Man overboard A large crowd gathered at Filey on 2 July 2001 for the naming ceremony of the station's new D class lifeboat Rotary District 1120. They got rather more than they expected, however, when a full-scale rescue took place in full view of the harbour. Stephen Forster, station honorary press officer and second tractor driver, takes up the tale.The dedication ceremony for our new D class was coming to a conclusion when the attention of some of the crew wandered to a yacht motoring north across the bay. As the yacht's hull disappeared behind Filey Brigg, the rock ledge promontory that defines the north arm of Filey Bay, the phone rang. It was Number Coastguard: we had a shout. Gilbert Grey oc, our president, was most impressed. He thought this was laid on as part of the ceremony! Mr Geoffrey Rowe on his Bavaria 34 yacht Araxian was on solo passage from Grimsby to Whitby when his engine failed north of Filey Brigg.

He had started to drift south, which would have taken him onto the Brigg. HMS Shetlandwas in the vicinity and RAF Leconfield's search and rescue Sea King helicopter was overhead at the time. Both remained on scene until the arrival of our all-weather lifeboat Keep Fit Association.

We launched on service right at the top of the tide, which in Filey is quite interesting. Our carriagelaunched Mersey is normally towed to the water's edge, turned around square to the surf and launched to sea. When there is no beach, this manoeuvre has to be carried out within the confines of the slipway at the bottom of Coble Landing. The 'push in' then has to be made on a curve to round the sea wall that forms a breakwater to Coble Landing.

The run to the casualty was less than 1.5 miles as Malcolm Johnson, our coxswain, was able to take the boat inshore of the E cardinal buoy, which marks the submerged section of the Brig. In the tideway north of the Brig, the north-westerly gale over the tide was lifting up swells to 6m. 'Scruffy', as Malcolm described it, 'rough, but I've been in rougher'. On the way to the casualty, the boat 'took off twice.

When we reached Mr Rowe, it was quite clear that he was in a poor state to assist with taking a tow. He had left Grimsby at 2am and was now suffering as a result of the poor conditions. He was therefore very grateful for the offer of having a crew member put aboard. Malcolm decided to make his approach from windward, as Araxian was being carried off downwind and he was concerned that, if he came at her from the other side, she would roll heavily against the lifeboat.

Having made a dummy run. Malcolm made his approach, laying the bows of the lifeboat amidships of Araxian, enabling Barry Robson and Richard Robinson to assist Neil Cammish to scramble onto Arabian's foredeck. This is a complicated manoeuvre in a Mersey, with its aft steering position, as the coxswain has to rely on his 'eyes' in the bows: in this case, Barry Robson.

Neil was now safely aboard the Araxian. There was a piece of rope tied to the yacht's rails and I fastened myself onto that, as the conditions were treacherous', he recalled. He then secured the tow rope to the anchor winch and the tow commenced.

'After about 10 minutes the tow went tight, pulling the nose of the boat down', he said. 'The next thing I knew, we were hit by a wave and I was in the sea! I had hold of the rope tied to the rails and Mr Rowe had enough presence of mind to secure the rope tight. Thankfully, I managed to pull myself back on board. It happened so fast I didn't have time to be scared and I was fully kitted out, but I was quite cold on the way back.' With Neil safely back on board, the tow resumed to Scarborough harbour. Here a damp Neil wasreturned to Filey by road. Keep Fit Association returned to Filey, was recovered and rehoused, its crew content in the knowledge of a job well done. This was a dangerous job in extreme conditions but the boat, crew and all the gear performed well. With the exception of Neil's 'mishap', everything went as planned.

It was not until a few days later that most of the station came to realise what a magnificent piece of seamanship it had been from Malcolm, when a video taken by the search and rescue helicopter arrived. It clearly showed the lifeboat surging alongside, kissing the bows amidships of Araxian. depositing Neil and clearing astern on the top of one huge swell.

Everyone at Filey station was delighted to learn that Malcolm and Neil were to receive letters of thanks from the Chairman and Chief Executive, respectively, for their parts in this service. They were presented with them at a crew dinner on 2 March 2002. This dinner was arranged to mark the retirement of honorary secretary George Cammish and deputy launching authority David Baker, both of whom had given sterling service to the RNLI at Filey.THE LIFEBOAT Mersey class lifeboat ON' 1170 12-13 Ktrp Fit Allocation Funding Th« K«*p Fli Association appall ind Filtv lifeboat «pp*«iingelher with olhti gitti and legatiei THE CREW Chalimin'i Letter ol Thanki Coxswain Malcolm Johnson lot his 'seamanship, Doa I ha nd I ing ant)command skills' Joined craw 1967 Second Coxswain 1988 Coxswain 1998 Occupation Join«r Pievious Awards Thinks on Vellum 1984 Chief Executive's Letlet ol Thanks Craw Memoer Neil Cammiih Crew Members John W*rd Richard Rohmson Barry Robion P«t«r MacAulsy Ritlijidson Johnson FILEY LIFEBOAT STATION Established IBM Previous Medals Silver 18S9 Bionie 1919(1,21 Thanks on Vellum 1983, 1984.