Engine Trouble AN anticipatory message to the honorary secretary of the Plymouth lifeboat station at 7.56 p.m. on March 14 that the Plymouth fishing boat Farsund was overdue from a fishing trip to the Eddystone lighthouse area led to an alert. At 9 o'clock further information was receivedthat a search by the fishing boat Shelley had found nothing and that an aircraft had sighted a red flare three miles north of the lighthouse.

At 9.30 the lifeboat Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse left her moorings in a fresh to strong east north easterly wind.

In the area of the casualty a search started with the assistance of HM submarine Andrew, HMS Cleopatra, HMS Glamorgan, and the aircraft carrier Ark Royal throughout the night.

At dawn two helicopters from Ark Royal joined in the search, and at 7 a.m. HMS Cleopatra reported contact with the casualty nine miles from the lighthouse. A naval rating was transferred by helicopter from the Cleopatra to the fishing boat, which had engine trouble, and the lifeboat took the casualty in tow to Sutton harbour, arriving at 2.20 p.m. The lifeboat returned to her station at 3.11.

During this 18 hour service the lifeboat crew received hot food from the Ark Royal, which was ferried to the lifeboat by helicopter on two occasions.

The owner of the fishing boat made a donation to the Plymouth branch funds..