The Rescues

At midnight on 26^th February, the Looe Coastguard received a call from the Cawsand Coastguard telling him that a vessel was firing rockets off Portwrinkle. Twenty-five minutes later he received a call from the Coastguard at Downderry, three miles away saying the vessel was ashore between Portwrinkle and Polhawn. This was the SS Daisy, from Liverpool on her way to Penarth from Dieppe via Plymouth, with a crew of 14 but no cargo, which made her too light to make headway in the conditions. At 1.20 a.m. the muster gun was fired. However because of the strong south-west gale, not all the regular crew heard the signal, and at least two were absent, but four volunteers made up the numbers and the boat was finally launched at 2.40. Ryder set a course nearly due south in the heaviest sea Edward Toms the Coxswain had ever experienced – at times the boat nearly stood on end. Lights were seen on the cliff near Polhawn and these guided the lifeboat, now proceeding eastwards. However, when she was abreast of Downderry, the recall signal was seen: a message had been received in Looe that all the crew had been saved by the rocket apparatus – a rocket firing a line to the stricken vessel, which was wrecked and breaking up. Ryder did not return to Looe until 5.30 in the morning.

The coasting smack William had left Plymouth at 5.00 a.m. with a cargo of limestone from Plymouth bound for Charlestown. But a gale in Whitsand Bay took away her mainsail and foresail, leaving in danger of crashing into the rocks near Plaidy Beach, The Ryder was launched at 2.45 p.m., with the helpers in water waste deep and then remaining about wet in case they were needed again. Ryder succeeded in taking the two members of the crew off, when the William was just 120ft (37 metres) away from the rocks. The lifeboat was back in Looe with the two men at 3.35. The William was not wrecked. The wind, which had been dead on shore, shifted to the west, allowing her to remain at anchor and she was brought safely out to sea the next day.

After returning from the rescue of the William’s crew, but before the Ryder was taken back to the boathouse, the call came to rescue the crew of the Looe lugger Anemone, under the command of Harry Prynne, which was off the coast on a lee shore with a heavy sea running and an extremely heavy gale. Anemone’s boat had become separated from the lugger when coming into harbour, and rather than lose it, Prynne decided to chase it. He did not succeed but found he could not return to Looe because of the wind. Ryder set sail around 4.30 p.m. and reached the boat an hour later. The Anemone had no anchors and her sails and spars had either been carried away or were useless. The Ryder’s crew attempted to save the lugger, but without success. She was wrecked on the Long Stone, beneath Cargloth Cliffs, but not before, with great difficulty the four men on board were taken off. The seamanship displayed in this rescue greatly impressed the local Royal National Lifeboat Institution committee – the Ryder was close enough for the Anemone’s crew to jump onto the air box at the aft end of the lifeboat, “yet not a scratch was made on the boat or a bruise on any of the men. As the sea was so steep and heavy that the boats appeared nearly half their length out of water one moment, and next “standing on end” the wind blowing with hurricane force, it may be imagined how much skill was required to perform this service. The way the Life Boat came to windward against a strong tide and broken big sea, was the admiration of all beholders. The crew deserve special commendation.” Ryder was back in Looe by 7.30p.m.

The schooner St Pierre of Nantes, with a crew of six, was sailing from Cherbourg to Charlestown in ballast after delivering a full cargo of china clay, when she was wrecked by the force of the wind half a mile west of Looe. Ryder was rapidly launched, despite the heavy sea, at 2.15 p.m. and reached the vessel at 2.50. A lead-line was thrown to the schooner and made fast. The schooner’s mate jumped for the line, but missed: very luckily a huge wave tossed him onto the line, which he was then able to grab. One by one the rest of the crew were hauled through the surf and taken into the lifeboat. Even the captain’s black French poodle was saved – a line was fastened to him and he was towed to the lifeboat, not without a struggle as the dog really wanted to swim for the shore. With great seamanship and efficiency, all six crew were taken safely on board and the lifeboat was back in Looe at 3.25, where the sailors were taken care of by Major H. Shapcott of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society and the Salutation Inn. The St Pierre meanwhile drifted onto the rocks at Hannafore and soon became at total wreck. The gale did not lessen until 11pm and it was only then that Ryder was brought onto the slipway.

