Margate, Kent. At 12.44 early on the morning of the 23rd December, 1961, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a red flare had been seen in the Gore channel. This was confirmed later, and the position was given as four miles north of Herne Bay. The lights of the vessel firing the flares could be seen.

A strong east-south-east wind was blow- ing with a very rough sea. It was cloudy, and the temperature was at freezing point. At 1.15 the life-boat North Fore- land (Civil Service No. IT) was launched soon after high water. On reaching the position given the life-boat found the motor barge Nicola Dawn of Rochester anchored between the West Last and East Spaniard buoys. The Nicola Dawn was deeply laden, her decks were awash, and she was rolling very heavily. Seas were going right across her. Her engines had broken down when near the West Last buoy, but partial repairs had then been carried out and the barge had managed to reach deeper water and anchor. The master of the Nicola Dawn intended to wait until daylight before attempting to get under way again. The life-boat theiefore stood by until 7.30, when the Nicola Dawn continued on her way to Sheerness. The life-boat made for Margate, but because of heavy and confused seas at the harbour entrance she had to wait outside until nearly high water, when it was possible to make a safe entry into the harbour. As weather conditions made it impossible to re- house the life-boat before the 28th Dec- ember, she remained moored alongside the quay with a watchman on board..