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 causedby 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..