Three nations THE SOVIET TRAWLER Topaz making for a position off Bournemouth with a French yacht, Campscharles, in tow was reported to HM Coastguard Solent RHQ by Lands End RHQ at 0910 on Thursday,October 14,1976. Two survivors aboard the trawler had asked for a lifeboat to take over the rescue.

At 1054 trawler and tow were sighted by Southbourne Coastguard one mile south of Hengistbury Head. At 1109 Swanage Coastguard told the deputy launching authority of Swanage lifeboat station of the situation and that the trawler had been asked to head for Swanage Bay where some slight shelter from the storm force south-west wind could be obtained.

The crew were assembled and at 1207 Swanage Coastguard requested the launch of the lifeboat to intercept Topaz, take off the survivors and assume responsibility for towing the yacht to safety. However, as no lives were in imminent danger, with Coastguard agreement, the DLA prudently decided, in view of the extreme weather, to wait until Topaz had made more of a westing towards Swanage and was visible. To this end Swanage lifeboat was lowered out of the boathouse and the radar run up to search for Topaz.

The Russian fishing vessel was sighted by radar at 1254. Six minutes later Swanage lifeboat, the 37' 6" Rother /. Reginald Corah, launched with Coxswain Ronald Hardy in command and headed towards a rendezvous position some three miles east north east of Peveril Point. Topaz, some 2,000 tons, would not come closer in to the land than that because she did not carry the right charts and communication was hampered by language difficulty; Swanage DLA had tried, but without success, to find an interpreter.

At the time of launching the wind was south south west storm force 10 producing rough seas and heavy swell.

Visibility was good but reduced to poor in rain squalls. It was the last hour of the flood tide, setting north east. It wasthe worst weather into which Swanage lifeboat had launched on service that the DLA, Mr A. G. L. Hardy, could remember in 30 years association with Swanage lifeboat, both afloat and ashore.

At 1332 Coxswain Hardy skilfully manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside Topaz, which was trying to provide some lee. Despite rough seas and an estimated rise and fall of between 15 and 20 feet, bow and stern lines were secured to the trawler. Some damage was sustained to the port side of the lifeboat in way of the belting due to the very severe weather and a fender bursting.

A few minutes later a rope ladder was lowered from the side of the fishing vessel down which one of the yacht's survivors climbed and jumped safely into the arms of the lifeboat crew. The second survivor made one or two journeys up and down the ladder before also jumping safely into the lifeboat. A heaving line bent on to the tow line joining Topaz and Campscharles was passed down from the Russian trawler's deck.

As further damage was being sustained to the port side of the lifeboat Coxswain Hardy ordered the lines to be let go and stood off, parting the heaving line in the process. During the transfer of the two French survivors the Soviet trawler had drifted over and fouled the tow rope. The other end of the tow rope on the yacht's bows was picked up by the lifeboat successfully despite the rough seas, but on attempting to clear the yacht by manoeuvring astern it was found, at 1350, that a bight of the tow line had fouled both the lifeboat's rudder and starboard propeller. The yacht was immediately cut adrift and the rope cleared from the rudder.

With both engines stopped, Second Coxswain/Motor Mechanic Victor Marsh lifted the scuttle and attempted to clear the starboard propeller with the freeing tool, an operation made very difficult by the violent motion and by the considerable quantities of sea water coming up through the scuttle and inboard over the stern into the wheelhouse.

Investigation showed that the tow line, a 6" circumference nylon, was not only fast around the starboard propeller but also lying across the port propeller shaft. While Second Coxswain Marsh continued, in appalling conditions, to clear the starboard propeller, the grappling iron was passed outboard and fortunately picked up the tow line so that some 20 fathoms could be hauled aboard the lifeboat and secured inboard.

By 1415 /. Reginald Corah was some If miles off Old Harry and Campscharles had drifted some distance away. So, having checked that the port shaft was indeed clear, Coxswain Hardy decided that any further attempt to clear the starboard propeller should be abandoned; the lifeboat was got under way on port engine only and closed Campscharles after some ten minutes steaming.

As she lay alongside the damagedyacht at 1435, Crew Member Thomas Haw managed to jump aboard, make fast a tow rope and stream a jury drogue made up in advance aboard the lifeboat with old ropes.

As the severe weather would make rehousing at Swanage impossible, course was shaped for Poole. During this passage the yacht with Crew Member Haw aboard was on several occasions swept by large beam seas but towed well with her 'drogue', except when, off Poole Bar, she surfed ahead of the lifeboat the full length of the tow.

Poole Quay was reached at 1620, where the survivors were landed and Poole second coxswain, John Clark, a diver by trade, dived and cleared the starboard propeller. The lifeboat returned to Swanage at 1500 on the following day.

For this service a bar to the bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain Ronald J. Hardy and the bronze medal was awarded to Second Coxswain/ Motor Mechanic Victor A. C. Marsh.

Medal service certificates have been presented to Assistant Mechanic Eric S. Dorey and Crew Members Thomas C. Haw, George W. Bishop, Peter J.

Hardy and Ian P. Marsh..