Rescue by fishermen A NORTH-EASTERLY NEAR GALE, force 7, gusting to force 8 was blowing and the sea in St Mary's Harbour, Isles of Scilly, was rough when at about 1625 on the afternoon of Tuesday May 22, 1984, the joint services training yacht Kukri parted her mooring. There were 11 men on board as she began to drift towards Forth Mellon beach. Her engine was started but no headway could be made in the rough sea and despite her anchor being rapidly deployed, the yacht, which had a ten foot draft, dragged on to the beach where she grounded, broadside to the sea.

Only a few minutes earlier St Mary's lifeboat had been called away to search for the yacht Zingana, many miles north of St Mary's. However, the passenger launch, Surprise, had just finished disembarking passengers at the quay. Her skipper, Gerald Thompson, and his crewman, George Mudge, saw Kukri's predicament and cast off immediately, negotiating a way towards the yacht through numerous store-pot markers.

The tide was falling, about 30 minutes before low water, as they attempted to pass a tow line.

Surprise, with her three foot draft, high bow and forward wheel shelter, approached the yacht bow first, her stern to windward; this was the attitude she naturally adopts when allowed to drift. The launch rolled violently in the short breaking swell and her crew were soaked as the seas swept over her, but they succeeded in passing a line. Her skipper attempted to tow stern first, but her two engines could not develop enough power. So the towline was passed to the stern of the launch, and although the yacht could not be towed clear. Surprise was able to turn the yacht so that her bows pointed toseaward. The yacht, which had been developing a list to starboard, remained aground but in a safer attitude.

Meanwhile a 32ft fishing vessel, Swandancer, skippered by Gerald Thompson's brother David and crewed by Darrel Foster, had just finished hauling her gear in the lee of St Mary's Island. The wife of Swandancer's skipper, who had been watching Surprise, called her husband on a private radio frequency to tell him what was happening.

David Thompson left the fishing ground and steamed towards Forth Mellon Beach.

On arrival, about 15 minutes later, Swandancer took over the towline from Surprise. While attempting to pass a longer and stronger line, the end aboard the yacht was lost overboard. The two brothers decided more hands were needed aboard Swandancer, so Surprise was secured to the nearby quay and her crew taken aboard the fishing vessel.

She then returned to the scene where she secured a headline to the Customs buoy so that she could be veered down to the casualty. After several attempts a towline was floated down to the yacht using two fenders, and secured.

With a headline secured to the Customs buoy, her engine turning ahead and the towline on her hauling winch, the fishing vessel was able to maintain tension on the towline. The yacht was kept head to sea until, at about 1830, she floated free on the rising tide.

The yacht was secured to the quay and once they had established that no-one was injured on board, the rescuers returned home at 1930. After an inspection of her keel by a diver the next morning, Kukri sailed for Portsmouth, apparently none the worse for the incident.

For this rescue, a letter of appreciation, signed by the director, Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, was sent to David Thompson, Gerald Thompson, Darrel Foster and George Mudge..