MUTUAL AID OFF PORTLAND FOLLOWING the sighting at about 10 p.m. on 4th February, 1972, by the gas tanker Methane Princess of a small vessel firing distress flares off Portland Bill, the Weymouth, Dorset, life-boat was prepared for launching. Then a further message was received that the Methane Princess had found a small yacht, the Nomis, a 30-foot GRP sloop, whose skipper needed medical attention.

The station honorary medical adviser, Dr.

Jeremy Parkinson, was contacted and the Frank Sptller Locke, a 52-foot Barnett class life-boat built in 1957, left her moorings with Dr.

Parkinson accompanying a crew of eight.

The wind was south south easterly, force 6-7 with a choppy sea outside the harbour entrance.

Course was initially set for the Shambles lightvessel to meet up with Methane Princess which was attempting to tow the casualty to this position. However, at 10.45 p.m. she advised that it was becoming impossible to continue the tow due to the heavy steep seas caused by the wind, now gusting to force 9, and the spring ebb tide. She then informed the life-boat that she would heave to with the casualty in a position off Portland Bill and, accordingly, the life-boat altered course to the west to round the Bill close inshore and clear of the Portland race.

Also heading out of Portland harbour and through the inshore channel, was the German vessel Wotan. Her master offered to assist in finding the tanker and casualty by radar. At one point she warned the life-boat that she had been swept overall by a particularly heavy breaking sea and from this the coxswain realised that their course was taking them too close to the edge of the race. After a slight alteration of course he was able to avoid the worst of the heavy confused seas.

By about 11.25 p.m. the life-boat had cleared Portland race and had set course for south south east, and the tide setting to the north east, the tanker and the yacht had been set inshore considerably from the original position in which they hove to, with the result that the life-boat reached the scene shortly after midnight.

The coxswain passed close by the yacht, which was lying some 50 feet from the tanker and, after assessing the situation, turned head to wind before attempting to come alongside. The life-boat came alongside the yacht at 12,15 a.m.

and was held steady with the engines long enough for Bowman Albert Legge and Dr.

Parkinson to jump on board.

The only mishap in this operation occurred when life-boatman Lionel Hellier injured his shoulder while attempting to fend off the yacht.

Although causing him considerable pain throughout the remainder of the service, this injury proved not to be serious. Bowman Lcgge then made fast a towing line while Dr. Parkinson went aft to the cockpit to attend the injured man.

It was immediately apparent that it was impossible to transfer the patient to the life-boat.

The coxswain was left with no alternative but towing the yacht to Weymouth with Bowman Legge and Dr. Parkinson remaining on board to tend the tow and the injured yachtsman respectively.

In the difficult conditions the coxswain decided that the safer course was to take the longer and more uncomfortable route back to Weymouth outside the Shambles Jightvessel rather than the shorter route inside Portland race. He realised that if the tow were to part the yacht and her crew would almost certainly be lost in the race or on the rocks before another tow line could be made fast.

Accordingly, towing started at about 1.25 a.m.

with Methane Princess attempting to provide a lee by steaming alongside about 200 feet off. Even with this assistance from the tanker progress was erratic and very uncomfortable and the yacht shipped water despite very careful handling of the tow by the coxswain.

Nevertheless, the Shambles was reached at 2.10 a.m. and, when one mile east of the lightvessel, the life-boat altered course directly for Weymouth harbour. The Methane Princess continued on passage up channel. The life-boat made better progress from this point although, with the wind and sea now directly astern, the yacht was still extremely difficult to tow.

However, Weymouth harbour was safely entered just after 3 o'clock and the injured yachtsman was landed. The time was 3.30 a.m.

The Institution's bronze medal for gallantry has been awarded to Coxswain Alfred T. Pavey.

The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum have been accorded to Bowman Bertie A. Lcgge and the honorary medical adviser, Dr. Parkinson. The following crew also received certificates to commemorate their participation in this service: Second Coxswain Victor J. Pitman, Motor Mechanic Derek J. Sargent, Assistant Mechanic Brian B. Randall and Crew Members Lionel F. Hellier, Michael A. R.

Reynolds and Michael J. Yeatman..