Broken adrift THE STATION HONORARY SECRETARY of Thurso was informed by Wick Coastguard at 2105 on Tuesday November 16 1982, that the trawler Arctic Crusader had broken adrift in Scrabster Harbour, close by the lifeboat station, and he was asked to place the lifeboat on standby.

The crew were assembled and at 2120 the lifeboat was asked to launch.

Within five minutes Thurso's 48ft 6in Solent lifeboat The Three Sisters had launched under the command of Coxswain William Farquhar and was on her way to the casualty. The night was very dark with an overcast sky and it was raining. A strong gale, force 9, gusting to storm force 10 was blowing from the north west and the sea was very rough.

It was half an hour after high water.

Arctic Crusader had been blown clear of the harbour and was in broken water drifting down on to the beach. Another fishing trawler, Donwood, had her anchor down and a line across to Arctic Crusader, but this anchor was dragging.

Since launching. Coxswain Farquhar had been assessing the situation and concluded that if Arctic Crusader continued her rapid drifting she would be in shallow water beyond the reach of the lifeboat and he asked that a helicopter should standy by.

Arctic Crusader asked the lifeboat topass a second tow rope to Donwood.

The lifeboat, however, could not carry out this manoeuvre between the two fishing vessels without the strong possibility of being severely damaged herself, so Donwood floated a second line down to Arctic Crusader. Once the second towline was made fast, Arctic Crusader asked that the helicopter be cancelled; her skipper also asked that, should the tow part, the lifeboat should come alongside and take off his crew.

With the two towlines secured, Donwood tried to take up the tow, but as soon as the weight was taken on the ropes they both parted. Coxswain Farquhar had positioned the lifeboat ready to go in alongside Arctic Crusader if necessary. The weather had not moderated and the casualty was now well inside the surf line among high breaking seas. Waves were continually breaking right over the lifeboat and the coxswain had time for only one attempt to get alongside before Arctic Crusader would be in water so shallow she would be beyond the lifeboat's reach.

Coxswain Farquhar took the lifeboat in alongside Arctic Crusader's port side and, finding no one on deck, held her there. Within a minute or two the trawler's engines started and she headed back for Scrabster Harbour.

Apparently there were only three men on the disabled trawler, not five as reported. Two were engineers who were down in the engine room working on the engines. As the lifeboat approached, the skipper had gone below to tell them to abandon ship, but just at that moment they had succeeded in getting the engines started.

The lifeboat escorted Arctic Crusader back into harbour but the trawler's engines, already damaged, seized ahead and her bow struck the jetty. The lifeboat was rehoused and once again ready for service at 2300.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Coxswain William Ross Farquhar and vellum service certificates were presented to Second Coxswain John D. Manson, Motor Mechanic Angus M. Reid. Assistant Mechanic Edward Fraser and Crew Members Neil MacDonald Farquhar, William Munro and Brian Williams..