Search and rescue A YACHT IN DISTRESS somewhere to the south west of South Stack Light was reported to the honorary secretary of Holyhead lifeboat station by HM Coastguard at 0908 on Sunday September 4, 1977; her exact position was not known.

The yacht, Gika, on passage from Cork to Holyhead, had reported her last known position to Angelsey Radio as being 210°M 20 miles from South Stack at 0739. She was experiencing heavy weather and sailing under bare poles.

A fractured fuel pipe had put the engine out of action and the wind was too strong to hoist sail. Porthdinllaen lifeboat had launched at 0808, but at 0856 Gika had reported to Angelsey Radio that her position was reckoned to be farther to the north. Her skipper thought he had sighted Skerries Lighthouse to the north east. However, as he could not communicate directly with Holyhead Coastguard on VHP it was thought more likely that he had sighted South Stack Lighthouse and that Gika was suffering from the radio screening effect of Holyhead Mountain.

Maroons were fired and at 0937 the 52' Barnett relief lifeboat Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse, on temporary duty at Holyhead, launched on service and set out at full speed to search five miles to the south west of South Stack. Porthdinllaen lifeboat was recalled.

The sky was overcast with continuous heavy rain reducing visibility to moderate to poor. A force 8 gale was blowing from the south west and the sea was very rough with a heavy swell. It was just after low water and the flood tide was setting north east at about one knot.

Course was set to pass half a mile off North Stack and on reaching this position, at 1002, Coxswain William Jones had to reduce speed to meet storm force 10 conditions. Once clear of Holy Island, course was altered to 225°M and the lifeboat continued at moderate speed into the very rough breaking seas, taking solid water overall.Visibility was down to only half a mile.

The search area was reached at about 1035. Two vessels were sighted; one was Frank M, a small timber-laden coaster, and the other a large merchantman on passage. Frank M told the lifeboat that she was searching for the casualty and had picked up a small echo on radar which she was about to investigate. A positive echo on the lifeboat's radar indicated the presence of a third vessel that was thought too large to be Gika. With three ships in the vicinity and no sighting of the casualty, Coxswain Jones thought she might, in fact, have sighted the Skerries and now be well to the north.

The lifeboat was brought round to run before the storm on a north-northeasterly heading. At 1115 Frank M reported having lost contact with the small radar echo. By now visibility was down to about a quarter of a mile and the wind, still from the south west, was gusting force 11. At 1130, when the lifeboat was almost abeam of the Skerries, the Coastguard reported that nothing more was known about the casualty's position and suggested that the lifeboat should now search to the north east of the Skerries.

On hearing from the Coastguard, at 1200, that an RAF helicopter had located the casualty 13 miles to the south west of South Stack, and that one person had been lifted off but the skipper was remaining with the yacht, Coxswain Jones altered course to 230°M and set out at full speed to intercept Gika. At about 1315 the helicopter was sighted ahead and a message passed to the lifeboat to steer 250°M. The seas were estimated to be 35 feet high, the lifeboat was taking solid water continuously over the deck and wheelhouse, and pounding heavily. VHP radio communications were becoming intermittent and it was found necessary to transfer to MF radio. The helicopter returned to the lifeboat at 1400 and gave a corrected course of 260°M. This course was maintained for one hour with the helicopter visible from time to time.

At 1500, hearing from the Coastguard that the helicopter had lost contact with the casualty, Coxswain Jones stopped the boat's engines and instructed his crew to carry out an all-round search.

After about five minutes Gika's mast was sighted a quarter of a mile to the south east. A message was passed to the Coastguard and the helicopter was seen to arrive over the yacht.

As the lifeboat slowly closed with the casualty, the yacht was seen to be heading north west sailing under bare poles, her skipper in the cockpit.

Coxswain Jones approached Gika from astern and attempted to get alongside on her port side, but, because of the violent movement of both boats in the heavy seas, without success. The lifeboat was brought round again and on a second attempt a tow line was passed successfully. Gika's skipper secured theline forward and then transferred to the lifeboat. At about 1520 the lifeboat began to tow Gika at about 5 knots towards Holyhead. The helicopter returned to base at this time with engine trouble.

The tow was carried out in extremely arduous conditions, with Gika frequently surfing in the heavy breaking seas. At about 1747, when one mile off North Stack, the tow rope became fouled by the casualty's rudder and she was towed stern first for about 20 minutes until it cleared itself. At 1835 the lifeboat and her tow entered Holyhead Harbour and Gika was safely secured to a mooring in the outer harbour. The lifeboat was rehoused and ready for service by 2015.

For this service a bar to his bronze medal for gallantry has been awarded to Coxswain William J. Jones. Medal service certificates have been presented to Second Coxswain Francis Ward, Acting Assistant Mechanic Robert F. Williams, Emergency Mechanic Malcolm Burnell and Crew Members David T. Barry, Thomas B. Thomson and Robert T. Jones..