Standing by in Hurricane HAVING RECEIVED information from the Coastguard at 0618 on Thursday, December 6, 1973, that the trawler Navena was ashore on the rocks north of Copinsay Light, the Kirkwall(Orkneys) honorary secretary asked for maroons to be fired. By 0630 The James and Margaret Boycl, a 52' Barnett lifeboat built in 1954, on temporary duty at the station, was fully manned and attempted to sail. She was, however, berthed in Kirkwall basin astern of a coaster. Three attempts were made by Acting Coxswain F. Johnston to unberth by going astern on a backspring with local fishermen pushing the bow out with a long pole; on each occasion the lifeboat was blown and thrown back into her berth.

At this stage, Captain Sinclair, the honorary secretary and harbour master, boarded to help and a further unsuccessful attempt was made. A fifth attempt was made with the coxswain on the wheel and the honorary secretary on the controls, going full ahead once a wedge of water had been achieved and accepting the damage and danger that might ensue. This was successful and the lifeboat cleared the harbour at 0712 on high water.

The station officer, Orkney Coastguard, had been at the harbour during this operation. He described the weather as being the worst he had seen, with north west storm force winds keeping the sea backed up the harbour wall.

'Only by superb seamanship', he states, 'and sheer determination did the lifeboat succeed in launching after four unsuccessful attempts to leave the harbour basin.' The lifeboat set course for the scene of the casualty in extreme weather conditions.

The very rough seas and blown spray reduced visibility to virtually nil most of the time, and the violent motion meant that the radar was of little use so that at intervals way had to be taken off in order to ascertain position.

During the passage the Coastguard informed the lifeboat that a helicopter was on its way and appeared to be the best means of rescue.

At 0912 the lifeboat reached the reported position east of the Horse of Copinsay and north of the light, but found no sign of Navena. She was eventually sighted during a break between squalls west of the reported position, and, after a passage back around the Horse of Copinsay, she was closed at 0930.

Navena was lying bows east in an east-west position on the reefs with further reefs off her starboard bow and quarter. As the rocks on her starboard side and the poor holding sand precluded veering down, the only approach would have been round the stern of Navena and on to her port quarter. The falling tide meant that the position of the survivors was improving all the time and the port quarter was becoming more sheltered, so it was decided to wait and see if the helicopter could take off the survivors.

The morning was heavily overcast with frequent rain squalls and the north north west wind gusting to force 12 giving very heavy rough seas. TheCoastguard mobile on Deerness, just one mile away, only saw the lifeboat twice between the rain squalls and when she was almost standing on her stern in the confused sea. On board the movement was such that the men in the after cabin had to lie on the gratings as they were thrown off the side benches; the man at the wheel saw the bottom of the compass bowl more than once as the boat pitched viciously.

The lifeboat stood by until 1038, when all survivors had been taken off, and then returned to station in moderating conditions, arriving at 1237.

For this service, framed letters of appreciation signed by the Chairman of the Institution, Commander F. R. H.

Swann, CBE, RNVR, were sent to the honorary secretary, Captain Sinclair, Coxswain F. Johnston, Motor Mechanic A. Strutt and Crew Members D. Grieve, J. Grey, D. Peace, M.

Drever and B. Hall..