South Western Division Danish coaster capsized RAME HEAD Coastguard reported Plymouth deputy launching authority 1403 on January 16 that the Danish coaster Merc Enterprise was in serious difficulties 23 miles south of Plymouth breakwater, and that her crew were abandoning ship. Salcombe lifeboat had been advised to launch but weather conditions prevented her crossing the bar. Helicopters were taking off from RNAS Culdrose.

Plymouth DLA agreed to launch provided the coxswain did not consider weather conditions too severe. A most intense storm was blowing from the south west, with winds of hurricane force 11 to 12. It had been building for hours and was now blowing against the full run of the ebb tide. There was very rough sea inside the Plymouth breakwater and visibility was half mile. The sky was overcast with driving, squally rain. Seas of phenomenal character could therefore be expected as soon as the lifeboat left the comparative shelter of the breakwater.

Immediately he was informed of the situation, however, Coxswain John Dare requested the maroons to be fired and, 10 minutes later, at 1417, with full crew on board, Plymouth lifeboat Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse, 52' Barnett boat, left Millbay Docks.

As the lifeboat cleared the eastern end of the breakwater at 1435 she met the full force of the hurricane. Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse was continually swept by heavy breaking seas she crossed Tinker Shoal, and Coxswain Dare found himself and the crew up their waists in water in the wheelhouse.

He ordered all the crew into the shelter of the after cabin.

The crew confirm that they have never imagined such seas and Coxswain Dare and Motor Mechanic Cyril Alcock both admitted that they themselves were frightened.

At this time Coxswain Dare received an anxious enquiry from the DLA as to whether he thought the weather conditions were too bad for him to continue. His unhesitating and bluntreply was 'Negative, we are continuing'.

Two minutes later Rame Head Coastguard told the lifeboat that the casualty had capsized and the helicopters were recovering survivors.

Another message came at 1520 to say that the helicopters had picked up seven survivors and a Russian trawler, Leningrad, was in the area.

At 1627 the lifeboat received news that Leningrad had recovered four more survivors but that seven were still missing. On being informed three minutes later by the Coastguard that the helicopter crews were reporting conditions in the area were so bad that they advised the lifeboat to return, Coxswain Dare replied, 'As there are still seven missing we are continuing'.

The Coastguard passed definite recall orders to the lifeboat at 1643, saying that these had come from DLA and the inspector. Coxswain Dare had now arrived in the area of search, 26 miles due south of Rame Head, and, seeing no signs of any survivors, and assuming that the inspector referred to in the Coastguard's message was the inspector of lifeboats, he decided to comply with the recall and return to base. The search was officially called off at 1720.

Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse escorted Leningrad with her survivors to the safety of Plymouth Sound and then stood by while the pilot was put aboard, at 1940. The lifeboat then entered Millbay Docks and, after refuelling, returned to her moorings at 2020.

Coxswain Dare states that this was the worst sea he has ever experienced, and the same statement was made by the skipper of the Russian trawler.

The lifeboat crew included three reserve members and Coxswain Dare reports that all the crew bore themselves with distinction throughout, as, indeed, did the lifeboat herself.

For this service the bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain John Dare. Medal service certificates were presented to Motor Mechanic Cyril Alcock, Assistant Mechanic Patrick Marshall, Crew Member Michael Keane and Reserve Crew Members David Dinham, Frank Parker and Douglas Jago.

South Eastern Division Hurricane launch NEWS THAT MV Merc Texco had a badly injured man to be landed led to the launching of the Dungeness lifeboat, Mabel E. Holland, a 42' Watson beach class, at 1658 on February 11.

The wind was south south west hurricane force. The sky was overcast and visibility poor. It was 2i hours after high water. The seas breaking on the beach were very large and the launchers had to be roped together when placing the skids to prevent their being washed away.On reaching the water's edge the lifeboat was between waves and stuck in the shingle. The next enormous wave broached her; however, as the sea ran back it swept the stern seawards.

