Driven ashore THE HONORARY SECRETARY of Stornoway lifeboat station received a message from HM Coastguard at 0540 on Sunday, August 28, saying that a small foreign vessel, Vieux Copains, had gone aground at Battery Point at Stornoway Bay, one mile south east of the station. Gale force 8 winds were blowing from the south west, the sea was rough, and visibility was poor on an overcast morning. The tide was 5 hours flood.

Relief 48' 6" Solent lifeboat The Royal British Legion Jubilee, on temporary duty at Stornoway, slipped her moorings at 0600 and arrived at the casualty about eight minutes later. By this time a liferaft had been drifted ashore to the beach from Vieux Copains and five women and a boy had been taken off by the Coastguard.

A tow line was connected from the lifeboat but an attempt to tow the stranded vessel off proved unsuccessful; she had been pushed too hard on to the stony beach by the south-westerly swell, and the tide had reached its highest point for that morning. So the tow was abandoned. The five remaining crew were put ashore in the liferaft and taken to the local Sailors Home to await the next high water for possible refloating.

The Royal British Legion Jubilee, recalled, was back on her mooring and ready for service at 0740..