Family rescued Nearly three months later, on the evening of Friday April 27, 1984, the station's own 44ft Waveney class lifeboat, Ralph and Joy Swann, back on station, was called out to the aid of a 30ft motor cruiser, Kalavala. She had been on passage from Calais to Ramsgate when her drive shaft failed and she was taken in tow by the motor yacht Camelot. Five miles north east of North Foreland the tow had parted and the four occupants of Kalavala were reported suffering severely from seasickness.

When, at 2002, Ramsgate lifeboat left harbour the sea was moderate to rough, wind north east force 5 to 6 and visibility moderate. High water was predicted in two hours' time. Coxswain Ron Cannon, at the helm, set course north east. The lifeboat's VHP direction finder was giving a markedly different bearing of the casualty to that given by the cruiser herself and when, on reaching a position near the Elbow buoy, nothing could be seen by eye or on radar, course was altered to the north north west. More discussion with the Kalavala confirmed a position near the Tongue light vessel and this tallied with the direction finder bearings.

Abeam to port seas were increasing as the lifeboat cleared North Foreland and the wind veered east north east, force 6. The lifeboat began to roll heavily in short, steep seas and heavy spray and patchy visibility made lookout difficult. However, at 2105 lights were sighted ahead. Ten minutes later the lifeboat had closed the motor cruiser and its escort.

Kalavala was lying head to the south south east and as she rolled, her gunwales would go under in the heavy beam seas. Coxswain Cannon knew that, with the flared bow of both the lifeboat and the motor cruiser, a headon approach could cause seriousdamage. He also felt it would be too dangerous to try to close alongside.

Instead, he instructed his crew to prepare a tow and moved the lifeboat, stern-first, towards the casualty's port bow. The occupants could be seen in the after cockpit and when he learned that two out of the four were young children, he decided he had to put someone aboard.

Asking his second coxswain to jump when he could, Coxswain Cannon made a number of approaches to narrow the gap, but each time the roll of the cruiser made it impossible to jump. On the third attempt, however, the coxswain saw another of his crew, Timothy Hurst, who had been on the stern with the towline, leap the four feet across and down on to the casualty. He had attached himself to the towline in case he missed his jump.

Within the next few minutes Coxswain Cannon was nearly unable to believe the speed with which Crew Member Hurst first made fast the tow, checked it for possible chafing and then went aft to check the occupants. The cruiser owner later reported that Hurst took the two frightened and seasick children (aged 8 and 11), one under each arm, and told them all would be well now that he was in command, provided they went into the cabin and left room for him to steer. He also asked the owner's wife to go with them.

By 2135 Hurst reported by radio that all was secure on board and the towbegan for Ramsgate. Margate harbour was nearer but discounted because of its shoaling approach and the prevailing weather. The second yacht, Camelot, agreed to follow the lifeboat into Ramsgate.

The return passage was made without serious incident although speed had to be reduced to prevent the cruiser from yawing in the beam seas. Harbour was reached at 2315 and the cruiser safely secured on the western pontoons. At 2345 the lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service.

For this service, a framed letter of thanks, signed by the Duke of Atholl, was sent to Crew Member Timothy Hurst..