Coxswain Tom Tart put the engines full astern and started to move off. The next wave again broached the lifeboat, throwing her heavily on to the beach; again the receding wave turned the boat allowing the coxswain to put the engines ahead and drive off. Course was then set for the casualty which was bearing north east.

At 1726 the lifeboat signalled Merc Texco to follow her closer inshore as the seas were enormous. It seemed that she was not able to comply, and so Peter Thomas, the first aider, volunteered to try to board. The wind was now in excess of 70 knots and the seas 50 to 60' high. The tide was setting north east at 1.5 knots.

Coxswain Tart ran the lifeboat alongside the lee of Merc Texco and Peter Thomas managed to scramble aboard.

The ship's head was paying off the whole time, making it even more dangerous for the lifeboat which had already suffered some damage to stanchions and bulwarks.

The stretcher was passed and Coxswain Tart decided to lie off until the patient was ready to be lowered. After instructing the captain to ensure that his ship's head remained south east, Coxswain Tart again managed to place the lifeboat alongside. All members of the crew then helped to receive the injured man on board. The patient was strapped down in the cabin and held by three members of the crew as the lifeboat was taking a severe buffeting in the appalling weather conditions.

At 1928 the lifeboat was beached at Dungeness and the patient handed over to the doctor and ambulance staff.

For this service, the silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Tom Tart, the bronze medal to Assistant Mechanic Peter Thomas and the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum accorded to Second Coxswain AlbertHaines, Motor Mechanic Alec Clements and Crew Members William Richardson, Colin Haines and Arthur Oilier. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were also accorded to 'The Launchers and Shore Helpers', some of whom were women, for their efficiency and dedication to duty under appalling conditions; a certificate was presented to each launcher and helper.

South Western Division Storm tow HARTLAND POINT Coastguard informed lifeboat 70-001, Charles H. Barrett (Civil Service No. 35), at 0210 on February 6 that a trawler was sinking 281°T 26 miles from the Point. The lifeboat was under way by 0220 and 12 minutes later copied a mayday relay from Ilfracombe Radio to all ships which had been received by VHP at Hartland; it reported flooding, with the trawler's pump unable to cope, and giving a Decca position of the trawler, St. Pierre, which was on a course north.

Staff Coxswain Michael Houchen, in command of 70-001, plotted this position and, allowing for St. Pierre's course of north, he set a course 290°M from Hartland Point at 0305 to intercept.

The wind on slipping from the moorings at Clovelly had been westerly force 6, but within an hour it had increased to force 8 and had veered slightly to west by north. The tide was in the third hour of flood and was setting the lifeboat back by about 1 knot, while the wind and sea accounted for another reduction of about 11 knots. Thus, at full speed, the lifeboat was making good over the ground about 8| knots.

Various messages were exchanged with the trawler, through Hartland Coastguard, until at 0435, when six miles west south west of South Lundy, 70-001 sighted a red flare from St. Pierre just forward of her starboard beam. She altered course towards it.

Quarter of an hour later another red flare from the trawler was sighted and answered with a white parachute flare.

Then 70-001 switched on her searchlight to show St. Pierre her position, at the same time making VHP contact with her.

At 0515 the lifeboat sighted the trawler. She was slightly smaller than 70-001, being 54' overall and of about 20 tons, registered. She was heading about north by east with the wind slightly forward of her port beam, and appeared still to have plenty of freeboard and not to be in any immediate danger of sinking.

By now the wind had reached force 10 to 11 and had veered slightly further to west north west accompanied by violent hail storms, and Staff Coxswain Houchen decided it would be a most hazardous operation for St. Pierre's crew if he attempted by any means to embark them in the lifeboat. With the object of trying to get the stricken trawler into the lee of Lundy Island, therefore, he prepared a tow, heaving-to while the lifeboat's mizzen was struck to get it out of the way.

At 0540, with the tow prepared, 70-001 approached St. Pierre from her weather side and Boat Mechanic Ivor Young fired a rocket line. It was a perfect shot, falling right across the trawler, but her crew were not able to reach it quickly enough to lay hold of it and the line slid clear of the rigging to be lost over the side.

