Three saved from motor ship aground and awash off beachawash off beach Whitstable and Sheerness lifeboats were launched after the motor ship Johnno broadcast a Mayday on 12 January 1995. The vessel, on passage from the Isle of Grain to Whitstable, had lost her hatch covers in onshore winds touching gale force and had begun to take water.

Her skipper was heading for the shore to beach her.Sheerness' Waveney class lifeboat was first to launch, at 0750, followed shortly by Whitstable's Atlantic 21 at 0759.

The Atlantic was first on the scene, locating the casualty at 0812 some 500 yards off the beach at Leysdown where she had grounded in a sinking condition.

She had lost her hatch covers and was lying with her main decks awash and occasional seas breaking over her fo'c'sle and wheelhouse and accommodation aft.

All compartments were flooded except the engine room, and there were fears that the wheelhouse windows might give way at any moment.

Crew member Mike Judge was put aboard the casualty forward in order to shut down the generator and drop the anchors, and was then picked up by the Atlantic and dropped off again by the wheelhouse at 0834 - as the casualty's decks were awash and impassable.

The Sheerness Waveney arrived on the scene at 0926 and the master asked to be evacuated and so Whitstable's Atlantic made three passes to pick up the people aboard Johnno. On the first run the mate was taken off and transferred to the Waveney; on the second the master was picked up and transferred; and on the third crew member Mike Judge was brought back aboard.

By 0939 everyone was safely off thestranded coaster and both lifeboats returned to their stations - the Atlantic making a net recovery at 1040 and the Waveney landing her survivors at Sheerness at 1027..