Sinking fishing boat NITON RADIO advised Solent Coastguard at 2031 on Saturday December30, 1978, that the 42ft fishing vessel New Venture reported to be midway between Nab Tower and Hayling Island had sent a message by VHP that she was sinking and needed immediate help.

Helicopter assistance was requested but, with a strong gale, force 9, blowing from the north east and violent snow storms giving at times almost nil visibility, no helicopter could take off. So, a few minutes later Shoreham Coastguard requested the launch of Selsey and Bern bridge lifeboats and by 2100 both Selsey's 48ft 6in Oakley Charles Henry and Bembridge's 48ft 6in Solent Jack Shayler and the Lees had launched and were on their way through blinding snowstorms.

With Coxswain Michael Grant at the helm, Charles Henry was headed 215° for a mile to clear Selsey Bill and the surrounding shallows and then turned to starboard to 300° and at 2114 to 310° to enter and search Bracklesham Bay.

New Venture had reported touching bottom close to a pole with a basket on it and Selsey lifeboat had been asked to search the bay and particularly the area around the East Pole Sands target beacons.

Visibility continued to be almost nil in the blinding snowstorms and the clearance of snow from outside and ice from inside the wheelhouse windows was a continuous task. On four occasions the radar ceased to operate and the scanner had to be cleared of snow and ice before it could function again.

Depending almost entirely on radar blind pilotage and the echo sounder, and with Assistant Mechanic Terence Wood continuously at the radar set, Coxswain Grant searched the shallow inshore area to no avail.

Following discussion between Shoreham Coastguard and Selsey honorary secretary it was agreed that New Venture had probably misjudged her position and that the pole with a basket that had been sighted had in fact been the Mixon Beacon, and so it was decided that Charles Henry should check the shoremarks eastwards towards the Mixon. The new search started at 2330.

At 0034 on Sunday December 31 MV Esso Caernarvon, which had been helping with the search, located New Venture 7.2 cables from Nab Tower on a bearing of 050°; she was in a semi sunken state and her crew were suffering from exposure. Neither Esso Caernarvon nor the outward bound ferry Viking Venturer could reach the casualty so they floodlit the area until the arrival of Selsey lifeboat. At this time Bembridge lifeboat was advised that she could stand down and, unable to rehouse on her own slipway, she made for Cowes for the night.

By 0120 Charles Henry had arrived on scene and Coxwain Grant, manoeuvring close up to New Venture's port quarter, took off the two very cold fishermen. The wind remained northeasterly force 9 with poor visibility in the snowstorms. The tide was two hours ebb.

An attempt was made, at the request of the owner, to take New Venture in tow, but she started to sink almost immediately the lifeboat got under way. The tow rope was axed through and the boat sank.

With New Venture lost, Coxswain Grant headed for Chichester Harbour where the lifeboat arrived and disembarked the two survivors at 0410. As the weather was far too severe either to rehouse or moor off the slipway at Selsey a Land Rover led two cars through the snow from Selsey to Chichester to pick up the exhausted lifeboat crew. Charles Henry returned to station the following forenoon, January 1, and at 1120 was again reported ready for service.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Coxswain Michael J. Grant and vellum service certificates were presented to Second Coxswain George E. Woodland, Motor Mechanic Francis R. Wells, Assistant Mechanic Terence A. P. Wood, Crew Members Paul Davis, Martin J. Rudwick and David F. Munday and Fleet Mechanic David Crossley. Letters of thanks signed by John Atterton, acting director of the Institution, were sent to Coxswain Peter Smith, BEM, of Bembridge lifeboat and his crew, and to the master of MV Esso Caernarvon..