Staff Coxswain Houchen now appreciated that it was going to be difficult for the crew of the casualty to help, so he decided to make an approach on her lee side, as close as he dare go, and endeavour to throw a heaving line into the hands of the crew.

He therefore passed across St. Pierre's bow, turned starboard and approached directly upwind on to her starboard quarter. Although this would make the throwing of the heaving line a Herculean task, it was the only prudent and seamanlike approach with the lifeboat, having a higher profile, making more leeway than the trawler.

At the last moment it was realised that the crew of St. Pierre were not ready to receive the tow line, and so the approach had to be cut off and made all over again. As the lifeboat turned away and lay off while awaiting preparations on board the casualty, the crew noticed that when both boats were in troughs of the very heavy seas St. Pierre was completely disappearing.

At 0600, 70-001 approached again.

With first-class ship handling Staff Coxswain Houchen brought her bows to within a few feet of St. Pierre's quarter and, with both boats ranging a good twenty or more feet, Fleet Mechanic Peter Crofts threw the heaving line hard into the wind; the waiting crew of St. Pierre had no difficulty in catching it. A warp (70 fathoms of 4j"nylon) was now passed and the long tow began at 0620, making good about 4 knots.

Lundy lay about eight miles to the east south east and so course was set to pass round the north end of the island.

The tide had turned by this time and was starting to run against the wind. St.

Pierre had lost the use of her engines, but did not appear to be making a large amount of water although her crew reported that she was leaking.

All went without incident until about 0800 when the tow entered the northern fringe of the Lundy Race. Here the tide was now setting about 4 knots against the wind, which was still blowing force 10 to 11; the combined result was a phenomenal sea. The waves were high and precipitous, about 40' with very steep sides, so that at times Staff Coxswain Houchen was actually standing with his feet on the forward bulkhead of the wheelhouse as he tried to steer 70-001 down the face of a wave.

Huge, vicious seas stove in the transom of the trawler and one wave broke completely across the lifeboat from port quarter to starboard bow so that jets of water spurted through the top of the wheelhouse door and soaked all within.

The lifeboat crew believe that it was only their tow which saved them from broaching-to and, likewise, the lifeboat's pull on the bows of the trawler that held St. Pierre from a similar fate. The staff coxswain said that had the tow parted at this point, it would have been the end for the trawler and her crew because he would have been powerless to save them.

However, the tow held and the lee side of Lundy was reached by about 1000. Anchor was let go in Lundy Roads and at 1030 St. Pierre was brought alongside for pumping. By 1330 she was about 75 per cent pumped out and it was then discovered that the hose connections for the salvage pump suction hose were in fact leaking air, so that suction was impaired.

The wind had now moderated to about force 8 west north west and, the BBC TV weather forecast and synoptic chart having been seen on the lifeboat's new TV set, Staff Coxswain Houchen decided that it would be possible to continue to Ilfracombe with the tow.

Anchor was weighed and the tow got under way at 1420, arriving at Ilfracombe without further incident at about 1700. St. Pierre was towed to within heaving line distance of the jetty and the tow was slipped at 1715, both boats being secured alongside by 1730.

At 1825, however, 70-007 having parted two mooring lines, lost one fender and damaged the rubber D fender belting, Staff Coxswain Houchen decided to leave and return to anchor off Lundy once again to shelter from the now north west gale which was still force 8 gusting 9.

For this service a bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Staff Coxswain Michael Houchen. Medal service certificates were presented to BoatMechanics Ivor Young and John Leech, Fleet Mechanic Peter Crofts and Assistant Mechanic Peter Braund.

North Eastern Division Tug on rocks AN ENGINE breakdown just as she had cast off her tugs on her final trials resulted in the oil exploration vessel Oregis going aground at the entrance to the Tyne. It was 1530 on Sunday, March 10. Tynemouth honorary secretary was told of the incident by HM Coastguard, but advised that lifeboat help was not required.

