NOVEMBER MEETING MARGATE, KENT. At nine o’clock on the night of the 5th of July, 1946, the Margate coastguard asked a local boatman to go to the help of the fishing boat Barbie, which appeared to be drifting seawards. A light south-west breeze was blowing, with a slight sea. The boatman and two other men went out in the motor pilot boat Nayland and found the boat drifting seawards with her engine broken down. They towed her into Margate Harbour at 10.20 that night. - Rewards, £2 5s. and 5s. for fuel used.

TORBAY, DEVON. During the afternoon of the 6th of September, 1946, a man and two women were out sailing in a pleasure boat. A squally north-west wind was blowing and the sea was choppy. At 4.45 the main-sail shackle-pin carried away. The man climbed the mast to reset the sail. At that moment a squall struck the boat and he dropped into the water to save a capsize. The boat was then 200 yards north-west of Brixham breakwater. Hearing cries of “Man overboard” two men put out in a motor boat, and with considerable difficulty pulled the man out of the sea. He was fully dressed, wearing seaboots and was very exhausted.

The rescuers gave him first aid and when they reached harbour a visitor gave him artificial respiration. Another motor boat then put out from the landing jetty, overhauled the sailing boat with the two women on board and towed it into Brixham. - Rewards, £1, with 2s. 6d. for fuel used.

PAPA WESTRAY, ORKNEYS. At eleven at night on the 13th of September, 1946, a sailing boat, in which two merchant seamen were returning to Papa Westray from Westray, capsized in Mid Sound. A fresh westnorth- west breeze was blowing, with a choppy sea. The men clung to their upturned boat and shouted for help. Their shouts were heard at Papa Westray and three men put out in a small rowing boat and searched with torches. After a hard pull they found the capsized boat, picked up the two men, now exhausted, and took them ashore. - Rewards, £3 15s.

MARGATE, KENT. At 8.25 in the evening of the 17th of September, 1946, the Margate coastguard reported that a small motor boat appeared to be in difficulties and drifting two and a half miles north-east of Margate jetty.

A light southerly breeze was blowing, and there was a slight sea. Two men put out in the motor pilot boat Nayland and found the motor boat Sea Ace, broken down and drifting seawards. They took her in tow and reached Margate harbour at 9.50. - Rewards, £1 5s., and 5s. for fuel used.

BURGHEAD, MORAYSHIRE. At eleven at night on the 17th of September, 1946, the sailing yacht Irene, with four on board, was seen drifting towards the shore about a mile east of the coastguard station. She had split her mainsail. A moderate south-west breeze was blowing, with a slight sea. The coastguard signalled the yacht to keep off the shore. She replied with a red flare and the coastguard informed the Cromarty life-boat, some 20 miles away on the other side of the Moray Firth. She put out at once. A few minutes later the yacht’s lights went out, and the coastguard, considering that instant help was needed, obtained the services of the local motor fishing boat Vigilante. Five men took her out, found the yacht and towed her into harbour. The services of the life-boat were not needed. - Rewards, £5, and 2s. 6d. for fuel used, of which £1 was returned to the Institution as a donation. (See Cromarty, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” p. 57.) PORT ERIN, ISLE OF MAN. At noon on the 21st of September, 1946, news was received from Bradda Head Cafe' that two rowing boats were drifting north and signalling for help. A strong southerly breeze was blowing, with a choppy sea. The honorary secretary of the life-boat station sent out two men in a motor boat. They reached the two rowing boats half a mile north of Bradda Head, and with some difficulty took them in tow and brought them in against wind and tide.- Rewards, £1, 2s. 6d. for fuel used, with £1 for loss of business.

NEWQUAY, CORNWALL. About five in the afternoon of the 22nd of September, 1946, the motor boat Poppy, which was pleasurecruising with four people on board, was seen by the boat inspector to be in difficulties and drifting seaward. An off-shore south-east wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. At the request of the inspector a boatman put off in a motor boat, found that the Poppy‘s engine was giving trouble and towed her into harbour. - Rewards, £1 for loss of business and 3s. for fuel used.

MARGATE, KENT. Shortly before midnight on the 23rd of September, five members of the crew of a naval motor fishing vessel put out in a small rowing boat to go to the motor fishing vessel 1165. The small boat did not return as expected. The MFV1165 was lying about a hundred yards from the jetty.

