Lifeboats stand-by stranded cargo vessel in severe weatherThe chairman of the RNLI has written a letter of thanks to the coxswains and crews of the Padstow and St Ives lifeboats following a very difficult operation in storm-force winds.At 2040 on Sunday, 12 March 1989 Falmouth Coastguard telephoned Padstow lifeboat station to inform them that the Panamanian- registered ship Secil Japan, then 17 miles NW of Trevose Head, had issued a Mayday. Her cargo had shifted and she had a 20 degree list.

At 2053 the Padstow lifeboat, the Tyne class James Burrough, launched with the wind WSW Force 8, and rough sea conditions.

By the time the lifeboat had cleared Trevose Head, which took 15 minutes, a helicopter from RN AS Culdrose had found the casualty to the south, seven miles off St Agnes Head.

Course was set for the new position and full power applied into the sea.

Falmouth Coastguard then asked that the St Ives lifeboat be launched, and at 2148 the 37ft 6in Oakley class Frank fanfieldMarshall launched and seta northerly course at full speed to clear The Stones, as there was too much sea to use the inner passage through The Sound.

The wind was westerly Force 7 to 8 with a rough sea, but no difficulty was experienced by either lifeboat.

The pilot of the helicopter had been advising the captain of SecilJapan to keep in deep water, and not to head for a lee shore. But the captain continued to head towards the coast and eventually turned, dropped both anchors and shut down the main engine. He then asked that his crew be evacuated and a second helicopter was scrambled.

The coxswain of St Ives manoeuvred hislifeboat ahead of the casualty, anchored and started veering down, but he encountered such large seas that he had to recover his anchor.

Padstow lifeboat arrived and also anchored, intending to fire a rocket line and rig the breeches buoy. However as the coxswain started to veer down a helicopter began winching the survivors off and so the Padstow lifeboat also recovered her anchor. Both coxswains decided to lie off whilst the helicopters winched the crew off.

Four crew were lifted off before the winching had to stop, as the line on the helicopter had parted several times.

By 2300 the wind had increased to Force 8 to 9, gusting 10, from the NNW.

Very rough seas were breaking over the casualty, which was taking the ground astern in the troughs, and the remaining 12 survivors refused to leave the shelter of the wheelhouse.

Low water was at 0245, by when it was hoped that the casualty would be aground more firmly.At 2315 both of SecilJapan's anchor cables parted, and her bow swung to port, putting her starboard side to the sea. At 2328 she lost all power and plunged into darkness.

The deck cargo of timber shifted further and was eventually washed away, while the derricks broke loose and swung with the movement of the ship. The clanging of the derricks could be heard on board the lifeboats.

Winching Just before 0200 the ship became more stable as low water approached and the helicopter managed to put a crew man on board the casualty. Winching started again but the first man to be winched raised his arms as he neared the helicopter door and slipped from the strop. He plunged 180ft into the surf and was lost. The remaining 11 men were winched into the helicopter by 0217, just 30 minutes before low water.

Both lifeboats were released and headed for their respective stations. Padstow's Tyne returned at approximately 8 knots, encountering rough seas on the way. St Ives' lifeboat took two very heavy seas which poured water into the radar, MF and VHP DF, all of which stopped working. She beached at her station at 0310 and the Padstow boat held off her slip until daybreak when she recovered.

Due to the extreme weather during this long service both lifeboats suffered damagefrom the heavy seas encountered - stanchions were bent; control panels, radar displays and radio equipment filled with water; and small items washed overboard.

In his report divisional inspector South West, John Unwin said that the service could so easily have turned into a disaster if either coxswain had not conducted himself in such a cool, well thought out manner.

Both coxswains were aware that if they had veered down on the casualty's port side, and the ship had swung into the rocks and cliff they would have been trapped.

'I commend both crews for their perseverance in getting the anchors on board and retrieving all the anchor cable,' he said, 'and coxswains and crews carried out their duties in a manner that was a credit to the RNLI.'.