Three saved after 11 hour service to yachtcromer lifeboat 2nd Coxswain Billy Davies received the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum for saving the lives of three crew and their yacht after an eleven hour 1/etU *.

service in severe weather conditions. An 11 m yacht was drifting out of control towards shoal water and oil rigs off Cromer. Her crew were overwhelmed by the conditions. With two merchant vessels providing a lee, the lifeboat managed to take the yacht in tow, and take boat and crew safely to Great Yarmouth.casualty 0145 0420 Yarmouth At 0030 on 6 November 1998 Great Yarmouth Coastguard requested Cromer lifeboat to launch to the 11 m auxiliary yacht Tange of Whitby, 16 miles off Cromer. The yacht was without power and drifting further out to sea towards shoal water and gas rigs. Winds were WNW Force 8, with a rough sea. The crew of three was finding it impossible to make progress under sail, and were being overcome by the situation.

The Mersey class lifeboat Her Majesty Queen, on temporary station duty while Cramer's new boathouse was under construction, launched from the beach at Cromer at 0050, with 2nd Coxswain Billy Davies in command. He had taken two additional crew members along due to the likelihood that two of crew would have to be put aboard the casualty. It was a bitterly cold night and, as the lifeboat cleared lee of the land, conditions deteriorated and the sea became very rough, making conditions on board the lifeboat very unpleasant.

Two of the merchant vessels, which had responded to a Mayday relay, were asked to provide a lee for the casualty and monitor her situation until the lifeboat arrived.

The lifeboat arrived on scene 55 minutes after launching. The casualty was rolling violently, starboard beam on to the sea. The heads'l was still rigged and the bow paid off to leeward every time a gust blew. Communications had been established with the yacht, and it became clear that the three individuals on board were not in a position to help themselves.

2nd Coxswain Davies decided the safest option would be to put two crew aboard the yacht and establish a tow. But the erratic movement of the casualty made putting crew aboard very difficult. With the ferry Norbay maintaining a lee, the lifeboat manoeuvred from leeward of the casualty to her starboard quarter on the weather side.

From here she could edge close enough for crewmen John Davies and John Balls to jump aboard.

Frightened Once on board the casualty, the lifeboatmen found the yacht crew frightened and cold, but otherwise unharmed. John Balls and John Davies then began to prepare the yacht for a difficult tow. Realising that care at this stage would prevent the tow parting later, the crewmen spent twenty minutes preparing a bridle, which ran from the bow, down both sides of the yacht and was made fast to strong points on the deck aft of amidships.

Once ready, they signalled the lifeboat to make another approach. Once in position a heaving line was passed with a towline attached. The line was successfully transferred and the tow made fast. The tow began at 0219. 2nd Coxswain Davies decided to make for Great Yarmouth, 40 miles away, as the closest safe haven. The ferry Norbay agreed to escort the lifeboat to provide a lee until more sheltered conditions were reached. The second merchant vessel Stefan K was released at 0222.

Difficult During the initial stages of the tow, conditions were difficult. The lifeboat was beam on for most of the time and the sea was breaking over her on occasions but despite the conditions the yacht towed well. The two lifeboatmen on board took turns to steer, and by 0420 the tow was within four miles of the coast at Cromer.

Coxswain Davies was happy to release the Norbay.

Keeping close to the coast, the lifeboat continued its passage to Great Yarmouth, arriving at the harbour entrance at 0730 - five and a half hours after the tow had began.

At 0917 the lifeboat sailed for Cromer and was refuelled and ready to launch at 1201 - eleven hours after launching.

Martyn Smith, Divisional Inspector of lifeboats for the East, said: This was an eleven hour service to a yacht in danger of foundering off the exposed coast of North Norfolk. Coxswain Davies exhibited a high standard of seamanship and considerable initiative. All the crew demonstrated the necessary skills required to achieve a successful outcome in poor weather conditions.' Seven crew members are to receive Vellum service certificates, and a letter of appreciation from the Director of the RNLI will be sent to the masters and crew of two merchant ships which assisted in the rescue. The crew members are Assistant Mechanic John Jonas, 2nd Assistant Mechanic Gary Humphrey, John Davies, John Balls, Adrian Woods, Paul Jeffries and Giovanni Vanzino. For crewmen Jeffries and Vanzino it was their first night-time service on the allweather lifeboat..