One of the ILB crew saw the grounding and went to the boathouse in anticipation of a possible call-out. There he found another member of the crew and they cleared the boathouse doors in readiness.

Three tugs returned to help Oregis.

One, Northsider, was seen by the two ILB crew, Trevor Fryer and Frederick Arkley, to run towards the casualty to pass a line; but, pooped by a large sea, she was driven past Oregis on to the rocks. Although it was clear to the two ILB crew that there was little they could do for Oregis, they considered that the tug was now in a dangerous position.

So, while Fred Arkley telephoned the honorary secretary, Trevor Fryer prepared the ILB, and at 1543, with Trevor Fryer at the helm, she launched. With breaking seas and a 4' rise and fall, it was a most difficult operation. The wind was easterly force 6 with a rough sea and heavy swell; it was one hour before high water.

The ILB motored outside the Black Midden Rocks to assess the situation.

The tug, well ashore on the rock end, rolling heavily and continually swept by the seas, was being driven further ashore and her position was potentially dangerous. Her crew indicated that they would like the ILB to close them; they had a young boy aboard and wanted him taken off. The ILB circled Northsider three times, observing the action of the sea and the rolling of the tug, before going alongside. It was a daunting prospect, with heavy swell breaking over the stern of the tug and heavy seas breaking on the rocks.

Running in on these seas and turning alongside required great boat-handling skill and judgement; both were shown by Helmsman Fryer. Not only did he have to contend with the sea; there was also the risk of the ILB being driven under by the heavy fendering of the tug.

The boy was passed down to the ILB successfully and taken back to the slipway where Fleet Mechanic Davies helped him ashore; the boy was almost swept off the end of the slip but Alan Davies managed to hold him.

It was now 1557 and maroons had been fired, and by the time the ILB returned to the scene of the incident the lifeboat, launched at 1610, was already helping.

At 1625 the tug Alnmouth told the ILB that the crew of the stranded Northsider had asked to be taken off immediately. She was now well in under the cliffs, rolling heavily with seasbreaking all the way in from the rock end to the cliffs, and she was in real danger of breaking up.

Timing their approach, two attempts were made at running in before the seas, but at the third attempt the right combination was achieved; the ILB went alongside and took the three crew off the tug.

The ILB weathered some very heavy buffeting on the run out and, on the advice of the coxswain of the station lifeboat, put the survivors aboard a police launch; it was 1635. She remained in the area ready to give further help until the engine showed signs of faltering, probably due to the severe drenching it had undergone, when she returned to station, arriving at 1725.

For this service the bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Helmsman Trevor Fryer and Crew Member Frederick Arkley.

Scotland Northern Division Fire at sea A TRAWLER on fire, not under control, but under way about four miles north east of Aberdeen: that was the message received from HM Coastguard at 2055 on Saturday, April 13, by the honorary secretary, Aberdeen. The crew were called by telephone and at 2130 the reserve lifeboat Hilton Briggs, a 52' Barnett built in 1951, slipped her mooring.

The weather was fine with a slight haze, there was little or no wind and a low easterly swell. It was 2J hours after high water.

The lifeboat arrived in the vicinity of the trawler, Netta Croan, within half an hour, but was unable to catch her as she was sailing an erratic course atover 9 knots. Netta Croan was burning fiercely over the whole after end and 12 crew members were on the forecastle head unable to stop the engines or steer the vessel. The rig tender Smit Lloyd 47 and the BEA S61 rescue helicopter had been with the burning trawler for some time but had been unable to effect any rescue because of the flames and the erratic course.

Coxswain Albert Bird continued to chase Netta Croan without being able to catch her, but as she started to circle to starboard the opportunity was taken to cut across her turning circle and close her starboard side. On the near approach to the casualty Coxswain Bird handed over the wheel to Mechanic Ian Jack, a man experienced in closing moving vessels after several years on the pilot boat, and stationed himself at the port wheelhouse door where he could see both the casualty and the helmsman.Hilton Briggs was taken alongside the forward end of the main deck still at full speed and all survivors were taken off and the lifeboat cleared, all within one minute. It was about 2300. This operation was helped by the helicopter flying overhead and illuminating Netta Croan throughout.

