The lifeboat launched to a report of a 32' motor cruiser broken down approximately four miles north of Whitstable Harbour.

The craft was found with some difficulty in the misty conditions. A towline was connected, and it was  towed to Whitstable Harbour, where it was moored alongside.

The motor cruiser had been off Margate when it suffered failure of one of its two inboard diesel engines. With no harbour nearby that could be entered at that state of tide, the skipper decided to carry on, only for the second engine to fail off Whitstable.