The Autumn 1 999 oatThe magazine of the RNLI In this issue... • Flotilla Special The Poole Flotilla and International Lifeboat Conference six page feature 175 years • Lifeboat Services of saving lives at sea Bronze Medal and Thanks on Vellum • Sepoy Rescue Anniversary One of Cromer lifeboat and Henry Blogg's finest hours A welcome that leaves other Boat Show packages in our wake. A trip to the London International Boat Show, Buckingham Palace and To book any of the Hilton/Stakis January 6th - 16th 2000, is even better when you make a Westminster Bridge Boat Show Packages, call Hilton or Stakis Hotel your first port of call. The friendly • St lames' Park tube station Hilton Reservations Worldwide welcome continues right through your stay and you'll be 1 min walk on 0990 201 201 and quote 'Boat Show'. Lines arc open conveniently based for getting to Earl's Court. Our Boat Show STAKIS ISLINGTON Package also proves that quality London accommodation 9am-6pm, 7 days a week. 53 Upper St, Islington doesn't have to be expensive. Our confirmation will be sent to you • Short walk to Angel tube station within 7 working days. Payment is This truly international show HILTON LONDON MEWS • Two theatres within 5 mins walk non-refundable it' cancellation occurs • Underground guest parking features over 600 exhibitors 2 Stanhope Row. Park Lane 14 days or less before the event. For details of Special Events Holiday including 1000 boats of all • Intimate 'Town House' hotel in Yachting Legends Evening to be descriptions and a whole array of held on the 7th or 8th January Insurance, please ask at time of the heart of Mayfair booking. For rail/flight information, the latest engines, equipment, • Close to all London's major at Hilton London Metropole with please enquire between 9am-6pm accessories, boating holidays and attractions a popular speaker from the 7 days a week. much more. For the year 2000, yachting world. National Boat Shows have once HILTON NATIONAL again selected Hilton / Stakis as OLYMPIA Your Hotel Twin/Double Single their preferred accommodation London Hilton £81.50 £154.00 380 Kensington High Street partner and as such have with Dinner Supplement £98.00 £170.50 negotiated special rates in a • Situated on one of London's The Langham Hilton £81.50 £154.00 choice of top London hotels. major shopping streets ir/'i/i Dinner Supplement N/A N/A • Kensington High Street tube Hilton London Kensington £57.00 £87.00 LONDON HILTON station 15 mins walk or a short with Dinner Supplement £76.50 £106.50 22 Park Lane taxi ride Hilton London Mews £69.00 £113.00 • Landmark hotel by Hyde Park • Easy access to London museums n7//i Dinner Supplement £84.00 £128.00 Corner and West End theatres Hilton National Olympia £57.00 £87.00 • Central to business, shopping • Superb leisure facilities with Dinner Supplement £73.00 £103.00 and theatreland Hilton London Metropole £54.00 £84.00 • Houses of Parliament and HILTON LONDON in//! Dinner Supplement £69.00 £99.00 Buckingham Palace nearby METROPOLE Stakis Hyde Park £51.00 £76.00 Edgivare Road ir/f/i Dinner Supplement £67.00 £92.00 THE LANGHAM HILTON • 2 mins to Marylebone and Stakis St. Ermin's £52.00 £68.50 10 Portland Place. Regent Street Paddington stations. with Dinner Supplement £67.00 £83.50 • Located in the centre of the • Edgware Road tube station Stakis Islington £48.50 £68.50 West End. just north of Oxford 2 mins walk with Dinner Supplement £61.50 £81.50 Circus • Luxury LivingWell Health Club All prices arc per person per night (bused on sharing a double, ivvin room) and inelude one night's accommodation and lull breakfast. On arrival at the hotel each guest "'" • Convenient for Oxford Street, receive their ticket to the boat show and a voucher to collect u free show catalogue at Bond Street, Covent Garden Earls Court. Please note (hat no boat show tickets will be available on preview day on the STAKIS HYDE PARK bth January. Full prc-payment is required at time of booking. and Soho Bayswater Road • Langham Health Club on site ' Superb Kensington Gardens HILTON LONDON and Hyde Park views KENSINGTON • Queensway tube station / 79- / 99 Holland Park Avenue 3 mins walk • Holland Park tube station • 2 recently refurbished restaurants and lounge Hilton 3 mins walk Hilton Group pic in association with • Convenient for shopping in Kensington High Street. STAKIS ST ERMIN'S Harrods at Knightsbridge and Caxton Street Portabello Road • Modern comforts, 19th century AB/ii PASSION FOR BOATINEG • 2 restaurants, one specialising splendour in lapanese cuisine, and bar • Peaceful location between The oat Autumn 1999 In this issue. Number 549 News and Views The magazine of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution The latest