MFV aground A RED FLARE fired over Barmouth Bar was seen by the honorary secretary of Barmouth lifeboat station at 2140 on Wednesday November 22, 1978. Just after he had alerted Coxswain Evan Jones, the honorary secretary heard by telephone from Porthdinllaen Coastguard that there was a casualty on the bar. Coxswain Jones, who is also the harbourmaster, had been informed that MFV Boy Nick was on passage to Barmouth from Beaumaris. At 2105 he had seen a green light to seaward of the bar and assumed that the fishing boat was standing off until the weather abated and it was safe to enter harbour.

The maroons were fired at 2143 and the relief 35ft 6in Liverpool lifeboat BHMH, on temporary duty at Barmouth, launched at 2150. A westerly strong breeze, force 6, gusting to near gale, force 7, was blowing and it was raining; very rough seas were breaking over the bar. It was nearly two hours after low water neaps.

Coxswain Jones could see the green light on board the fishing boat and headed down channel to a position south of Boy Nick, aground on North Bank. The light went out, but Coxswain Jones could see hand flares being fired to the east (to leeward) of the casualty. The lifeboat's searchlight picked upBoy Nick lying with her bows facing south east and her liferaft made fast to the bows, but these sightings were only occasional because of the seas breaking over the lifeboat and the fishing boat.

Coxswain Jones decided to go in towards the casualty, but at the first attempt grounded firmly. Going full astern he regained the main channel and then, putting his engines full ahead, drove the lifeboat at the bar using the breaking seas to close the liferaft. The lifeboat grounded many times and was continuously being flooded to the top of her lockers. Nevertheless, the liferaft, now cast adrift from the fishing boat, was reached successfully and the crew of the lifeboat pulled the two fishermen on board.

Although Coxswain Jones then went full astern, the lifeboat was picked up and thrown firmly on to North Bank.

Her bows were heading north west and the seas were breaking over her port side. Close to starboard, as Coxswain Jones was very aware, was a bank of rocks, but the seas made it impossible to try to come round to port. As the lifeboat was lifted by the seas, therefore, Coxswain Jones used his engines to turn tightly to starboard and he managed to regain the main channel after about 25 minutes.

The lifeboat, which had sustained no damage, returned to station with the two survivors; she was rehoused and ready for service at 2345.

It was later learned that the crown of Boy Nick's rudder had sheered as she was crossing the bar. She had been carried on to North Bank and had been flooded within five minutes. In a letter of thanks written on behalf of Boy Nick's skipper and himself, the fishing boat's crew, Keith Allday, spoke of the lifeboat approaching: '... Through this notoriously dangerous stretch of sand bars and shoaling water ... The rescue was an extremelydifficult operation and conditions were some of the worst I have ever encountered.

I cannot praise the tenacity and bravery of Coxswain Jones and his crew too highly. Without their prompt action we should almost certainly have lost our lives.' For this service the bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Evan D. Jones. Medal service certificates were presented to Acting Second Coxswain John H. Stockford, MotorMechanic Dewi Wyn Davies, Assistant Mechanic Evan E. K. Griffith, Honorary Medical Adviser and Crew Member Dr Robert A. Haworth and Crew Members John Hopcroft and Peter H.

Phillips..