Stornoway, Outer Hebrides, and Life-boat 70-002 - At 5.20 a.m. on 15th July, 1966, a vessel was reported ashore at Renish point off Rodel. The life-boat The James and Margaret Boyd left her moorings at 5.50 in a moderate variable wind and a slight sea. It was five hours after low water. She reached the s.s. Stassa, of Panama, at 10 o'clock and stood by. As the tide flooded the lifeboat edged alongside the vessel and subsequently towed her off the rocks. The Stassa was anchored in Rodel Bay with the help of the m.v. Isle of Lewis. The James and Margaret Boyd continued to stand by until relieved by the life-boat 70-002 Grace Patterson Ritchie. The James and Margaret Boyd returned to Stornoway, arriving at 12.15 a-m- °n J6th July. The Grace Patterson Ritchie arrived alongside the Stassa at 11.15 P-m- The Stassa was taking water rapidly and the life-boat 70-002 started pumping the vessel out with her salvage pump. The pumping continued through the night and the next day. At midnight on i7th July the tug Crusader from Glasgow arrived, and at 3.50 a.m. the life-boat recovered her salvage hose and stood by while the tug took the Stassa in tow. At6 o'clock the Stassa was again anchored and the tug departed as the casualty was considered unfit to tow. The life-boat continued to stand by, but further pumping tended to induce a dangerous list, so it was discontinued. The Stassa settled further and was soon awash. At 2 p.m.

an IRB from the life-boat helped three crew members of the Stassa to reach shore in one of the ship's life-boats which had become waterlogged. At 11.15 the master requested that the life-boat land him and his remaining crew of four.

This was accomplished and at 11.59 on the iyth July the Grace Patterson Ritchie life-boat continued on passage to Mallaig after being on service for almost 56 hours.

The casualty continued to settle and list and by noon the base of her funnel was in the water..