news from and about the RNLI West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ. Telephone Poole (01202) 663000 Lifeboat Services 8 Telex 41328. Rescues from around the country including a Bronze Medal and Vellum www.rnli.org.uk services email: [email protected] Sepoy Rescue Anniversary 14 Registered Charity Number 209603 Philip Thouless looks back 65 years to when he witnessed the famous Chairman: Director and Secretary: Sepoy Gold Medal rescue at Cromer Flotilla Special 16 We bring you a six page special celebrating the International Lifeboat Conference week and its highlight - Flotilla day on 23 June David Acland DL Andrew Freemantle MBE The Lifeboat Your Letters 22 Readers put pen to paper Editor: Assistant Editor: Ready for Anything 24 A double page spread taken from Storm Force News magazine looking at lifeboat equipment Mike Floyd Jon Jones Bookshelf 26 Editorial Tel (01202) 663188 A look at some of the latest books on lifeboats and the sea Fax (01202) 663189 email: [email protected] Two Minutes 26 Membership Enquiries The solar eclipse on 11 August saw people flocking to the Tel (01202) 663234 South West to get the best view Mike Floyd describes email: [email protected] events at Falmouth Advertising Please contact Madison Bell for all High Seas 28 display and classified enquiries Tel (017113890808 More bird's eye views of lifeboat stations email: [email protected] Spotter's Guide 30 Front Cover Part two of our recap on lifeboat classes Margate's Mersey class, People and Places 33 Lifeboat Leonard Kent, stands by as tugs fight the fire aboard container Around and about the RNLI vessel, Ever Decent, which collided with cruise liner, The Fundraisers 36 Norwegian Dream, off the Kent How some of the RNLI's funds are raised - including anniversary events coast on 24 August. See Stop and how some branches are winning 'fundraising friends' Press on services page 13 for further details. List of Launches 43 Photo by Michael Pett Station-by-station lifeboat launches for March, April and May 1999 175 years of saving lives at sea Deputy PM takes to the lifeboats! Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott took to the water in the Dover lifeboat recently when he presented the RNLI with a Millennium Product plaque for the Severn class all-weather boat. The coxswain and crew of the City of London II received the plaque from Mr Prescott aboard the boat which was moored at St Katharine's Pier on the River Thames for the special ceremony on 5 August. Mr Prescott was 'running the country' at the time in the absence of the Prime Minister who was on holiday and the media flocked to take pictures of the DPM in his lifejacket ! Mr Prescott was met at the pier by the Chairman of the RNLI, Mr David Acland, who asked the Dover coxswain Dave Pascall to receive the plaque. He was then invited to take a short trip afloat by Tower Bridge. The RNLI received the prestigious plaque in recognition of the design of the Severn class lifeboat which is the largest, most modern and Advertising in technologically advanced lifeboat in the fleet with a top speed of 25 knots. The Lifeboat On the big screen The RNLI celebrated 175 years of saving lives at sea with a hard-hitting cinema commercial in September. Working Conditions, was shot on location From the next issue, Madison Bell will handle all the advertising sales for The Lifeboat Maga- on a roller coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, in front of an aircraft at RAF zine. Madison Bell is the same company that Lyneham, and in an meat freezer to demonstrate the tough life of RNLI crews have successfully handled the advertising for at sea. the National Trust Magazine for several years The 60-second commercial, which went on release in cinemas across and come highly recommended. the UK and Ireland for two weeks, was shown in cinemas whose advertis- We are sure you would agree that the maga- ing is sold through Pearl and Dean and it is estimated that it was seen by zine, which is in effect our 'mouth piece' to RNLI one and a half million cinema goers. The commercial is intended to appeal members and supporters, should be subsi- particularly to the 18-30 age group which the RNLI sees as an important dised as much as possible to ensure that the audience in its anniversary year. majority of our resources are channelled into running the lifeboat service. However, we also New RNLI Treasurer wish to strike a careful balance between adver- tising subsidy and editorial content. Rest as- lain Bryce, former chairman of the Humber Lifeboat Appeal, has been sured that the current balance will remain the appointed Treasurer to the RNLI. Mr Bryce, who joined the RNLI Commit- same with Madison Bell.