During this whole manoeuvre, carried out at speed, Hilton Briggs was in very real danger from the flames, the possibility of exploding fuel tanks and the possibility of the trawler sheering and putting the lifeboat under her bows.

It was now established that a further crew member had some time previously attempted to jump into a liferaft towed astern of Netta Croan and had slipped into the water. A search was mounted but it was broken off to land the survivors at Aberdeen at 2330. The lifeboat returned and searched until 0200, and returned to station at 0300.

For this service a bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Albert Bird and Motor Mechanic Ian Jack. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Assistant Mechanic George Walker and Crew Members F. Cruickshank and A. Walker.South Western Division Leap overboard TORQUAY POLICE informed Brixham Coastguard at 1537 on October 5, 1973, that a girl was in the water off Meadfoot Beach and asked for the help of the ILB.

The message was passed to Torbay deputy launching authority, the maroons were fired at 1540 and the ILB slipped her moorings ten minutes later manned by Coxswain Kenneth Gibbs and Station Mechanic Barry Pike.

The wind was south south east force 7 and the tide was in the third hour of ebb. Visibility was good and the weather fine, but the wind was steadily freshening and the ILB encountered rough seas by the time she was half way across the bay.

A radio conversation with Brixham Coastguard on the way over had given the ILB crew the distinct impression that there was every hope of saving the girl. It was extremely frustrating for them, therefore, when they reached the Meadfoot Beach area (within eight minutes) to find that sea conditions prevented the ILB from being taken close inshore where the casualty was thought to be. Very large waves were now breaking among masses of loose seaweed, and the bottom at that point is treacherously rocky; the 8' breaking waves would have smashed the boat on to the rocks immediately. As it was, Coxswain Gibbs needed all his skill to hold the boat into the breakers just on the edge of the minimum depth to avoid the rocks as the ILB began her search.

A number of people had gathered along the top of the sea wall, at the foot of which was a policeman directing the boat to the approximate position of the casualty.

Suddenly, as the coxswain used his engines to negotiate an exceptionally large sea, Motor Mechanic Pike, standin the stern and looking aft towards the beach, saw the body of a woman appear in the trough. She was just out of reach and, without a moment's hesitation or thought for his own safety, he leaped overboard. The coxswain saw this with horror as he glanced quickly over his shoulder; he feared he might not be able to prevent the next wave from hurling the boat back on top of Barry Pike and the casualty.

Barry Pike almost succeeded in getting hold of the woman, but, though he swam as hard as he could with the encumbrance of his full clothing and lifejacket, he was slowly overcome by the waves breaking over him and the entangling seaweed. As he was at last thrown on to the shore and then dragged out again by the undertow, the policeman managed to grab him and pull him clear of the pounding surf. The constable reported that, even at this stage, Barry Pike was already in an overcome condition, having taken in much sea water.

He would not rest longer than was essential to regain his breath, however, insisting on going back into the water to try to bring the woman ashore. She was now floating face down about 10 yards off the beach, with the ILB being held head-to-sea just beyond her.

The beach is steep, and so Barry Pike was soon out of his depth and again struggling against the huge breakers and the dense seaweed. Once more he lost the battle and was driven back to the beach.

Three or four times Barry Pike threw himself back into the sea, in a steadily weakening condition, before he finally managed to grasp and hold on to the woman. Fortunately, before he went into the water the last time, the policeman had secured a line to him, otherwise it is probable that he himself would have succumbed before he could have got back to shore.

As it was, rescuer and victim were hauled ashore together and the exhausted Barry Pike collapsed beside the body of the woman on the ramp by the sea wall. He was barely conscious and recalls opening his eyes to see the silver braid of a superintendent of police leaning over him and anxiously enquiring whether he was all right. Then he learned that the woman had been found to have a severe head injury and had, in fact, been dead from the beginning.