On the evening of 9^th September, two men – Edward Atkinson of Rosebank, Mixtow, Lanteglos and Bevill Quiller-Couch (son of Sir Arthur Quiller-Counch) – had left Fowey at about 10.30 p.m. for a trip in Atkinson’s large air tank canoe. As a strong breeze was blowing from the east-south-east at midnight, they decided to anchor in Lantic Bay funtil morning. At 6.00 a.m. they set off back to Fowey but the wind had increased and the boat was swamped. Despite Quiller-Counch’s efforts, Atkinson was drowned. At 7.05 a.m. the Looe Coastguard were informed by telephone that a vessel was ashore in Lantivet Bay, six miles west of Looe ,and that a man had been seen in the water with a lifebelt. A signal rocket – described as a ‘bomb’ – was fired twenty minutes later and Ryder was launched ten minutes after that. When she reached Lantivet Bay under sail, she found a tug there, which had picked up the man and taken him to Fowey. Another man had gone down with the vessel. The lifeboat cruised for some time searching for Atkinson’s body but could find nothing. She returned to Looe by 2.00 p.m. and the lifeboat was back in the boathouse at 3.00 p.m. Atkinson’s body was found the following morning by a search party.

That morning a heavy south-south-east gale was blowing with blinding rain and a heavy and dangerous sea was breaking across the harbour. At 11 p.m. the Coastguard Station at Portwrinkle reported that a number of fishing boats were running for Looe. Fearing an accident, Ryder was launched at 11.10 p.m. and stood outside the bar in readiness. No rocket was fired to assemble the crew, for fear that the fishermen might take this as a signal not to enter the harbour and to stay out at sea. Fortunately the fishing boats either entered the harbour or reached Plymouth safely, and the lifeboat came in about 1.30 a.m. She moored in the river just in case she was needed again, but was back in the boathouse at 10.00 a.m.

At 8.00 pm the Coxswain was told that small sailing craft had capsized off the Knight Errant Shoal Bell Buoy, four miles south of Looe, even though the weather as fine with light passing showers. Ryder was launched fifteen minutes later. Nothing was found, but the Coastguard’s whaleboat did recover a naval service cap without the ribbon. Ryder returned to Looe and was back ashore by 11 p.m. and was back in the boathouse by midnight.

The steamship Panama Transport was sailing from Le Havre to Newport in ballast with a crew of 36 when she lost her propellor in a strong gale. At 7.00 a.m. a telephone messages was received from Portwrinkle that she was at anchor about half a mile south of Portwrinkle, seven miles from Looe, and flying the distress flag. At 7.30 Ryder was launched, with great difficulty and sailed out to the steamer. At 8.15 when she was close, she dropped her anchor and came alongside, upon which six men immediately jumped into the boat. Ryder then had to sheer off because of the high seas, but as the Panama Transport’s anchor was holding, the captain asked the Coxswain to return to Looe and call Plymouth for tugs. If a tug came, he said there was no need for the lifeboat to return. A government tug arrived around 11.00 but as by 2.00 p.m. it had not succeeded in moving the steamer, despite an improvement in the weather, the lifeboat returned to the scene. By then a second tug had arrived and it was reported in the newspapers that three of the Panama Transport’s crew lost their lives getting the tug boats’ ropes while Ryder was returning to Looe. Nevertheless, the two tugs managed to get the steamer underway. Ryder accompanied the Panama Transport until she was safely round Rame Head. She then returned to Looe, reaching the shore by 6.00 p.m. and was back in the boathouse by 7.00 p.m.

At 6 am the Looe Coastguards were telephoned by their counterparts at Rame Head and told that they had received a message from the trawler Marguerite of Bologne that she had run ashore south of the Eddystone lighthouse. Ryder was launched half an hour later but at 7.00 another message was received from Polperro stating that the trawler was stranded on the rocks in Talland Bay. A signal was sent to recall Ryder and the motor lugger Dorothy was despatched to tow the lifeboat to Talland Bay as the wind was blowing hard from the south-west. On reaching the stricken trawler at 7.30, which was no in a cradle of sharp rocks, broadside to the waves. Her keel plates were badly driven in and her propeller and rudder lost. Some of the crew managed to launch Marguerite’s small boat, but fortunately Ryder appeared and rescued them. Ryder dropped her anchor well to windward and veered alongside Marguerite and took off her entire crew of 21 (or 23 according to the Cornish Times), including the skipper’s 10-year old son. Dorothy then towed Ryder back but with the lifeboat laden with so many survivors, the tow rope parted. Ryder’s only casualty was a broken and lost boat hook. She was back in Looe at 9.30 and in the boathouse at 10.00 am. Later that morning the Marguerite’s crew were able to take a charabanc to the wreck and take off some of their personal possessions. Her electric lights were still burning and she had 50 tons of fish in her hold, worth £200. The next day the crew travelled on to Plymouth and into accommodation arranged by the French consul, Mr G. Lang.

