A LIFE-BOAT on temporary duty at the Weston-super-Mare station parted from her moorings on the afternoon of the 12th April, and was driven on to rocks and was so severely damaged that she has had to be written off as a total loss.

The boat was the 41-foot Watson life-boat Rachel and Mary Evans built in 1937. She had been stationed at Barry Dock where a 44-foot steel life-boat is now on operational service.

At 2.20 p.m. on 20th April, Mr. C. Smith, the honorary secretary of the Weston-super-Mare life-boat station, received a telephone call from the boathouse attendant telling him that the life-boat was drifting towards the old pier. There was a westerly gale with a very rough sea and a heavy swell, gusts of over 50 knots being reported. It was two hours before high water and, near the life-boat's moorings off Weston slipway, the tide was setting to the north east.

WAS ON THE ROCKS Maroons were fired and Mr. Smith went to the station. He could see the life- boat had been driven on to rocks to the north east of the old pier. She had evidently cleared the supports and passed under the pier. The first member of the crew to reach the scene was the second assistant mechanic, Michael Watts.

He climbed down the rocks and jumped aboard the life-boat. He was able to start the engines, but as he did so the boat ranged off and was caught broadside by a heavy sea. As the stern swung to seaward Mr. Watts put the engines astern in the hope of clearing the rocks. This attempt failed and he therefore stopped the engines. The boat was pounding badly, and as Mr. Watts left the engine controls he was thrown violently across the boat. He was cut and bruised but received no permanent injuries.

Mr. Michael Watts was joined by his cousin, Bernard Watts, who also went aboard, and under the direction of Coxswain A. W. Payne lines were secured to the life-boat. By this time the engine room was flooded and the engines could not be restarted. Mr. Bernard Watts recovered the anchor which had fallen overboard but in doing so he too was cut and bruised.

It was decided to take certain items of equipment off the boat before she was further damaged. One man who had helped to do this slipped into the sea between the rocks and the life-boat, but he was quickly hauled to safety by three other shore helpers.

FINE SEAMANSHIP The 44-foot steel life-boat Arthur and Blanche Harris was immediately called for from Barry, and at 4.45 she reached the scene. With considerable difficulty and with fine seamanship displayed by Coxswain Frank Tinsley and his crew, the life-boat succeeded in towing the Rachel and Mary Evans to Barry Dock.

She was then hauled up the slipway into the boathouse, which was also a con- siderable achievement.

Mr. Frank Futcher, the R.N.L.I.'s Surveyor of Life-boats, immediately went to Barry Dock and made a detailed examination of the wrecked boat. He soon came to the conclusion that the damage was so extensive that the boat could never be put into service again and indeed could not be made seaworthy without enormous expense. All compartments were holed and the boat had floated only on her air cases. Both bilge keels were missing. Two feet of the stern, forward of the hauling plate, were shattered; the bottom planking on the port side was holed or chafed throughout the length of the whole boat apart from the insideof the tunnel; the engine room and the wing compartment on the starboard side had entirely disappeared; and there was a great deal of other damage to report.

After discussion it was decided to break up the hull in the boathouse and to salvage any usable fittings and equipment for return to the R.N.L.I, depot.

LETTERS OF THANKS Individual letters of thanks signed by Mr. Stirling Whorlow, O.B.E., Secretary of the Institution, were sent to Mr. Michael and Mr. Bernard Watts, and collec- tive letters of thanks for the part played by the crews and helpers were sent to the honorary secretaries at Weston-super-Mare and Barry Dock stations, Mr. C. Smith and Captain G. C. E. Trueman..