For this service a silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Motor Mechanic Barry Pike and the thanks of the institution inscribed on vellum to Coxswain Kenneth Gibbs.

Eastern Division Yacht in shoal water RED FLARES were sighted to seaward south of the harbour by Lowestoft Coastguard on the morning of April 13.

The honorary secretary, informed at 0448, gave instructions for maroons to be fired and the reserve lifeboat Canadian Pacific, a 46' Watson built in 1938, slipped her mooring at 0511 and set off at full speed on a southerly course. The wind was north east force 5 to 7 and the weather cloudy with showers. High water at Lowestoft was predicted at 0213.

At 0514 more red flares were sighted on a bearing of 195°M, about five miles away. Some 20 minutes later the 41' Bermudan-rigged yacht Sarina was sighted five cables east of Benacre Ness.

The lifeboat closed the yacht at 0548 and attempted to go alongside. Sarina was lying head to tide, at anchor, and touching bottom in the breaking seas. Sails had been roughly furled but the main was causing considerable windage where it had blown away from the ties. The crew of two men and"two women were all exhausted.

The wind was now north east, force 6 to 7 with 13' breaking waves caused by wind against tide. It was still cloudy with frequent showers.

At this point it was noticed that the lifeboat port engine was only operating at 500 rpm and Coxswain Thomas Knott assumed that the propeller had fouled in the shallow water. In order to go alongside, Canadian Pacific was taken to westward of the yacht and, turning to port, a downwind approach was made during which the lifeboat took the ground twice.

Coxswain Knott stationed Second Coxswain Peter Gibbons at the bow and instructed him to board Sarina as soon as possible. As the boats closed, a large sea lifted the lifeboat and rolled the yacht to port and Coxswain Knott thought he might have struck the yacht's bow. He put both engines full astern and as the lifeboat moved clear Peter Gibbons jumped across the 6' separating the two boats.

Second Coxswain Gibbons was told by Sarina's crew that while on passage from Dover to Great Yarmouth in freshening winds the yacht had been anchored one mile off the shore; as the wind increased the anchor dragged, since it was only on 40 fathoms of rope.

The main anchor chain was then secured to the rope and all 100 fathoms of chain paid out. Second Coxswain Gibbons tried to cut the chain with a hacksaw, but when the blade broke he asked the lifeboat to close the yacht again and he parted the chain with the axe. He then secured a towline from the lifeboat's bow to the yacht's rudder head.

The yacht was fitted with an auxiliary engine but this was broken down.

The towline was secured at 0615 and Canadian Pacific went astern towing Sarina stern first south south east to deeper water. The lifeboat cockpit was continually filled with water and, as the yacht's cabin hatch could not be closed, the speed of tow had to be kept very low.

At 0635 the lifeboat moved ahead of the yacht, Second Coxswain Gibbons transferred the towline and re-secured around the mast and forward cleats, and Coxswain Knott set course for Lowestoft Harbour, arriving at 0723. The lifeboat took Sarina to a secure mooring in Hamilton Dock before returning to her berth at 0800.

For this service the bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain/ Mechanic Thomas Knott and Second Coxswain Peter Gibbons. Medal service certificates were presented to Assistant Mechanic J. Stoddard and Crew Members W. Leith, R. O'Halleron and F. White.

South Western Division Disabled fishing boat TORBAY LIFEBOAT Princess Alexandra of Kent, a 52' Barnett class built in 1958, slipped her moorings at 1950 onDecember 16, 1973, in response to a mayday call received by Berry Head Coastguard from the Norwegian vessel Buenavista. She was standing by the overdue Guernsey fishing vessel Petit Michel 200° 32 miles from Portland Bill, 38 miles from Torbay. She had launched her own lifeboat in an attempt to take off the sole occupant but was unable to do so because of the state of the weather.