The night was very dark with a fresh westerly breeze. A moderate swell was running. Two local boatmen, with two other naval men, put out in the pilot boat Nayland. The coastguard turned on a searchlight from the shore and the boat used her Aldis lamp. The men in the pilot boat heard shouts and found the rowing boat waterlogged, with one man holding on to it and supporting another.

Both were completely exhausted. It was only with much difficulty, and after one of the naval men had dived overboard, that the rescuers were able to get them into the pilot boat. A signal told them that the Margate life-boat had rescued another man, but that two were still missing. They continued their search but found nothing, and returned to Margate half an hour after midnight. - Rewards, £2 10s., 5s. for fuel used, 16s. for a life-buoy and £1 3s. for a boathook which were lost. (See Margate, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” p. 56.)

RAMSGATE, KENT. On the 27th of September, 1946, the motor speed boat Louise II left Margate, with twelve passengers and a crew of two, to visit an American steamer aground on the Goodwins. She ran on the North Goodwin Sands at high speed, bending her main shaft and badly straining herself.

When she failed to return, the owner of the boat sent out another boat, but found nothing. Both the Ramsgate and Margate life-boats were then launched and made unsuccessful searches. The weather was fine, there was neither wind nor sea, so the occupants of the boat were in little or no danger. The Ramsgate coxswain, in his motor boat Salvor, an ex-life-boat, with a crew of six, was returning to harbour from servicing the South Goodwins Light-vessel at seven in the evening, when he saw the speed boat aground. He could not go alongside owing to the shallow water, but he rescued the fourteen on board her by hauling them on a life-float to a dinghy, which then put them on board the Salvor. He did not take them ashore at once, but decided to wait until the tide rose and he could salve the speed boat.

He towed her in at midnight. - Rewards, £5 5s. and 7s. 6d. for fuel used.

SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. At 6.4 in the evening of the 5th of October, 1946, the honorary secretary of the life-boat station was asked by the coastguard to send the lifeboat or some other boat to the S.S. Torni, which had been ashore for some days on Petard Point, five miles to the north of Scarborough, to bring ashore an injured seaman.

The sea was smooth, and only a light northwest breeze was blowing, so it was decided to send a coble, and four men put out in the motor coble Betty. They also took with them a rowing boat in case it was difficult to get alongside the steamer, as her deck cargo of pit props was washing about all round her.

The service was promptly carried out and the injured man was landed at 8.45. - Rewards, £4, and 8s. for fuel used.

LANCING, SUSSEX At one in the afternoon on the 7th of October, 1946, four men were returning to Shoreham in the motor fishing boat Florence Nightingale when, off the Lancing sewer pipe outlet, she struck a submerged object and sank. A light southwesterly breeze was blowing and the sea was calm. A local pilot and another man, in the motor fishing boat Iona, were also returning t o Shoreham. They saw  the Florence Nightingale sink, went at once to the four men in the water and rescued them. They then took the Iona as close in shore as possible and the rescued men waded ashore. - Rewards 15s.

BURGHEAD, MORAYSHIRE, . The motor fishing vessel Vigilante was in difficulties inside the Covesea Skerries about four in the afternoon of the 10th of October, 1946.

There was no wind or sea. She was seen by the lightkeeper at the Covesea Lighthouse, who passed information to the coastguard,and five men put out from Burghead harbour at 4.25 in the motor fishing boat Lupin.

They found the Vigilante with her engine broken down. She had no sails and was drifting towards shallow water. The rescuers showed fine seamanship in taking the Vigilante in tow in the gathering darkness. They brought her into Burghead harbour at 6.45 that evening. - Rewards, £5, and 2s. 6d. for fuel used.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 5.10 in the evening of the 15th of October, 1946, the pier master at Princes Landing Stage reported a motor launch broken down in mid river and drifting seawards. A light eastnorth- east breeze was blowing and the sea was smooth. Two life-boat motor-mechanics put out in the life-boat’s motor boarding boat, came up with the launch opposite Gladstone Dock, found that she had one man aboard, and towed her to New Brighton. - Rewards, 15s.