During the time that the Ruby and Arthur Reed was on station at Cromer she performed 120 service launches, rescuing 102 lives including 3 dogs.

Ruby and Arthur Reed II was designed as a fast slipway boat (FSB) and featured a semi-planing hull fabricated from steel.

[3] The lifeboats power came from twin General Motors GM6V92TA DDEC turbo-charged marine two-stroke diesel engines which could develop 525 brake horsepower (391 kW).

Ruby and Arthur Reed’s equipment included satellite navigation apparatus interfaced through a PC to a visual chart display.

Ruby and Arthur Reed carried a large amount of first-aid equipment including both oxygen and entonox.

In the meantime Rig stand-by vessels Desirade, Stout Truck and Vulcan Service were attending the yacht and stood by as she drifted in the relentless weather conditions.

To save time reaching the yacht coxswain Richard Davies decided to take the Ruby and Arthur Reed across sandbanks.