ON the 20th of January, 1954, the fishing yawl Poseidon, of Rothesay, left North Shields to fish off Eyemouth.

Early on the morning of the 22nd of January the crew of four found they could not start the engines. They were then off St. Abb's Head, and the vessel began to drift northward.

She went on drifting all that day and the next.

Red distress rockets were fired, and on the evening of the 23rd they were seen by the S.S. Tana, of Leith.

The Usan coastguard learnt from the Tana of the distress rockets and rang up the Montrose life-boat station at 8.48. The coastguard gave the position of the Poseidon as nine miles south-east of Scurdyness.

Launched in a Gale At 9.16 the Montrose life-boat The Good Hope was launched. The sea was moderate, but a gale was blowing from the south-east. The weather was very cold.

The life-boat reached the Poseidon at 10.30. The Tana made a lee and the life-boat took the Poseidon in tow.

She began towing her towards Mont- rose, but the tow rope fouled the life- boat's propeller. The life-boat crew cleared the rope, but soon afterwards it parted. The gale increased, the sea became rougher, and the coxswain found steering extremely difficult. He wirelessed for a tug at 1.22 early on the morning of the 24th and stood by the Poseidon.

By daylight no tug had appeared, and the wind and flood tide had brought the life-boat and the Poseidon within a mile and a half of the lee shore. About eight o'clock the life- boat resumed towing and began to make for Aberdeen. She sent a warn- ing that she might need help at the entrance to Aberdeen harbour. At nine o'clock the tow rope parted and at 9.40 it parted once again. The coxswain then asked for the help of the Aberdeen life-boat. The gale had increased, and the sea was now very rough.

Tow-rope Parts Six Times The Aberdeen No. 1 life-boat Hilton Briggs had been standing by since eight o'clock, and at 9.50 she made for the Montrose life-boat and the Poseidon. She reached them at 11.15 when they were off Findon, some six miles south of Aberdeen.

The Aberdeen life-boat passed a tow rope, but this also broke and was reconnected. Both boats continued towing, but when they were four miles south of Aberdeen the Montrose life- boat's rope parted for the sixth time.

The Aberdeen life-boat continued the tow and brought the Poseidon into Aberdeen harbour at 1.30 in the afternoon. Because of the state of the sea at Montrose the Montrose life-boat remained at Aberdeen until the 30th of January. The crew reached Montrose at 4.45 on the afternoon of the 24th.

The service was carried out with success in most difficult circumstances, and for this the thanks of the Institu- tion inscribed on vellum were accorded to Coxswain James Paton, of Montrose.

Extra monetary rewards were paid to Coxswain Paton, and Motor Mechanic C. Mowat, of Montrose. Total re- wards amounted to: Montrose, £79 9s.; Aberdeen, £13 7s. Qd..