HOPPER ON FIRE Selsey, Sussex. At 8.43 a.m. on 27th May, 1964, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that the sand hopper Seastone of London had sent a distress message from a position two miles west of the Owers lightvessel, stating that she was on fire. Twelve minutes later the life-boat Canadian Pacific was launched. The weather was calm, there was a slight sea and the tide was one hour flood. The lifeboat made for the position in very bad visibility and found the Seastone two miles west-south-west of the lightvessel.

The crew of the hopper controlled the fire, but asked the life-boat to fetch foam from a Canadian destroyer. This was done and the life-boat then stood by.

The Seastone was taken in tow to Southampton by two other vessels, so the lifeboat returned to her station at i.io p.m.

A helicopter alerted by the coastguard was unable to reach the scene because of thick fog. The owners made a gift to the life-boat crew..