AT 6.20 on the morning of the 7th August, 1962, Mr. A. J. Tart, the honor- ary secretary of the Dungeness station, was told by Lade coastguard that the German vessel Erfurt had reported seeing a small boat showing a red light about ten and a half miles off Dunge- ness. This was only an anticipatory message, and a quarter of an hour later the coastguard gave the position as seven miles south-west-three-quarters- south of Dungeness. At 6.40 the Erfurt described the boat as a catamaran and asked for the help of the life-boat as it was impossible for her to go alongside.

A strong south-west-to-westerly gale was blowing, there was heavy, driven spray with rain squalls, and visibility was down to about a mile and a half.

The tide was half ebb.

Some Protection Afforded At 6.50 the Dungeness life-boat Mabel E. Holland, which is one of the 42-foot beach type, was launched.

Coxswain George Tart steered close round Dungeness Point, where some protection was afforded, and then headed direct for the reported position of the casualty. Once clear of the lee of the land the life-boat felt the full force of the wind. There was an extremely heavy sea and the height of the waves between crest and trough was about twenty-five feet.

New Type of Craft At 7.27 the life-boat found the casualty. She was a new type of craft, a trimaran, the Nimble Eve, with a centre hull and floats on either side. She was submerged, and the five people on board her were standing on the cabin top, which was awash, clinging to the mast.

Coxswain Tart decided to approach her on the lee side and to put his port bow as close to the mast as possible.

There was a considerable risk of damage to the life-boat from the starboard float of the trimaran, which was some three or four feet under the water, but the coxswain judged that if he tried to approach from the weather side the life-boat might be lifted bodily over the trimaran and either crush the survivors or sweep them into the sea.

His judgment was proved right and as a consequence of his excellent sea- manship the five survivors, three men and two women, were taken off at the first attempt. The rescued people were treated for exposure, and at 8.15 they were landed at Dungeness, where they were looked after in the homes of members of the life-boat crew until they were in a state to leave. The life-boat suffered superficial damage to the hand grips on the port side and to two of the bottom planks.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum have been accorded to Coxswain George Tart. Additional monetary rewards have been given and vellum service certificates issued to the other members of the crew: Tom Tart, second cox- swain; Albert Haines, bowman; Frank Paine, motor mechanic; John Thomas, acting assistant mechanic; Robert Tart, James Tart, Arthur Oilier and Fred- erick Richardson, members of the crew.

The owner of the trimaran wrote to the honorary secretary: "On behalf of the crew of the yacht Nimble Eve I should like to thank all those concerned with our rescue by the Dungeness life- boat at the height of the storm on the morning of Tuesday, August 7th, 1962.

The speed and efficiency with which the life-boat came to our aid once our position had been given was truly remarkable considering the weather conditions at the time, and the magni- ficent sight of the life-boat coming straight towards us in terrible seas will always remain one of our most wonder- ful memories." Donations were received from the parents of the wife of the skipper and from a friend of the coxswain who read about the service in Baghdad..