Belgian trawler LAND'S END COASTGUARD informed the honorary secretary of Penlee lifeboat station at 0200 on Wednesday March 19, 1980, that the Belgian trawler Normauwil was stranded near the north arm of Newlyn Harbour, a mile north north west of the station. She had a crew of seven. Maroons were fired at 0205 and at 0212 Penlee's 47ft Watson lifeboat Solomon Browne was launched from her slipway under the command of Coxswain William Richards.

A strong breeze, force 6, was blowing from the south east. The sea was rough with a moderate to heavy swell and visibility was only fair.

Course was set north north west and the lifeboat came upon the casualty at 0220. Normauwil, a beam trawler of about 90ft in length and fully laden with 100 tons offish, had attempted to leave Newlyn Harbour at low water on a spring tide. She had struck bottom and, each time she lifted on a crest, the south-easterly swell had carried her shorewards on to the rocks immediately east of Newlyn East Pier. She was being swept by the heavy seas.

Coxswain Richards brought his lifeboat head to sea, dropped his anchor in about three fathoms of water and paid out his cable to veer down towards Normauwil stern first. As the crew of the trawler did not appear to want to abandon their vessel, and as it would have been extremely hazardous to try to transfer them to the lifeboat, Solomon Browne passed a line across hoping at least to hold the fishing boat stern up to the wind and sea until the tide flooded.

The line parted, but a second attempt was made and this time a wire was sec-ured to the quarter posts of the lifeboat.

During this time seas were sweeping the foredeck of Solomon Browne.

With the tide starting to flood and with Normauwiis engine going astern, Solomon Browne's engine going ahead and the lifeboat also heaving in on her anchor, the fishing boat moved a few feet seawards each time she lifted on a crest of the swell. The lifeboat was pitching heavily and on one particularly heavy swell the taut wire from the trawler pulled away the drogue fairlead and smashed the bulwark of the lifeboat. When the trawler came clear of the rocks, she surged astern and passed the lifeboat, which slipped the wire.

Normauwil, confident that no damage had been done, did not return to Newlyn Harbour but immediately sailed for Belgium. Solomon Browne moored in Newlyn Harbour at 0325, ready for service. She was unable to return to her own boathouse until 1000 on Friday March 21 because of the continuing onshore swell.

For this service a framed letter of thanks signed by the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the Institution, was presented to Coxswain William T.

Richards..