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THE JOURNAL OF THE RNLI
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Winter 1978/79
/^ /"\y%-f /•*y» -f o' Notes of the Quarter, by Patrick Howarth 75
Lifeboat Services 77
V OlUine XL V1 Offshore Lifeboat Services, June, July and August 1978 82 Number 466 Knockdown 83
Lifeboat People 87 Chairman: MAJOR-GENERAL R. H. FARRANT, CB Naming Ceremonies: Lerwick and Dungeness 88 Acting Director and Secretary: JOHN R. ATTERTON, MBE Letters 89
175 Years 90 Managing Editor: PATRICK HOWARTH Building a Rother Class Lifeboat: Part X—Engines and superstructure ,. fitted: Steering system 92 JOAN DAVIES Shoreline 94 Headquarters: Royal National Life-boat Institution, Sweet William, by Rosemary Whitten 95 West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ (Telephone Poole 71133). „ ... ,. „ . . ,, „_ Some Ways of Raising Money 97
London Office: Book Reviews 102 Royal National Life-boat Institution, 21 Ebury Street, London SW1W OLD (Telephone 01-730 0031). Inshore Lifeboat Services, June, July and August 1978 105
COVER PICTURE Editorial: All material submitted for Advertisements: All advertising consideration with a view to publica- enquiries should be addressed to When HM The Queen, accompanied by tion in the journal should be addressed Prince Edward, visited Orkney in August, Dyson Advertising Services, PO Box 9, coming ashore from the HMY Britannia at to the editor, THE LIFEBOAT, Royal Godalming, Surrey (Telephone Scapa Pier, the crew of Stromnesx lifeboat National Life-boat Institution, West Godalming (04868) 23675). were presented to her by Captain Magnus Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ Work, DSC, honorary secretary of Kirkwall (Telephone Poole 71133). Photographs station branch: (I. to r.) Coxswain Alfred intended for return should be accom- Sinclair (hidden). Second Coxswain Robert panied by a stamped and addressed Scott, Motor Mechanic R. Stewart Taylor, envelope. Assistant Mechanic William Sinclair, James Adam and Michael Flett. The photograph was taken by Gunnie Moberg. Subscription: A year's subscription of Next issue: the spring issue of THE four issues costs £1.40, including post- LIFEBOAT will appear in April and news age, but those who are entitled to items should be sent by the end of receive THE LIFEBOAT free of charge January. News items for the summer will continue to do so. Overseas sub- issue should be sent in by the end of scriptions depend on the cost of post- April. age to the country concerned.
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To: Maritime Book Society, PO Box 6. Newton Abbot, Devon | I would like to join the MARITIME BOOK SOCIETY Please supply the 3 introductory books numbers I i r at the special introductory price of only 25p each (plus 75p total carriage) and I will pay upon receipt for any books I choose. (Allow up to 21 days for delivery). If I keep the introductory books I will automatically become a member and agree to purchase at least 4 books (in addition to the introductory offer) during a year's membership and may resign thereafter. If 1 am not satisfied with the introductory books 1 may return them within 10 days and owe nothing. Mr/Mrs/Miss Address
I Signature of Parent or Guardian if under 18) Maritime Book Society. Brunei House, Newton Abbot. Reg No 843946 bers from Kilmore Quay, where the lifeboat was capsized twice on Christ- As we were going to mas Eve last year, as well as from St Ives and Torbay, whose lifeboats press we were deeply experienced some of the worst of the shocked to hear of the storm conditions. sudden death after a The main subjects discussed were lifejackets, the design of seats and seat short illness of Captain belts, the provision of safety lanyards Nigel Dixon, QBE RN, the and protective helmets, and training director of the Institu- generally. Evaluation trials of a number tion. A full announce- of items of equipment will be carried out before final decisions are made. ment will be made in the next issue of the journal. Governors' subscriptions As recently as 1970 the annual cost of running the lifeboat service was less Value added tax than £2 million. In 1978 the cost is more Concern has understandably been than £8 million: a rise of more than 400 felt by lifeboat supporters recently per cent. Yet during those eight years about the application of VAT to the NOTES OF no changes were made in the subscrip- lifeboat service and in particular about tion rates for governors of the RNLI. its effect on the work of branches and THE QUARTER Last spring, however, after extensive guilds. This is a complex subject and discussions at the annual general meet- one on which the RNLI officials have ing of the governors, it was agreed that been having long and friendly discus- the need for subscription increases sions with Customs and Excise officials would be well appreciated by lifeboat to determine how the RNLI and its by Patrick Howarth supporters. The following proposal was supporters, who must of course remain carried unanimously: strictly within the law, can suffer the 'The governors of the Institution shall minimum impact from the tax. consist of the persons who at January 1, The RNLI already enjoys zero-rating THE EXPERIENCES of a number of 1979, shall already be life governors or on the building and repairs of both lifeboats in the severe gales last winter who thereafter shall have subscribed to offshore and inshore lifeboats. From led to the appointment in February, the funds either one sum of £150 or the discussions now in progress it is 1978 of a working party to examine upwards, or by an annual payment of £15 hoped that the burden placed on RNLI what more could be done to reduce the or upwards, and of such other persons as voluntary workers in terms of paper- shall be elected to be governors by a work will be reduced and simplified dangers facing lifeboat crews in general meeting, as having rendered extreme conditions. Vice-Admiral Sir essential service to the Institution, and and that the outcome of these discus- Arthur Hezlet was appointed chair- shall be entitled to vote at all general sions can be communicated to them in man. The working party was chosen to meetings.' the New Year. allow for an exchange of views be- tween committee and staff members While it is hoped that those members and others with extensive first-hand who are already governors will wish to Lifeboat centres experience of service in lifeboats, increase their contributions, whether The RNLI has now established a including John King, the former they do so or not they will continue to number of important repositories of Bridlington coxswain. receive copies of the journal and an local history in the form of museums In addition to the formal meetings invitation to the annual presentation of and display centres. In addition to the discussions were held with crew mem- awards. older established museums such as (Right) When HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visited Hastings last June all the lifeboat crew and launchers were introduced to her. Coxswain Joe Martin (behind Her Majesty) presents ILB crew members II. to r.) Peter Thorpe, Christopher Chapman, Anthony Hodgson and Anthony Barnard. photograph by courtesy of G. Horton
At the Earls Court, European Offshore Petroleum Exhibition last October, HRH The Duke of Kent, president of the RNLI, discusses with Leverton Engine Divisional 1 Manager Ron Jones the lifeboat photographed, Aberdeen's 54ft Arun B P Forties, which has two Caterpillar 343 engines. H. Leverton have supplied all Caterpillar engines fitted to Arun class lifeboats.
