MARCH 13TH. - ST. ABBS, and EYEMOUTH, BERWICKSHIRE. The Royal Observer Corps saw signals of distress and reported them to the police, who informed the St. Abbs Life-boat station at 2.30 in the afternoon. A whole northerly gale was blowing, with a very rough sea and the weather was very cold. The boat was known to be the Eyemouth motor fishing boat Spes Bona, with a crew of five. Her engine had broken down and she was leaking. An Admiralty trawler was seen attempting to help her. The St. Abbs motor life-boat Annie Ronald and Isabella Forrest was launched at 3.5. Information had also been sent to Eyemouth and the motor life-boat Frank and William Oates was launched at 3.5. In the meantime the trawler had taken the fishing boat in tow, but the rope had parted in the heavy seas. A line was then run by the Eyemouth life-boat from the Spes Bona to the trawler, but the fishing boat could not pull in the wire rope attached to it.

She was heavily water-logged and in danger of sinking. Even if the wire rope had been pulled in the trawler drew too much water to be able to tow the fishing boat into either St. Abbs or Eyemouth harbour. This was realised on shore and the motor boat Ravenscraig put out from Eyemouth and towed the Spes Bona into Burnmouth. Both life-boats went with them and they reached Burnmouth about six o’clock. The St. Abbs boat got back to her station about 6.45, but the Eyemouth boat was left at Burnmouth for the night and brought back to her station on the following day. - Rewards, St. Abbs, £17 3s. 6d. ; Eyemouth, £20 3s. 6d.