Stromness, Orkneys. At 2.20 p.m.

on 29th December, 1965, the honorary secretary expressed his concern about two local fishing vessels, the Victory and the Merlin, whose arrival from the fishing grounds was overdue. The life-boat Archibald and Alexander M. Patterson was launched at 2.35 in a south-easterly gale force wind and a very rough sea.

The tide was flooding. The life-boat went towards the fishing grounds at Rackwick Bay and sighted both fishing vessels going to Stromness. She escorted them to Stromness, arriving at 4.40 p.m..