Clovelly, Devon - At 7 a.m. on 2nd October, 1969, the life-boat Grace Paterson Ritchie, on temporary dutyat the station, intercepted a distress signal from the motor yacht Britannia reporting that she was in difficulties with a broken rudder two to three miles south west of Hartland Point.

The life-boat slipped her moorings at 7.3 in a fresh westerly wind with a rough sea. It was two and a half hours before high water. She found the motor yacht on radar and came up with her at 8.30. She carried a crew of four. The life-boat took the motor yacht in tow to Clovelly and secured her temporarily to the lifeboat moorings while repairs were made to her rudder. When these had been completed the Britannia continued on passage to Watermouth.

The life-boat returned to her moorings at 11.30..