Troon, Ayrshire. At ten o'clock on the morning of the 5th of January, 1961, the harbour master at Ardrossan informed the honorary secretary that the s.s. Harry R. Jones of Wilmington, U.S.A.. on tow from the Clyde to Troon had parted the tow and was aground a quarter of a mile south of Ardrossan. When the life-boat James and Barbara Aitken put out at 12.40 there was a moderate to fresh south- westerly wind with a rough sea and it was high water. The life-boat reached the casualty at 1.30 and at the request of the tug master took soundings around her. As the American vessel's crew decided to stay on board, the tug owners asked for the life-boat to return the following day, when an attempt would be made to refloat her. The life-boat returned to her station at 4.50..