DUTCH MOTOR VESSEL ESCORTED IN GALE Southend-on-Sea, Essex. At 2.55 on the morning of the 13th January, 1962, the life-boat Greater London II (Civil Service No. 30) had just returned to her station from investigating a report of a white flare in the area of Grain Spit when the coastguard informed the coxswain that a Dutch ship appeared to have engine trouble three miles north-east of the pier. There was a westerly gale with a rough sea, and it was two hours before high water. The life-boat found the motor vessel Tjoba of Groningen dragging her anchor and drifting towards the boom. The master of the Tjoba told the coxswain that he wanted to go to the Southend loading jetty but was not sure of its position. The life-boat escorted the vessel to the jetty and reached her station at five o'clock..