost her anchor and chain. Her auxiliary motor had been swamped. Her crew of three had gone without sleep for seventy-two hours.

Her skipper asked to be towed to Dover.

Four life-boatmen then boarded the yacht to fasten tow-ropes and pump her out. When the life-boat had berthed her in Dover harbour she re- turned to her station, arriving at 2.15 in the afternoon.—Rewards: Ramsgate, £12 19s. 6d.; Walmer, Property Salvage Case..