THE JOURNAL OF THE RNLI Volume XLVII Number 474 Winter 1980/81 25p Sailing loan interest rates reduced for Shoreline members Now, as a Shoreline member, you're in a privileged position when it comes to financing your sailing. Shoreline Sailing Loans are available to members from Mercantile Credit at special interest rates below those charged on their standard marine loans. One of them can provide the cash you need to buy a boat, to refit, or even for major annual expenses like insurance. Then you can spread the cost over regular instalments and so sail on a budget. Help the R.N.L.I. as you help yourself Shoreline Sailing Loans will provide a valuable source of revenue for the R. N.L.I., as well as saving you money. Each loan granted will provide a donation to the Institution, without the deduction of promotion, administration or other costs. Non-members can apply for loans and join Shoreline simultaneously, and have their first year's membership paid for them. Mercantile Credit, will make a £5 donation to Shoreline for each advance made to non-members, entitling them to family membership for one year. You can pick up a Shoreline Sailing Loan leaflet at your local branch of Mercantile Credit (see your telephone directory for the address). Written quotations are available on request from Mercantile Credit, (Shoreline Loans), FREEPOST, London WC2B 5XA. No stamp needed. fi I Mercantile Credit Mercantile Credit Company Limited Head Office: Elizabethan House, Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5DP. THE LIFEBOAT Winter 1980/81 Contents *»—«*-« »• Lifeboat Services 113 XLVII Lifeboat Services, June, July and August, 1980 118 474 Going alongside . and survivor recovery 119 January, 1881: three weeks of storms and blizzards just a hundred years ago, by Ray Kipling, public relations officer 124 Chairman: THE DUKE OF ATHOLL Two relief . one station . the naming of three lifeboats in September, Director and Secretary: I98° 126 REAR ADMIRAL W. J. GRAHAM, CB MNI Launching and Recovery—Part I: slipway stations, by Edward Wake- Walker, assistant public relations officer (London) 128 Shoreline 130 A Day at the Races: Ascot, September 26, 1980 131 £jjtor. Building the Fast Slipway Lifeboat—Part II: on the stocks 133 JOAN DAVIES Some Ways of Raising Money 134 Headquarters: Royal National Life-boat Institution, Letters 138 West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ (Telephone Poole 71133). Books 139 Telex: 41328 London Office: Index to Advertisers 144 Royal National Life-boat Institution, 202 Lambeth Road, London SE1 7JW (Telephone 01-928 4236). Editorial: All material submitted for Advertisements: All advertising consideration with a view to publica- enquiries should be addressed to tion in the journal should be addressed Dyson Advertising Services, PO Box 9, to the editor, THE LIFEBOAT, Royal Godalming, Surrey (Telephone National Life-boat Institution, West Godalming (04868) 23675). Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ (Telephone Poole 71133). Photographs intended for return should be accom- Subscription: A year's subcription of panied by a stamped and addressed four issues costs £1.40, including post- envelope. age, but those who are entitled to receive THE LIFEBOAT free of charge will continue to do so. Overseas sub- scriptions depend on the cost of Next issue: the spring issue of THE postage to the country concerned. COVER PICTURE LIFEBOAT will appear in April and news Write to RNLI, West Quay Road, Winter at Lowestoft: the 47ft Waveney items should be sent by the end of Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ. lifeboat Frederick Edward Crick under January. News items for the summer snow, January 1979. The photograph was issue should be sent in by the end of Printers: The Friary Press, Grove Trad- taken by Crew Member Michael Richford. April. ing Estate, Dorchester, Dorset. 109 FOR 300 YEARS RNLI Symbol Sweater THE SUPERB RDM OFTHE ROYAL NAVY '(TV This unique sweater in navy courtelle or botany wool has the RNLI symbol woven in. Adults sizes 34' to 46" and crew neck style only. Now offered to the pnblic Botany'wool CIS 00 Prices include 15% VAT and P&P (UK) Delivery normally 21 days if in stock. for the first time Out of stock orders acknowledged and subject to 12-15 weeks delay For availability information Cash with order please, stating size, to write or telephone Michael Fogg. ED&FMan (Victuals) Ltd. Mrs. M. W. Heaton, RNLI Kensington, 41a Warwick Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6DU Tel: 01-626 8788 Gardens, London W14 8PL (Tel: 01-603 9373). Exclusive Admiralty Rum Brokers since 1797 The complete insurance and financial service for supporters of RNLI • Saving for the future • Tax Consultancy • Buying a house Planning for Retirement p Insure your Boat, Car or Reviewing your insurances Caravan with special or investments RNLI terms SEND FOR YOUR COPY F THE NEW BROCHURE To AEGIS INSURANCE SERVICES (GROUP) LTD.. I am particularly interested in the