DRAGGING ANCHOR Southend-on-Sea, Essex. At 7 p.m.

on ist October, 1964, the coxswain was informed that the wife of the owner of the cabin cruiser Baltic Lily had asked for help to save the boat, in which they lived.

The Whitstable inshore rescue boat had left at 6.50 to rescue the owner but had been unable to tow the vessel to safety.

The Baltic Lily had anchored off the Street buoy with her mainmast, sails and rigging lost overboard. There was a fresh north-easterly wind and a choppy sea and as the Baltic Lily was dragging her anchor the life-boat Greater London II (Civil Service No. 30) was launched at 7.16. The tide was flooding. The life-boat coxswain put two of the crew aboard the cabin cruiser and towed her to Sittingbourne.

The life-boat reached her station at 5.30 a.m..