Fourteen rescued A TRAWLER, Erlo Hills, ashore north west of the Mull of Kintyre, Argyllshire, was reported by Clyde Coastguard to the honorary secretary of Campbeltown lifeboat station at 0655 on Friday October 2, 1981. Maroons were fired at 0700 and six minutes later Campbeltown's 52ft Arun lifeboat Walter and Margaret Couper slipped from her pontoon berth under the command of Coxswain/Mechanic Alexander Gilchrist.

Once clear of Campbeltown Loch a series of southerly courses were set towards the Mull of Kintyre. At this time there was a fresh breeze, force 5, blowing from the north with a moderate sea.

Visibility was good except in intermittent rain showers. The tide was four hours ebb running south at about half a knot.

During the passage south an amended position for the casualty was received from Clyde Coastguard. Erlo Hills was then thought to be on Paterson's Rock or the Boiler Reef, both in the vicinity of Sanda Island. At 0757 Coxswain Gilchrist reported that both positions had been thoroughly searched and that there was no sign of the trawler in that area.

Shortly afterwards, at 0807, Clyde Coastguard reported that the correct position of Erlo Hills was off the east coast of Rathlin Island, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. A British coaster, Ceol Mor, had reported seeing the trawler while passing through Rathlin Sound on passage from Rathmullan, in the Republic of Ireland, to Cairnryan.

Ceol Mor was asked to investigate and stand by until the lifeboat arrived.

Clyde Coastguard now handed over communications to Belfast Coastguard, who were able to confirm that Erlo Hills, 120ft LOA, was nearly two miles south of Altacarry Head on the east coast of Rathlin. She had a crew of 14, all of whom but the skipper were Spanish.

Portriish lifeboat had been asked to launch, but the request had been canceiled by Belfast Coastguard as Campbeltown lifeboat was already at sea and now heading for Rathlin.

By the time Campbeltown lifeboat had cleared the lee of the Mull, at 0850, the northerly wind had increased tonear gale, force 7. The sea was rough with a low north-westerly swell and visibility was reduced to poor in the heavy rain squalls. At this time the radar failed and from then on navigation was entirely by Decca Navigator.

Campbeltown lifeboat arrived off Rathlin at 0925 to find the trawler aground forward, heading south west, with her stern still afloat in about 12 feet of water. The wind was now gusting to strong gale, force 9. Although the sea was rough, it was not too bad close to the trawler because of the lee provided by the reef on which she was aground.

Ceol Mor was standing by and at her request the lifeboat passed a towline to the casualty so that an attempt could be made to refloat her on the rising tide.

First, however. Captain S. Hamilton Nixon, master of Ceol Mor, asked the lifeboat to take a line from the coaster's port bow to hold her head up into the weather while she was towing the trawler off, because Ceol Mor was low powered and she was also light ship.

After one line had been passed but had parted under the strain, a second line was passed successfully. It was found, however, that the lifeboat did not have enough power to keep the coaster's head up into the weather. At about 1040 Captain Nixon decided to slip the line from the lifeboat and also slacken the towline to the trawler.

Then, displaying considerable shiphandling ability in the strong gale force winds and rough seas, he steamed round in a circle over the towline to get back up to windward of the casualty.

During this manoeuvre Ceol Mor passed within feet of the reef on which the trawler was aground.

At about 1100 Erlo Hills was successfully refloated and towed offshore to the north east for almost a mile. By 1130 the trawler's skipper had completed an inspection of his vessel and confirmed he had power, so it was agreed that Ceol Mor should slip the tow and continue her passage to Cairnryan; the lifeboat would escort the trawler to Campbeltown for repairs.

The wind was still northerly force 9 with short, steep breaking seas thrown up by the strong tidal eddies of the area.

Shortly after Ceol Mor had departed it became apparent that all was not well aboard Erlo Hills', once underway she started going round in circles, her steering gear jammed, and as the lifeboat approached to investigate the trawler's main engine broke down. Wind and tide immediately started to set the casualty back towards the shore. The skipper refused Coxswain Gilchrist's offer to take off the crew, so it was agreed that the lifeboat should try to tow the trawler back into deeper water.

On the second attempt, with the casualty only 200 yards from the shore, a towline was passed and secured and at 1220 the lifeboat started to tow the trawler out to sea. Both vessels were constantly being struck by large breaking beam seas up to 15 feet high, and.with the yawing of the trawler due to her damaged steering gear, the lifeboat was having considerable difficulty in making any headway at all.

Realising that the situation was becoming serious, and as the casualty's crew were unwilling to abandon ship.

