Propeller fouled NUMEROUS TELEPHONE CALLS were received by Brixham Coastguard at about 0120 on Wednesday August 18, 1982, reporting the sighting of red flares off Teignmouth Pier. Teignmouth Coastguard rescue company were immediately alerted and John Hook, auxiliary coastguard in charge, prepared to undertake the rescue. He telephoned Sydney Hook, coxswain of the Trinity House pilot cutter, and asked him to go to the cutter and await instructions; then he himself went to the promenade to assess the situation.

It was quickly established that a yacht. Albatross, was aground veryclose to Teignmouth Pier and that the only way of effecting a rescue would be from seaward. So John Hook, together with William Hook and Andrew Burton, hurried to join Coxswain Hook aboard the pilot cutter Storm Siren in Teignmouth Harbour; moorings were slipped at 0143. Storm Siren, a 41ft Watson ex-lifeboat originally stationed at Moelfre, took out with her her 14ft dinghy.

The night was overcast with rain squalls. A near gale, force 7, was blowing from the south west and the sea was rough. It was about four hours before high water. In view of the rough weather, Brixham Coastguard called the deputy launching authority of Torbay lifeboat station at 0125 and at 0142 Torbay's 54ft Arun lifeboat Edward Bridges (Civil Service No 37) slipped her moorings under the command of Coxswain Arthur Curnow and headed for Teignmouth Pier, to stand by.

Clearing Teignmouth river mouth, Coxswain Hook expertly negotiated the narrow channel between Pole Sand and East Pole Sand and then turned to port to head for the casualty; in all, the one mile passage from the mooring took about 12 minutes. On arrival. Albatross a 28ft steel hulled yacht, was seen to be aground about 15 feet south of Teignmouth Pier. She had been on passage from Weymouth when, off Teignmouth, a rope had become fouled around her propeller. Unable to clear the rope, the owner, who was sailing singlehanded, had dropped anchor and fired distress flares.

The south-westerly near gale off th.e land, gusting in the rain squalls, was in conflict with the incoming tide, so that in the shallow waters the sea was rough and confused. Albatross now had two anchors out, but could be seen to be dragging slowly in towards the pier.

Taking advantage of the fact that, being an ex-Watson lifeboat, Storm Siren's propeller is protected, Coxswain Hook brought the pilot cutter round in a sweep towards Albatross, coming up head to sea to stem the waves and tide.

While Storm Siren was making this sweep, John Hook and Andrew Burton boarded the 14ft dinghy and cast off to pass a towline to the yacht. With Andrew Burton at the oars and John Hook tending the 2 Vim nylon towline, the dinghy headed for Albatross. The weight of the line and the rough seas made it a very hard row, but it was successfully accomplished and the dinghy came safely alongside the starboard side of the yacht.

John Hook boarded Albatross to help her singlehanded skipper and to make the towline fast. Andrew Burton returned to Storm Siren, rowing powerfully.

By now the yacht was within a few feet of the pier and in imminent danger of being dismasted and wrecked as she was carried under it.

As soon as the yacht's anchors were clear, Coxswain Hook began the tow.

He was able to bring the yacht head tosea and set course to return by the same way he had come on the outward passage. Because of the darkness of the morning and the rain, visibility was poor, so members of the Coastguard rescue company ashore fired parachute flares over the narrow entrance to Teignmouth to help Coxswain Hook to negotiate the channel safely.

Once Storm Siren and her tow were safely inside the bar, Torbay lifeboat returned to station; she was back on her moorings and again ready for service at 0315. Albatross was moored inside the harbour at Teignmouth and Teignmouth rescue company were stood down at 0238.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to John F. Hook and framed letters of thanks signed by the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the Institution, were presented to Andrew M. Burton and Sydney C. Hook. A letter of thanks signed by Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director of the Institution, was sent to William E. Hook..