Hurricane force 12 STORM FORCE WINDS, gusting to hurricane force 12 from the west south west, were sweeping the west coast of Scotland on the morning of Thursday March 20, 1986, when the Troon pilot heard over his radio that the fishing vessel Golden Years was in trouble and in need of a lifeboat 3'/2 miles north west of Troon.

Twelve minutes later, at 0925, the relief 44 ft Waveney class lifeboat, Margaret Graham, on temporary duty at Troon, was heading out to sea with Coxswain/Mechanic Ian Johnson at the helm. Visibility was poor in the rain squalls and although the sea was moderate when the lifeboat set out, once she neared the more exposed position of the fishing vessel, the sea had become very rough with a 20 to 30 foot swell.

Another fishing vessel was standing by when the lifeboat arrived; Golden Years had been hit by a large sea which had stove in the wheelhouse, knocking out both radio and radar and her nets continued from page 11 had been washed overboard and into the propeller.

Ten minutes later it became clear that the fishing vessel had got some power to her propeller and she began to make slowly for harbour with the lifeboat escorting her. At 1034 Golden Years entered Troon harbour and when the lifeboat had seen her safely berthed, the lifeboat crew readied themselves for another service.

While the lifeboat had been at sea attending to the fishing vessel a message had come in from the Coastguard that another vessel, this time a coaster, was in danger of being driven aground on Little Cumbrae Island, to the north west of Troon.

The lifeboat reached the scene at 1230 when she found the Danish coaster Else Gitte with her anchor holding in two metres of water. She was in ballast and had found that she could not make headway in the force 10 storm which was still gusting to hurricane force 12 at times.

Coxswain Johnson stood by in the very rough sea until 1249 when a tug arrived. A hawser was put aboard the coaster, her anchor cable was cut and she was towed to quieter water.

Meanwhile, as a precaution, a coastguard cliff rescue team had been landed on Little Cumbrae by a helicopter. The helicopter was then called away to another casualty which left the cliff rescue team stranded. The lifeboat therefore went in to take the men and their equipment off the Island.

The twelve men, many of them suffering from sea-sickness were taken to Rothesay where they were eventually landed at 1710. Before returning to Troon the lifeboat crew were given food and drink by a member of Rothesay ladies guild. At 1830 the lifeboat set out again for station and by 2055 she was back inside Troon harbour, refuelled and ready again for service.

The chief of operations, Commander Bruce Cairns, sent a letter to Coxswain/ Mechanic Ian Johnson and his crew following this eleven hour service, thanking them for their perseverance and dedication..