LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

Advanced search

Istar and Ship's Boat

LIFE-BOAT TAKES TWO BOATS IN TOW Southend-on-Sea, Essex. At 5.54 on the evening of the llth September, 1962, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that the motor vessel Pertinence of Rochester had taken the cabin cruiser Istar, which had two men aboard, in tow off Barrow no. 13 buoy and was making for Southend-on-Sea. The life-boat was asked to take over the tow. At 6.20 the life-boat Greater London II (Civil Service No. 30) was launched in a south-westerly wind of near gale force and a rough sea. It was an hour and a half after low water. On her way to the rendezvous arranged with the Pertinence the life-boat found a ship's boat adrift from s.s. Coptic of Southampton. She towed this boat back to the Coptic and continued on her way to meet the Pertinence. At West Shoebury buoy the Istar was handed over, and the life-boat took her in tow to Southend. After the two men on board her had been landed the cabin cruiser, which had run out of petrol, was safely moored, and the life-boat reached her station at 7.30..