KETCH SNATCHED FROM GOODWINS WHEN a yacht was seen burning flares in the vicinity of the South Goodwin \ightvessel at 4.6 a.m. on 24th May, 1972, the Walmer, Kent, life-boat was launched 14 minutes later.

The life-boat headed south eastwards towards the South Goodwin lightvessel, and at 4.43 a.m.

the Coastguard reported the casualty's position as two miles from the lightvessel. Six people were reported on board and it was agreed thatthe casualty would fire flares to guide the lifeboat to her.

At 4.55 a.m. a flare from the casualty was sighted by both the South and the East Goodwin lightvessels, bul not by either the Hfe-boat or the Coastguard. Twelve minutes later, the lifeboat, by now by the South West Goodwin buoy, heard the casualty, identified as the yacht Nell, reporting on her radio that her engine had broken down. She was in very shallow rough water and was being driven towards wrecks. Coxswain Henry Brown knew immediately that she was in fact three miles away near the \vreck of the Lurqy Victory, in the vicinity of the South Goodwin buoy and so he turned north eastwards.

Soon afterwards the life-boatmen sighted a red flare ahead and this confirmed the position.

The life-boat answered with a parachute flare, but this was not seen by those on board the casualty. However, radio communication was then established between the life-boat and the Nell. The casualty was reassured that help would soon be at hand.

By 5.30 p.m. the life-boat could see the yacht slightly to the east north east of the wreck of the Luroy Victory. The Nell turned out to be a 21 -ton ketch, built in 1887, with a draught of about nine feet. She was being driven north north eastwards by the gale force winds against the start of the south westwards flood tide. Thisresulted in a slow westerly drift towards the South Caliper area of the Goodwin Sands.

As the life-boat approached at 2.30 a.m. it was seen that the yacht was starting to touch bottom in the troughs of the waves. The windagainst- tide situation was producing steep seas of from five to 10 feet in height, and the Nell rolled heavily as she lay broadside on to the wind with her bows eastwards. The tide was carrying the yacht towards the wreck and there was no time to lose.

Coxswain Brown made his first approach alongside the casualty's lee side and two lifeboatmen, Mr. Norman Griffiths and Mr.

Gordon Green, immediately climbed aboard the Nell to help the crew of the ketch to safety.

Three were taken off from the port quarter before the rolling of the yacht forced Coxswain Brown to pull astern and clear. The casualty was now hitting bottom so that her masts were shuddering and she was rolling most heavily to port.

Coxswain Brown therefore decided to go round to her starboard side for his next attempt, and this time he lost three guardrail stanchions as the yacht came down heavily against the life-boat, which herself now touched bottom.

Nevertheless, two more men were taken off the casualty, with only about 100 yards now remaining between her and the wreck.

As the owner of the ketch was reluctant to leave his boat the coxswain decided to try to tow her off. A tow rope was passed and secured aboard by the two life-boatmen, who then manned the tiller of the casualty throughout the tow.

The life-boat's echo sounder was by then reading 10 feet at its maximum, and the casualty was bumping bottom regularly as the tow continued. The old yacht was very heavy and often 'bows under', so that the tow rope was stretched to the maximum. In spite of this, no headway was made for about 20 minutes, and the coxswain decided that he must cut the tow and take off the three men. Having then nothing to lose but the tow rope, he put the engines full ahead and, to the surprise of all, the tow rope held and the casualty was pulled clear of the sands.

The tow then went ahead without further undue incident southwards around the end of the Goodwins and thence to Dover, where they arrived at about 7.35 a.m. The life-boat returned to her station at 9 o'clock.

A vellum recording the thanks of the Institution was accorded to Coxswain Brown. Certificates commemorating their participation in this service have been sent to: Motor Mechanic Bruce G. Brown, Assistant Mechanic Cyril S.

Williams, Crew Members Green, David J.

Harris, William D. Burton and Griffiths..