Broken Steering Gear ON SEPTEMBER 29, 1973, Second Coxswain Rowley at Scarborough, Yorkshire (the coxswain being away on holiday), was informed at 11.22 p.m. by the duty officer of the lighthouse that red flares had been sighted off the Castle. He immediately telephoned to the deputy launching authority who, in turn, consulted the local Coastguard; they advised a launch. The maroons were fired and the 37' lifeboat, J. G.

Graves of Sheffield, was launched at 11.35.

It was four hours after high water; the wind was north north west force 8; sea rough with a heavy swell. Acting Coxswain Rowley, keeping in the lee of the harbour and Castle Point, set course towards the area indicated off the Castle, but nothing was seen.

By now the lifeboat was well clear of the lee and was feeling the full force of the weather. The wind had strengthened to force 9 and the lifeboat was rolling heavily and taking water on deck and in the cockpit.

At 11.50 Flumborough Coastguard told the lifeboat that the vessel firing flares was reported to be about one and a half to two miles off Cayton Bay. With this new information, Acting Coxswain Rowley set course to the Cayton Bay area, keeping inshore in the hope of reaching the casualty should she be going ashore.

The weather was deteriorating all the time and the wind had reached a good force 10. At 11.56, when almost off Cayton Bay, the lifeboat observed a white flare to the east of the area. The acting coxswain ordered that a parachute flare be fired. It was answered by an amber flare, and the position of the casualty was estimated as some four miles to seaward.

Altering course towards this position, the lifeboat saw the lights of the casualtyat 12.17 a.m. She appeared to be running south east before the weather under power, but, like the lifeboat, she was being continually swept overall. With her high sides and shallow draft she was at the mercy of wind and sea.

Acting Coxswain Rowley took the lifeboat round the casualty, ex-HDML Eun Mara an Tar, to assess the situation, and the skipper told him that his steering gear had broken down; he had a jury rig—two wrenches on the stocks—but he could only run before the seas. He was prepared to abandon ship.

With the wind north north west, force 10, with heavy breaking seas and heavy swell, Acting Coxswain Rowley feared risk to life if he tried to take the crew off at that time. Eun Mara an Tar still had power, and he considered, quite rightly, that the most effective way of saving life was by trying to tow the vessel.

Several attempts were made to pass a heaving line to the casualty, but without result. Eventually Acting Coxswain Rowley took the lifeboat under the starboard bow of Eun Mara an Tar and a tow was passed.

Towing began at 12.45. At 1.13 the tow line parted. Eun Mara an Tar paid off the wind and headed in a south easterly direction. Thomas Rowley took the lifeboat round with great difficulty in the heavy seas and re-connected the tow. In the next 30 minutes the tow parted three times, each time due to the force of the weather; and each time Eun Mara an Tar swung round on to a south easterly heading requiring the repetition of the difficult task of passing under her bow to re-connect.

At 1.44 Acting Coxswain Rowley told the skipper that should the tow part again, his crew would have to abandon ship. Fortunately it did not come to this. Slow progress was madethrough heavy seas and the harbour was entered at 2.46.

For this service, a bronze medal has been awarded to Acting Coxswain Thomas Rowley and medal service certificates to Bowman Kenneth Eade, Motor Mechanic Allen Rennard, Assistant Mechanic Dennis Dobson and Crew Members George Plummer, William Elliott and Barry McNally..