Wick,Caithness-shire. At five o'clock on the morning of the 8th of March, 1961, the coastguard informed the hon- orary secretary that the motor fishing vessel Loyal Friend was ashore on the Skerries. At 5.20, when the life-boat City of Edinburgh was launched, there was a moderate south-westerly wind with a choppy sea and the tide was half ebb.

At 6.8 the coxswain was informed that the casualty was aground on the Little Skerries. The life-boat reached the posi- tion given at 6.50 and was joined five minutes later by the motor vessel Wooton. Shallow water prevented the life-boat from closing the Loyal Friend, and the Wooton launched a dinghy with the object of passing a line from the fishing vessel to the life-boat. Unfortun- ately the dinghy struck the bottom and lost her propeller. The coxswain then manoeuvred the life-boat as close as possible to the casualty and a line was fired across her. By this means her crew of five in a life raft were towed clear of the rocks and taken on board the life- boat. The dinghy was then towed back to the Wooton and the life-boat re- turned to her station, arriving at 9.45..