Dunmore East, Co. Waterford; and Kilmore, Co. Wexford. At 12.20 early on the morning of the 14th July, 1961,pilots at Dunmore East reported that the coaster Maartje of Rotterdam needed help ten miles south-west of Hook Town, as her engines had broken down. A strong west-by-south gale was blowing with heavy seas. At 12.35 the life-boat Annie Blanche Smith was launched on an ebbing tide. When she reached the position given, lights seen were found to be from a tanker which was searching for the Maartje. The life- boat then made for a new position ten miles south-east of Hook Town and there succeeded in finding the Maartje.

A message asking for help was sent to a tug which had been seen going up to Passage East for shelter from the gale the day before. The tug returned to the position of the Dutch coaster and made several attempts to get a towing-line to the Maartje. These attempts were un- successful. The life-boat was then asked to take a wire rope to the Maartje. but the coxswain decided to wait until daylight before attempting this.

At daylight the life-boat succeeded in passing a line to the Maartje, but be- cause of the heavy sea it was not possible to get a wire rope across, and the cox- swain now decided to wait for the seas to go down. The life-boat therefore continued to stand by the Maartje, the weather growing steadily worse. At 7.30 a message was sent to Kilmore asking for the Kilmore life-boat to relieve the Dunmore East boat, and at 7.57 the life-boat Ann Isabella Pyemont was launched. The position of the Maartje was now a mile and a-half south-west of Saltee Islands. She had dropped two anchors. The tug by this time was two miles away.

On the arrival of the Kilmore life- boat, the Dunmore East life-boat re- turned to her station. For some time no- thing could be done, and the tug stood out to sea while the Kilmore life-boat continued to stand by. At 10.45 the tug returned and asked the life-boat to pass a message to the Maartje asking her to veer out a line for picking up and pass- ing to the tug. This was done by loud- hailer as the Maartje'?, radio-telephone was out of order. The line was picked up and passed to the tug. The towing cable was now made fast, the Maartje's anchors were hove up, and towing began. The life-boat was asked to stand by in case the tow parted and to escort the tug and the coaster to smoother water. The life-boat accompanied the Maartje to a position three miles south east of Hook lighthouse and then return- ed to her station, arriving at 3.45..