Disabled A FISHING VESSEL, Gardelwen, suffering engine and steering failure was reported to the honorary secretary of Barmouth lifeboat station at 0330 on Sunday October 31, 1982. She was 17'/2 miles bearing 265°M from Barmouth and needed urgent help. Maroons were fired and at 0345 the 42ft Watson relief lifeboat Dorothy and Philip Constant, on temporary duty at Barmouth, slipped her moorings under the command of Second Coxswain Leonard Vaughan.

The coxswain and several crew members were away on passage with the station boat.

The sky was overcast, a near gale, force 7, was blowing from the south and the seas were rough. It was one hour after low water. In that state of tide and weather it was necessary to use the searchlight to ensure a safe passage across the bar. Once clear of the bar, however, at about 0405, the lifeboat set course for the disabled fishing vessel at full speed.

The true force of the near gale was now experienced. The sea was very rough and there was a 10 to 14 foot swell. The lifeboat was rolling heavily in the beam seas and shipping water.

While on her way, she received a radio message from the Coastguard to say that Gardelwen was making water and in danger of foundering.

The seas were getting worse. At about 0515, estimating that he was some four miles from the fishing vessel, Acting Coxswain Vaughan instructed the lifeboat's searchlight to be switched on and Gardelwen was asked to fire a red flare when she sighted the light.Within ten minutes a red flare was observed right ahead at three to four miles distance. Course and speed were maintained and at about 0545 the lifeboat arrived at the casualty.

Gardelwen was lying north-south and had been trying to lie to an anchor. On the approach of the lifeboat she weighed her anchor and, as her crew of three did not want to leave their boat, Acting Coxswain Vaughan decided to try to tow her to Barmouth. He took the lifeboat up along the starboard side of the fishing vessel and the lifeboatmen succeeded in passing a heaving line which was used as a messenger by the fishermen to send back a tow line to the lifeboat. This line, however, was far too short for a tow in the gales and very rough seas, so the lifeboat was taken up along the fishing boat again to pass across her own line, which the fishermen made fast on board Gardelwen.

Acting Coxswain Vaughan had decided to run before the sea while the towlines were being passed in order to give some protection to his crew working forward, and seas were breaking over the stern of both lifeboat and fishing boat the whole time.

The weather had deteriorated still further and a force 8 gale was now blowing from south to south west. The sea was very rough with a 15 foot swell.

Gardelwen, with no steering, was yawing and rolling violently and it was with great skill and difficulty that the tow was rounded up and course set for the return to Barmouth. As well as yawing, the fishing boat frequently tended to over run the lifeboat and, to try to avoid excessive snatch on the tow the lifeboatmen were continually taking in and paying out the slack on the towlines; it was an arduous task but it was accomplished despite the heavy rolling seas which frequently broke aboard.

In spite of these efforts, however, the towline parted. Acting Coxswain Vaughan came about to reconnect the tow. This time he asked Gardelwen to make the fishing boat's own line fast to one side of one of her tyre fenders and to make the lifeboat's line fast to the other side of the fender so that there would be some weight part way along the towline to give it some spring to ease the snatching. This was done and the tow resumed.

After about half an hour at threequarter throttle the tyre tore apart with such violence that the half attached to the lifeboat's line whipped back aboard, travelling the full length of the lifeboat and hitting the two foremost stanchions with such force that they were bent.

Fortunately the crew had all ducked in time and no one was hurt.

With great difficulty the tow was reconnected, this time with two fenders between the two parts of the line. The tow was resumed without further mishap, though both boats continued to roll heavily and the casualty to yaw violentlv.It was four hours after high water when the lifeboat and tow arrived off Barmouth Bar. The south-westerly wind had eased to force 6 but it could be seen that there was a heavy run of breaking sea. Gardelwen was by this time 'half full of water' and Acting Coxswain Leonard Vaughan realised that if he was to have a chance of negotiating the bar with the casualty, he must make the crossing right away, before, on the ebbing tide, there was any further fall in the depth of the water. He therefore headed in towards Barmouth over the bar.

The long run in, successfully achieved, was made over one vast area of white breaking running seas. Towing a disabled vessel in such conditions required both courage and ability and all who witnessed the approach of lifeboat and tow expressed great admiration.

Gardelwen was safely moored at about 1150 and the lifeboat was refuelled and back on her moorings ready for service at 1230.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Second Coxswain Edward Leonard Vaughan, acting coxswain, and vellum service certificates were presented to Boat Mechanic Kenneth Ingram, Crew Member Harry Allday, acting second coxswain, and Crew Members Robert A. Buckley, John H.

Stockford and Llewelyn W. Griffin..