The wind was west south west force 3 to 4 at the time of the lifeboat's departure, but it was freshening and within an hour the sea was becoming rough as the tidal set was directly against the wind.

At 2245 the lifeboat established communication with Buenavista and Wyke Coastguard on 2182. The wind was still freshening and had now reached force 6 to 7. At about 2340, when some 10 miles from the casualty, Coxswain Kenneth Gibbs saw the loom of lights from Buenavista and was able to homein on these, arriving at 0045. The wind, now force 8 to 9, had veered to west north west.

The disabled boat was lying starboard beam to the wind, bows south, with Buenavista lying off to leeward and playing a searchlight on her. The lifeboat further illuminated the scene with parachute flares as she crossed under Petit Michel's stern and surveyed her leeward side.

Coxswain Gibbs decided that he would have better control of the situation with less chance of collision of the superstructures of the two vessels if he approached Petit Michel's windward side. So he passed around her stern and came up on her starboard bow with two heaving lines ready.

One heaving line was used to pass a lifejacket to the man aboard the casualty. The lifeboat crew shouted instructions for him to put it on and to secure the heaving line to himself, and then to secure the other heaving line to the end of a wire cable which he had laid out on deck for towing.

Coxswain Gibbs ordered storm oil to be sprayed as he made his circuit and went alongside and reports that it was very effective in reducing the wave crests. He kept his starboard engine running ahead and his port engine going astern as he came up to the fishing boat's bow, and says that this gave him positive and steady control of his boat throughout the final approach.

Such were Coxswain Gibbs' skill and seamanship that, in spite of the very heavy seas running and the violent rolling of the two boats as they lay beam to sea, the survivor was able to jump and be pulled safely aboard the lifeboat on the first attempt. The coxswain then went full astern taking the fishing boat's wire with him. It was secured to the lifeboat's nylon rope for towing, but as soon as the lifeboat tried to begin the tow and the strain came on the wire it pulled away from on board Petit Michel.

The weather was too bad to try toput a crew member aboard to re-secure the tow, and so Petit Michel was abandoned and the lifeboat set course for station. The voyage home was uneventful and the lifeboat returned to her moorings at 0700.

For this service the bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Kenneth Gibbs. Medal service certificates were presented to Motor Mechanic Barry Pike, Assistant Mechanic Stephan Bower and Crew Members M. Kingston, M. Davies, P. Burridge and J. Huskin.

North Western Division MFV helps MFV WHILE MFVS Welsh Lady II, Barragutt and Rossina were fishing about a mile off Towyn at about 1630 on January 16,the light south westerly wind turned to strong north westerly gusting to force 9 as the storm passed over. Welsh Lady and Rossina pulled in their nets but Barragutt, unable to follow suit, abandoned hers and all three boats, setting a south-easterly course, made all possible speed towards Foryd Harbour in strong following winds and a rapidly increasing sea. Visibility was poor in driving rain and spray.

The entrance to Foryd Harbour is marked by seven perches, numbered 1 to 7 from landwards, with the channel close to their west. Perches 1 to 5 are on top of a training wall; perches 6 and 7, at the outer end, show where the training wall, now breached and derelict, used to be. A sand bar runs east-west to seaward of perch 7, and there is a second sand bar between perches 4 and 5 and almost up to the training wall; the navigation channel at this point is only 10 to 15 yards wide, close up to the training wall.

With strong north-west to north-east winds the seas over these bars are soon whipped up and become short, steep, very confused and boiling. The sea area between perches 5 and 7, although rough and confused, is not so bad as that covering the bars, and the sea area from the harbour entrance to perch 4 is fairly sheltered and calm.

On approaching perch 7 Welsh Lady's engine began to overheat. Her skipper, John Povah, asked Barragutt, which was following astern, by radio to keep an eye on her as her engine might fail.

In the seas at the bar there was constant fear of pooping and the possibility of broaching-to; the drogue was not being used.

Welsh Lady successfully navigated the channel and was within a few yards of continued on page 229.