Four saved from yacht aground in heavy sea and swell A service by the Walton and Frinton lifeboat to a yacht aground with four people on board has earned the coxswain a letter of thanks from the Institution's chairman. The other members of the crew have received a letter from the director expressing his thanks for their part in the service, as have the station's honorary secretary and his wife, who provided comfort for theyacht's crew after their ordeal.

At 01 19 on Saturday 14 July 1990 Philip Oxley, the honorary secretary of Walton and Frinton lifeboat station, heard from Thames Coastguard that the 32ft yacht Minstrel Boy was aground on the Gunfleet Sand and bumping heavily.

An immediate launch was authorised and at 0139 the Solent class lifeboat Lady Mac- Robert, on relief duty at the station, slipped her mooring under the command of Coxswain Robert Kemp in an ENE wind of Force 5 to 6 and 8 mile visibility. VHP communication was established with the casualty, and at 0157 a VHP DP bearing was obtained.

Pounding The Harwich pilot boat Progress was standing by but was unable to close the casualty because of the shoal water.

At 0221 the coxswain reported that Lady MacRohen was on scene and that Minstrel Boy. with four people on board, had been driven on to the sands and was pounding heavily in a steep, breaking sea and heavy ground swell. The wind was ENE Force 5 to 6, gusting 7.

Flares fired by the lifeboat allowed the coxswain to see that the yacht was in very shallow water, and he was forced to bump the lifeboat across the sand for some oneand- a-half cables.

Without enough depth of water to manoeuvre the coxswain ran the lifeboat in close to the yacht's starboard side, taking several attempts as the lifeboat bumped heavily in the broken water. The lifeboat was brought close, only to be knocked away by the swell. On the second attempt the secondcoxswain hooked a grapnel on a dinghy on the yacht's foredeck and the boats were secured together.

The four people aboard the yacht appeared to be in a state of shock, and had to be persuaded and then virtually manhandled aboard the lifeboat. At one point the yacht was lifted by the seas and struck Lady MacRohen's forward cabin with her stem.

The yacht's skipper was very reluctant to leave, and when he did his lifeline was still attached to a shroud. The lifeboat crew pushed him back aboard to prevent him being crushed between the boats and he wasbrought aboard at the second attempt.

At 0227 the lifeboat was able to report that all survivors were on board, and as conditions were not suitable for towing the grapnel was cut away and the coxswain came astern into deeper water before turning to clear the sandbank.

At 0234 course was set for Tichmarsh marina and the survivors, who were suffering from cold, shock and seasickness, were tended. The lifeboat was met by the station honorary secretary, and by 0355 the lifeboat was alongside and the survivors taken to his home where they were given hot baths, food and drinks.

Lady MacRobert was made ready for sea, but it was decided to remain at the marina because of stress of weather, and to check a minor fault on the radar, caused by the heavy bumping on the sands.

At 0716 the Coastguard reported the yacht was adrift and the lifeboat towed her to the marina before returning to her pier mooring at 1100..