Eleven men and fishing vessel saved In winds gusting to 90 knotsA difficult service in winds up to almost 90 knots earned coxswain / mechanic Hewitt Clark of the Lerwick lifeboat a Bronze Medal, recognising his leadership, seamanship and boat handling ability which were put to a severe test during the ten-hour service.It was at 2250 on Sunday 17 January 1993 that Shetland MRSC first informed the station honorary secretary that the MFV Ardency had broken down 16 miles ESE of Bard Head. She was taking water and her pumps were not working.

Less than 15 minutes later Lerwick's Arun class lifeboat Soldian left her mooring and proceeded at full speed.

The wind was from the west at about 50 knots, creating a very rough sea with a swell about 6ft high within Bressay Sound, and very heavy rain reduced visibility to less than a mile.

Increasing After ten minutes the lifeboat cleared Bard Head and a course was set for the casualty. The coxswain was able to maintain full speed in seas that were increasing in size with each mile as the lifeboat left the lee of the land.

Just after midnight the lifeboat was able to speak with the casualty on VHP and learned that the SAR helicopter from Sumburgh was on her way. Arriving on scene at 0008 she was unable to lower salvage pumps due to the severe motion of the casualty and stood off to await the arrival of the lifeboat.

Until a towline could be made fast the casualty was doomed. The SAR helicopter could not transfer the salvage pumps until then, and with no power Ardency was sinking.

At 0012 the lifeboat sighted the casualty, lying with her bows downwind shipping seas overall and rolling so violently that her keel could be seen.

The wind was now gusting to Force 14 (89 knots) and the air was full of spindrift.

The coxswain manoeuvred the lifeboatinto a position off the casualty's bow and, at the second attempt, a heaving line was passed.

The lifeboat crew hauled across 60m of heavy nylon line which was attached to a bridle at the casualty's bow. The lifeboat then steamed into the wind as the rope was paid out and at 0040 the coxswain slowly brought the casualty up into the wind.

Still the helicopter could not get close enough to the casualty to transfer the salvage pumps, so the coxswain towed Ardency with the wind on her port bow and the pumps were eventually lowered aboard.

The lifeboat now started to tow very slowly on a course for Bard Head, just fast enough to make headway. The coxswain had continuously to adjust engine speed to meet the seas but an average speed of 2 knots was achieved. For five hours the lifeboat made headway towards some lee from the land and by 0530 the lifeboat and her tow were just over four miles from Bard Head, with the casualty being pumped out and gaining freeboard.

However at 0535 the towline parted, andthe crews of the lifeboat and the casualty had to make tremendous physical efforts to recover the towline and then set it up again - a task which took three-quarters of an hour - with the lifeboat crew continually swept by breaking seas as they worked on the afterdeck.

Repairs When the towline parted the engineer on Ardency (of whom the coxswain spoke highly) had enough time to carry out major repairs and succeeded in clearing the water from the crankcase. At 0635, fifteen minutes after the tow had been reconnected, the engine coughed into life, although the coxswain left the towline in place as the MFV made slow progress to safety.

At 1718 the lifeboat and casualty passed Bard Head and made their way slowly into Lerwick harbour. By 0818 the casualty was made fast in Lerwick and by 0845 the lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again.

For their part in the service medal service certificates were awarded to second coxswain/assistant mechanic Peter Thomson, crew members John Fraser, Ian Tulloch, Robert Wiseman and Robert Simson..