Coxswain Gilchrist asked Ceol Mor to put about and return to help.

After towing Erlo Hills about a mile offshore Coxswain Gilchrist ordered the towline to be slipped because the casualty was no longer in immediate danger and the risk of the lifeboat capsizing due to the effect of the tow was too great. At about this time Campbeltown lifeboat's Y class inflatable dinghy was dislodged by a particularly heavy sea, but she was quickly re-secured by Crew Members John Stewart and Arthur Gillies.

Coel Mor arrived back on scene at 1300 and asked the lifeboat to go in and pick up a tow line from the casualty.

The trawler's skipper, however, had been making radio link calls to Spain and the South of England, and refused to pass a tow.

The radio link calls continued and at 1442, Captain Nixon decided that Ceol Mor would have to make for Campbeltown because her fuel was running very low. The honorary secretary of Portrush lifeboat station was alerted again, and the 52ft Arun Richard Evans < Civil Service No. 39) slipped her moorings and set out under the command of Coxswain James Stewart to take over from Campbeltown lifeboat, still standing by the drifting trawler.

At 1510 the skipper of Erlo Hills reported that his owners had instructed him to obey all instructions from the lifeboat. Once again Coxswain Gilchrist asked that Ceol Mor return to take the casualty in tow. Captain Nixon agreed, but said he could only tow the casualty round into the lee of Church Bay on the south side of Rathlin because of the state of his bunkers.

By about 1530 the wind had increased to storm force 10 with very rough confused seas estimated to be 25 feet high.

Erlo Hills was on the edge of Macdonnell Race which runs off Altacarry Head, with the wind over tide. Coxswain Gilchrist manoeuvred the lifeboat across the bows of the trawler and the Spanish crew passed the towline. This was then taken to the coaster and transferred under extremely difficult conditions.

The two vessels were only feet apart and the coaster's stern was. at times, high above the lifeboat with her propeller thrashing out of the water.

Several waves broke across the after deck of the lifeboat engulfing the crew as they passed the line to the coaster.

Unfortunately once the tow was secured the line parted and the whole manoeuvre had to be repeated. Once again the towline parted. As it was now thought to be too dangerous to try to pass the towline this way, several attempts were made to pass it by rocket line. Each time, the towline parted. Byabout 1710 Ceol Mor was so low on fuel that she could remain no longer and she set out for Campbeltown leaving the lifeboat standing by.

Once the coaster had departed the skipper of Erlo Hills told the lifeboat that his crew were ready to abandon ship. On Coxswain Gilchrist's instructions, they mustered on the starboard side of the casualty while his own crew took up their position along the starboard side of the lifeboat attaching their lifelines so that they would have both hands free. Then, with the lifeboat's shoulder heavily fendered, the coxswain made his first approach.

As she was set north along the east coast of Rathlin Erlo Hills had been carried into the Macdonnell tide race. With the northerly storm over a spring ebb tide the breaking waves were up to 30 feet high at times.

With great skill and determination Coxswain Gilchrist drove the lifeboat's starboard shoulder alongside the waist of the heavily-rolling trawler and his crew managed to pluck one of the Spanish crew off as the foredeck came level with the trawler's bulwark. Five times more Coxswain Gilchrist manoeuvred alongside and, under the direction of Second Coxswain Robert Scally, the trawler's crew were pulled aboard the lifeboat in twos and threes. All 14 were safely aboard by 1730 and Erlo Hills was abondoned 1'/: miles north of Altachuile Bay. It was just after this that Portrush lifeboat arrived after a very rough passage and search; as all the trawlermen had been taken off, she set course for station, and she was back on her moorings at 2045.

With all the survivors safelv below,Campbeltown lifeboat made her return passage to station at reduced speed, with the boat frequently being laid over by the heavy breaking beam seas. Visibility throughout was less than three miles, but a good landfall was made using the Decca Navigator. She arrived at station at 2030, where the survivors .were landed and provided with accommodation for the night. After refuelling the lifeboat was back on her moorings, ready for service, at 2130.

The trawler, Erlo Hills, eventually came out of the tide race and was blown ashore at Farganlack Point.

For this service the silver medal was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Alexander Gilchrist and the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Second Coxswain Robert Scally, Assistant Mechanic Samuel B.

Brodie, Second Assistant Mechanic Lawrence Ferguson and Crew Members John D. Stewart and Arthur Gillies.

The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were also accorded to Captain S. Hamilton Nixon, owner/master of the British coaster Ceol Mor, and vellum certificates were presented to members of his crew, Captain George A.

Hamilton, Nigel A. K. MacKenzie and Lewis A. MacLellan..