Twenty-nine rescued JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT on Monday September 29, 1980, the deputy launching authority of Stornoway lifeboat station was informed by HM Coastguard that the 1,615 gross ton motor fishing vessel Junella was aground off Eilean Trodday, Isle of Skye, about 27 miles south of the station; there were 29 men on board. The crew were alerted and at 0012 Stornoway's 48ft 6in Solent class lifeboat, Hugh William Viscount Gough, slipped her moorings under the command of Coxswain/Mechanic Malcolm Macdonald.

A gale to strong gale, force 8 to 9, was blowing from the south and the seas were rough with a heavy swell.

The sky was heavily overcast and in the frequent rain, squalls visibility was reduced to less than a mile. The tide was in the first hour of the ebb.

A few minutes after the lifeboat had left her moorings the master of Junella told Stornoway Coastguard that two inflatable liferafts had been made ready alongside, but he was instructed not to abandon ship. At 0143 the Coastguard informed the lifeboat that helicopter assistance had been requested and at 0238 that a Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth was airborne.

Although heading into wind and sea, with waves continuously breaking right over her, the lifeboat maintained full speed for the entire passage and arrived on scene at 0318. It was known that Northella, a sister ship to Junella, was standing by about three quarters of a mile east of the casualty and, unable to spot her in the heavy rain of this pitchblack night, the lifeboat asked her to indicate her position by flashing her searchlight.

The lifeboat sighted Northella's light at 0319 and a minute later made her first radio contact with Junella. She learned that Junella was aground on Sgeir nam Maol Rock, at the north end of the shoal, with the unlit beacon marking the rock plainly visible on her port shoulder. The fishing vessel reported that she was lying west by north, hard and fast aground from amidships forward; her bow was dried out but there was about 10 metres of water below her stern.

Junella was completely blacked out but at 0330 Northella, sighting the lifeboat, illuminated the area of the casualty with her searchlights.

The situation was both difficult and dangerous as Coxswain Macdonald made a very cautious approach to the casualty. His intention was to bring the lifeboat port side to, alongside the pilot ladder which had been rigged on Junella's starboard side, 30 feet from her stern, but heavy seas breaking around the casualty slewed the lifeboat's stern around dangerously close to the rocks. So, 'feeling' the way that the lifeboat wanted to head, Coxswain Macdonald decided to turn the lifeboat short around and come alongside starboard side to. Although he had little more than the length of his own boat in which to manoeuvre, the coxswain, making full use of his engines, successfully executed this turn and managed to bring the starboard shoulder of the lifeboat alongside the ladder.

Then, displaying superb seamanship, he maintained this position for about 40 minutes while the 29 survivors disembarked.

It was a hazardous operation, with the lifeboat rising and falling 9 to 12 feet in the swell and in the breaking seas around Junella's stern. Assistant Mechanic George Smith, Emergency Mechanic John Maclennan and Crew Member Kenneth Macdonald were stationed forward while Crew Member Malcolm Maclean escorted the survivors to the cabins. Many of the survivors had to be pulled to safety from the pilot ladder and, with the rapid rise and fall, frequently both survivor and lifeboatmen were thrown bodily to thedeck; fortunately no one was injured.

Just after the sixth man had been safely transferred to the lifeboat the Sea King helicopter arrived and gave Coxswain Macdonald and his crew great help by illuminating the area with her powerful floodlights. Up till then, with Junella herself blacked out and the glare from the lifeboat's own searchlight hindering rather than helping, the only light relieving the pitch black had been from Northella, stationed three quarters of a mile away.

At 0410 the lifeboat informed Stornoway Coastguard that all 29 survivors were safely on board and that her expected time of arrival at Stornoway would be 0730. Junella's crew, ten in the forward cabin, 15 in the aft cabin and four in the wheelhouse, were made as comfortable as possible.

Coxswain Macdonald remained at the wheel throughout the entire service.

The return passage, which took about 3'/2 hours, was made before the southerly gale, which was still blowing up to force 9; maintaining course was both difficult and arduous in the rough following seas, heavy following swell and with the increased weight now aboard slowing down the lifeboat's response to the helm. There was no lightening of the heavily overcast sky and frequent rain squalls continued to reduce visibility.

On arrival at Stornoway Junella's crew were taken into the care of the Mission to Seamen. The lifeboat was refuelled and back on her mooring, ready for service, at 0825.

For this service the silver medal was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Malcolm Macdonald. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Assistant Mechanic George F. Smith, Emergency Mechanic John J. Maclennan and Crew Members Kenneth I. Macdonald and Malcolm Maclean..