THE GOODWINS SPARE A SHIP As described on page 126, the Goodwin Sands seldom spare vessels that run aground. But occasionally they are lucky. At 3.36 p.m. on 30th March, 1971, the Walmer honorary secretary picked up a message reporting that the tanker Panther of Monrovia had gone aground one mile west by north of the South Goodwin buoy. The message was confirmed eight minutes later by the Coastguard as an 'anticipatory'.

As the tanker was grounded on the most dangerous part of the Goodwins and close to other wrecks the honorary secretary following consultation with the coxswain decided to launch. The life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 32) was launched at 4.40 in a fresh north easterly wind with a choppy sea. It was two hours after high water.

The life-boat came up with the tanker at 5.21 and stood by as six tugs came up and arrangements were made for a combined effort by the tugs to tow the tanker clear at high water.

At 3.8 a.m. on 31st the tugs slipped their towropes having failed to pull the Panther clear. The life-boat returned to her station at 6 a.m.

As it was considered that there was danger to life while refloating and off-loading operations were in progress the life-boat launched again at 11.23 a.m. on 31st March and stood by for 8 hours 22 minutes. While the salvage operations continued she launched again at 11.50 p.m. on the same date for a further 7^ hours. She launched again at 1 p.m. on 1st April and again at 3 p.m. on 3rd and at 4.30 a.m. on 4th April. She launched finally at 5 p.m. on the same date and stood by and at 7.15 the motor mechanic radioed that the tanker appeared to be moving slowly.

At 8.24 it was reported that the tanker had been pulled clear by five tugs and was safely at anchor. The life-boat returned to her station at 9.45. Over a period of six days she had been on service for some 50 hours. Public thanks for the unstinted and praiseworthy efforts of the coxswain and crew of the life-boat was expressed at a meeting of Deal Council. All things considered, the tanker was lucky to escape the dreaded sands.

Mr. Norman Cavell, the honorary secretary, said: 'After three days of prolonged cleansing operations with detergent sprays borrowed from the council, water and lastly steam jets the Charles Dibdin is recognisable in her true colours of red, white and blue'..