Nine seamen rescued from coaster stranded on sandbank in heavy swellA service by Cramer's Tyne class lifeboat Ruby and Arthur Reed II on 21 November 1990 has been recognised in a letter of thanks to the crew from the Chairman of the Institution. During the service, which lasted for almost seven hours, the lifeboat took nine people off a stranded coaster, helped refloat her and put out a fire in a chip pan in the vessel's galley!First news of the casualty came at 1700 on Wednesday 21 November 1990 when Great Yarmouth Coastguard informed Cromer that the 1,300-ton Stavroula, was aground on the Mid Haisbro Sand but in no danger. It was hoped to refloat her on the next high water at 2120 and the Greek master had requested lifeboat assistance.

At 1807 Ruby and Arthur Reed I I launched from the slipway to stand by the vessel and proceeded on service with Coxswain Richard Davies in command.

The coxswain set course at full speed to the Mid Haisbro buoy 13 miles distant, but at 1830 the casualty was heard calling the Coastguard. The crew now wanted to abandon ship, and a few minutes later red flares were seen dead ahead. The casualty could be seen aground on the Mid Haisbro Sand, lifting slightly in the moderate swell. The wind had increased to ENE Force 4 to 5 with a moderate sea, but there was a heavy swell of some 15ft running from the north east.

There were still two hours to go before high water springs on the sand bank.

Swell At 1910 the coxswain approached the casualty on her port side working the helm and engines continually in the heavy swell and asked the casualty's crew to take the lifeboat's lines lines forward and aft. However, as soon as the crew saw the lifeboat they hurried along the deck with their suitcases and immediately scrambled over the side onto the lifeboat! With no-one left to take the lines Second Coxswain William Davies and assistant mechanic John Jonas went aboard and secured the lifeboat, but before the stern line could be attached the heavy swell rolled the lifeboat's starboard quarter against the vessel's side bending the quarter rails.

With the nine survivors on board the lifeboat moved off into deeper water and the two men checked the vessel. Assistant mechanic Jonas found a chip pan on fire in the galley and put it out - this could have caused serious problems for the salvage attempt by a tug on the way from Lowestoft. The casualty was not found to be taking in water, but the rudder was jammed to starboardAt 1920 two helicopters arrived and the master and engineer were returned to the vessel at 1927 ready to refloat her, and the two crewmen stayed on board to assist.

The survivors were then transferred to one of the helicopters at 2015 and both then left.

Before the tug arrived the lifeboat attempted to refloat the casualty by using a bow line and turning her to starboard, using her own engine and the jammed rudder. However, the line parted when the vessel grounded again.

The casualty was now heading south west, and the swell had built up to some 20ft. It began to run over the main deck and the crew hurried aft to shelter in the accommodation.

The lifeboat was still standing by, and a large swell came around the casualty's stern and rolled her heavily to starboard. Ten gallons of water entered the engine room through an air intake, but both engines con-tinued to run normally. The lifeboat then lay off waiting for the tug.

At 2200 the casualty refloated herself under her own power, but as the rudder was jammed the lifeboat came in again to secure a towline from the casualty's bow to keep her off the sand.

Tow The swell was so heavy that the fishing vessel accompanying the tug to run lines would not come in close, so the towline was passed directly to the tug from the lifeboat.

However, the connection was lost at the tug end, so the lifeboat moved away to allow the tug right up to the casualty's bow where the lifeboat crew secured the tow wire, after Second Coxswain Davies had started the donkey engine in the fo'c'sle.

Finally at 0015 the casualty was safely under tow to Lowestoft with the master and engineer aboard and the lifeboat was able to retrieve her hard-working crew and return to station.

The lifeboat was rehoused at 0145 and was refuelled and ready for service at 0215..