French trawlermen saved IN THE WAKE OF the hurricane which swept across South East England in the early hours of October 16, 1987, many of the boats berthed at Newhaven Harbour—ripped from their moorings in the 90-knot winds—had been blown up the river into the ferry berths.

Newhaven's 52ft Arun class lifeboat Keith Anderson, under the command of Coxswain Len Patten, was called upon that morning to assist with the clearing up operation and was in the midst of this task when, at 0930, Solent coastguard received a call from the French trawler La Franyoise, reporting that she was disabled and sinking seven miles south-west of Newhaven.

The auxiliaries of Newhaven Coastguard who were on duty that morning had been forced to evacuate their lookout because the windows had all been blown in by the hurricane force winds.

They were operating, instead, from their Land-Rover.

Communication between Solent Coastguards and the local unit were further hampered by the destruction of telephone wires and radio aerials along the coast, in the aftermath of the storm •and so the message regarding La Franfoise had to be relayed to Newhaven and shouted across the river to Coxswain Patten by one of the auxiliary coastguards.

Coxswain Patten immediately conferred by radio with Captain A Flint who was, on that date, deputy launching authority with operational control. At 0935 Keith Anderson was leaving Newhaven Harbour en route to the trawler's reported position.

The wind had by then moderated to south-westerly force 9-10, but the sea state outside the protection of the breakwater was very rough with a steep south-westerly swell of 10-12 ft in height. Frequent rain squalls and spray made visibility variable.

Using radar and the VHF/DF, La Fran^oise was located at a position of 220° True 5.6 miles from Newhaven Harbour entrance.

The lifeboat made her best possible speed in the rough seas pitching and rolling violently. Communications between the lifeboat and Solent Coastguard remained impossible and an added complication was the inability of the French trawlermen to speak English, or of the lifeboat crew to speak French.

This problem was overcome by station administration officer and DLA M Tubb (later appointed SHS), a fluent French speaker, who was with Coastguards in the Newhaven Coastguard Mobile on top of the cliffs to the west of the town and who acted as interpreter between lifeboat and casualty, using the Land-Rover's radio.As the lifeboat reached the vicinity of the trawler at 1015, Mr Tubb established that there were five men on board La Fran^oise and that the violent motion of their vessel in the rough seas was filling them with apprehension.

The weather conditions at the position of the casualty were south-westerly wind force 9, gusting to force 11, a very rough sea and steep south-westerly swell estimated to be 15ft in height.

Coxswain Patten manoeuvred the lifeboat as close alongside the trawler as he dared and moved ahead of it up wind, to enable a tow line to be passed to the trawler using a heaving line.

However, this operation was complicated when the French seamen decided to rig a bridle for the towline, the entire operation taking some 30 minutes.

During this period Coxswain Patten skilfully held the lifeboat in position ahead of the casualty, while his crew had to ensure that the towline did not have any slack in the water nor that it was pulled taut by the motion. This operation required great skill and patience by the lifeboat coxswain and crew.

During the subsequent tow back to Newhaven Harbour, made difficult by the following seas, the trawler was continually yawing. At the harbour entrance very rough seas were experienced but, once the shelter of the breakwater was gained, it was possible to shorten the tow and bring the trawler to safety.

Once moored, a pump was obtained to enable La Framboise to stay afloat so that she could be repaired. Keith Anderson returned to her station at 1305.

(Note: Shoreham Harbour's 47ft Watson class lifeboat Sarah Jane and James Season also launched to the assistance of La Fran^oise but returned to station once it had been ascertained that Newhaven lifeboat was in sight of the casualty.) Following this service, Coxswain Leonard Patten, who has since retired, has been awarded a framed letter of thanks signed by the chairman of the Institution, the Duke of Atholl. A letter of commendation from the director, Lt Cdr Brian Miles, has gone to Second Coxswain Alan Boyle, Motor Mechanic Michael Beach and Crew MembersChristopher Bird, Phillip Corzi, Nicholas Gentry and Ian Johns, and to the station honorary secretary M Tubb a letter of appreciation from the chief of operations. Captain George Cooper..