LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Carmen

DUTCH VESSEL AGROUND IN FOG Barry Dock, Glamorganshire. At 10.33 on the night of the 25th January, 1962, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that the motor vessel Carmen of Groningen was ashore on the west side of Sulley Island. The life-boat Rachel and Mary Evans was launched at 10.57 in a moderate southwesterly wind and a choppy sea. There was dense fog and rain, and it was an hour and a half after high water. The life-boat found the vessel, and her master told the coxswain that as the Carmen was hard aground on the falling tide and securely moored ashore, he did not require the life-boat to stand by during the night but would like her to return at seven o'clock the next morning, when an attempt would be made to refloat the Carmen with the help of a tug. The life-boat reached her station at 12.15 and left again at 6.50 in the morning. She reached the Carmen at seven o'clock and stood by until the tug Emphatic arrived an hour later.The life-boat fired a rocket line to connect a tow to the tug, and the tow line was then passed to the vessel.

After the Carmen was successfully refloated the life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 10.20. The owners and underwriters made a gift to the crew and a donation to the Institution's funds..