A clip showing the wreck of the Marguerite can be found on the Pathé News website: https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/49243/

In 2002, a safety valve recovered from the wreck of the Marguerite, mounted on a piece of Ryder’s original keel was presented by John Southern to Pierre-Adrien Fourny, the grandson of François Fourny, the owner of Marguerite.

The Mary Pearce (or Mary Peers) was a three-masted schooner, sailing from Torbay to her home port of Fowey in ballast with a crew of four to take on a load of china clay. Unfortunately her engine was not strong enough to battle the wind. At 10.05 a.m. the Looe Coastguard told the Honorary Secretary of the Lifeboat that he had had a message from Portwinkle that a vessel in Whitsand Bay appeared to be in distress. The crew assembled and the Coastguard said that he would fire a rocket from the Coastguard buildings (at the back of the town) if the lifeboat was needed. At 10.25 the signal was seen. The tide so low that the Ryder had to be launched into the harbour rather than from the beach. Even so, it took 34 helpers to get her launched over the bar, and who got very wet. By 10.50 a.m. the boat was clear and she sailed the seven miles to Whitsand Bay. The heavy rain obscured any signal for Portwrinkle so the lifeboat went directly to the wreck, about a mile to the east of Portwrinkle, which she reached at 11.30. Nobody could be seen on the wreck – the crew had just been taken off by the rocket apparatus (a rocket was fired to the vessel to which a chain was attached and the crew could be removed one by one by breeches buoy). The resecured men stayed the night at Portwrinkle coastguard station in the care of Mr Stoyle, until the owner of the vessel came up from Fowey. The lifeboat returned to Looe, which she reached at 1.35 p.m. and was safely back in the boathouse at 2.00.

The Coastguards at Downderry watched a steamer of around 2,000 tons for some time as it was apparently in difficulties, probably because of engine failure. She had anchored and was sounding its siren at regular intervals although she did not fire a flare. However she was on a lee shore and in danger as she was only half a mile from the rocks in heavy seas. So at 8.30 p.m., a message was sent to the Looe Coastguards and the lifeboat crew assembled and ready to go in 35 minutes. However, just as Ryder was about to be launched a motorcyclist arrived from Downderry with word that the steamer had got going again and was heading eastwards towards Plymouth. Ryder was back in her boathouse by 9.05 pm. As she had not been launched, no payments were made.

About 4.30 p.m. a local fisherman William Taylor informed the lifeboat’s coxswain William T. Toms that a yacht had gone on the rocks near Looe Island and was flying distress signals. This was the Zarita of Plymouth, with four men on board, including the master John Irwin. She was sailing to Genoa from Plymouth with a part-load of household furniture. The lifeboat crew were quickly assembled and at 4.40 was launched. However, a wave dashing against the carriage caused the rudder to be damaged and the Ryder had to be towed out to the wreck. She reached her about 5.00 and took three men off. The captain remained on board for some time, but presumably when he realised the yacht was wrecked, he too came on board the lifeboat. All four were brought safely ashore at 7.15 and Ryder was back in the boathouse at 8.25 p.m.

The SS Paris was a French ocean liner built for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. On 7^th April she had run aground in New York Harbour and eleven days later at 11.00 a.m. she again ran aground, this time on the north reef of the Eddystone. At 11.50 a message was received by the Honorary Secretary from the Coastguard Station that the liner was stranded, with 400 people on board. The Plymouth lifeboat, which should have gone to Paris’s aid, was missing her anchor at the time, so, as distress signals were still being put out from the Eddystone lighthouse, the Ryder crew was assembled. Ryder was launched at 12.30 (with the aid of 38 helpers) in thick fog but with a smooth sea. Because there was no wind, the motor fishing boat Our Girls was ordered to tow Ryder to the lighthouse. However, about five minutes after the boats had departed, a message was received that the steamer had succeeded in getting off the rocks. The fog was so dense that it proved impossible to signal Ryder to return. The lifeboat and Our Girls went all the way to the lighthouse, only to be told by the keeper that the steamer had left at 12.30. Ryder then returned, reaching the station at Looe at 5.50 pm. Meanwhile, SS Paris went on to anchor off Penlee (Rame) where 157 of her passengers disembarked into a tender and were ferried to Plymouth.