following (tick box FREEPOST. Maidenhead. Berks SL65BU required) Please send me without obligation my personal copy of the complete insurance and investment service Family Protection Lite Assurance Car Insurance • brochure Review of Existing Life Assurance Plans Household Insurance D I No postage necessary il posted in the U.K. Investment tor Future House Purchase Insurance of Valuables Finances in Retirement Yacht and Cratt Insurance Name (Mr.. Mrs.. Miss) I Tax Efficient Investment Please phone me to discuss ( I Date ot Birth Please ring for an Appointment and see us at any of IAddress our principal offices: I I Westminster 01-222 9431 Bristol 0272 297777 I Edinburgh 031 556 01 82 Sheffield 0742 364405 Tel No.: (Day) Maidenhead 0628 23484 Yeovil 0935 23191 Tel. No.: (Evening). RNLI 1080 Ballast 0232 47747 Whatever your Insurance and investment needs, AEGIS will advise you I HO called in at every department, taking The appeal chairman, Vice-Admiral great interest in the work of each. Sir Peter Compston, wrote to the Then, before he and his party left national newspapers to thank every- to fulfil other engagements in Poole, body who had contributed and said: they were entertained to an informal 'I feel sure this will be a fitting tribute buffet lunch in the committee room to a great man. I know it is one which his prepared by members of the staff and family warmly welcomes.' attended by representatives from each department. At this gathering, which brought to an end what had been a happy and much enjoyed visit by the 'head of the family', the Duke of Kent was pre- sented with a small brass scale model of a propeller for the new Brede class lifeboat, still on evaluation trials, made by Michael Randall, a fitter in the depot. NOTES OF Mountbatten lifeboat appeal The Mountbatten lifeboat appeal was THE QUARTER officially closed on September 30, hav- Simon Hall is presented with his bronze ing raised over £200,000. The appeal, medal by Michael Vernon, a deputy chair- details of which Earl Mountbatten had man of the Institution. THE DUKE OF KENT, President of the agreed shortly before he was killed, photograph by courtesy of Jeff Morris Institution, visited the RNLI headquar- was originally intended as a district ters and depot at Poole on Tuesday one, proposed by Romsey branch, with Medal presented to teenage boy morning, October 7, attended by his the target of providing £100,000 to fund The minimum age for joining a Private Secretary, Lt-Cdr Richard the prototype RNLI Medina class lifeboat crew is 17, but of course Buckley, and accompanied by HM lifeboat. However, the response was so lifeboatmen do not claim a monopoly Lieutenant for Dorset, Col Sir Joseph great that two lifeboats of this class will on saving life at sea. So, when 16- Weld, and the Chief Constable, Mr D. be bought and named Mountbatten of year-old Simon Hall, of Robin Hood's Owen. After the Royal Party had been Burma and Countess Mountbatten of Bay, Yorkshire, put out in an eight foot welcomed by Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Burma. Contributions came in not only dinghy in June, 1979 to rescue another Compston, a deputy chairman of the from all over the country but from all teenager from a home-made raft, the Institution, and by Rear Admiral W. J. over the world. Numerous fund-raising courage and seamanship he displayed Graham, the director, the Duke was events were arranged in support of the were recognised by the award of the first taken on a tour of the depot, meet- appeal and the stream of individual RNLI's bronze medal. Simon could not ing and talking with staff employed in donations quickly became a torrent. attend the annual presentation of the various workshops and stores Many of these gifts, greatly appreci- awards last May as he was sitting an O which provide the back-up service to ated, came from men who had served level examination (which, incidentally, the Institution's fleet of lifeboats. with Lord Mountbatten at sea or in he passed). So, he and his parents were Moving across the road to headquar- Burma. invited to Poole to witness the naming ters, the opening ceremony of which he of the new relief 52ft Arun class had performed in May, 1976, the Duke lifeboat Edith Emilie. Following the ceremony, Michael Vernon, a deputy chairman of the Institution, presented Simon with his medal. In the evening Simon was taken to the Paul Daniels Show at the Pavi- lion Theatre, Bournemouth, and magi- cian Paul Daniels interrupted his show to read out the details of the rescue and he asked Simon to stand to the warm applause from the audience. Old year, new year Although the audited accounts for 1980 will not be available for some time, early indications are that the Touring RNLI depot and gross target of £12 million will have headquarters at Poole on been reached, and everyone who has October 7, HRH The Duke of Kent, President of the helped to make this fine result possible Institution, is shown the rig- is to be congratulated.