75 chairman of a special committee which vessel from one of his world tours. was set up to deal with construction of In World War I Cdr Michelmore the new offices and depot when the served with the Royal Navy and his RNLI moved the administration from first post with the RNLI was as North- London to Poole. ern District inspector in 1930. He Two new members recently joined moved to the Eastern District in 1941 the Committee of Management: Pro- and was appointed deputy chief in- fessor Sir George Algernon Smart, BSc spector in 1945. He became chief MD FRCP, who joined the Medical and inspector in 1951, retiring from the Survival Committee in 1971 and is the Institution at the end of June 1958. Institution's honorary medical consul- Cdr Michelmore brought to the post tant, and Cargill Sandeman, chairman of chief inspector an encyclopaedic of Glasgow branch and a life-long knowledge of lifeboats, their crews and Brian Potts (I.), who came ashore in 1976 sailor. the local committees who administer after 16 years at sea as an engineer officer the stations on the coast. He was the in the Merchant Navy, presents a painting 'Right Way Up' last of the chief inspectors with pre- to Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum. It was Tremendous interest was caused by war, and war-time, experience of accepted by Alderman Cecil Baker
WHILE CROSS CHANNEL FERRY Viking Venturer was entering the Needles Channel on Monday evening July 3 she reported at 2002 the sighting of a cap- sized and semi-sunken yacht five cables south of Bridge Buoy. There was no sign of life aboard. An SAR helicopter was immediately scrambled and at 2006 Needles Coastguard requested the launch of Yarmouth lifeboat. Accordingly at 2015 the 52ft Arun Joy and John Wade launched with Coxswain/Mechanic David Ken- nett in command. There was a strong breeze to near gale, force 6 to 7, blowing from the south west, the sea was moderate to rough and the tide was flooding. Visi- bility, good generally, was reduced to only fair in occasional rain squalls. While the lifeboat was on her way the helicopter located the 17ft yacht On exercise: Joy and John Wade, the 52ft Arun stationed at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. Turpina and put a diver aboard who, photograph by courtesy of HMS Daedalus having searched the cabin, reported no sign of life. The position was fixed and in fact established that this yachtsman closed the yacht and on the second a rate of drift established. The helicop- was in the habit of securing himself attempt managed to secure a line to one ter then began a search of the Needles with a lifeline to mast or rigging when of her cleats. The tow was resumed but area and as far west as Anvil Point, but working forward.) almost as soon as the strain was taken found nothing. A second helicopter, from HMS Nor- on the warp it again broke out; the Arriving on scene at 2038, Yarmouth folk, relieved the SAR helicopter and weight of the three-quarters submerged lifeboat began a box search of the area tried to land a crew member aboard the boat was too much for the cleat and it until dusk, but found nothing. With yacht, but this manoeuvre also proved sheared. dark approaching it was decided to impossible in the prevailing weather. The crew took their boat alongside abandon the search and to take in tow Moreover, with the radio equipment it and using their anchor as a jury grapnel the yacht, now drifted to some 3'/2 carried on board, this helicopter was managed to wedge it into the cabin. cables off Tennyson's Cross near able to communicate neither with the The tow was started once again and the Freshwater, Isle of Wight. lifeboat nor with the Coastguard. inflatable was recovered, not without Coxswain Kennett manoeuvred the The lifeboat resumed the tow and difficulty in the rough weather. The lifeboat close to Turpina which was when just into a slight lee around the lifeboat then headed back to station at lying with her stern only out of the Needles the line broke out again. As 2'/2 knots, escorted for the last mile or water and showing a freeboard of some before, the broken mast, sails and rig- so by the Police launch Ashburton. She 12 inches. A grapnel was thrown ging around the yacht made it impos- entered Yarmouth Harbour at 0130 and aboard and the yacht taken in tow, but sible to get close enough to secure a manoeuvred the yacht alongside the it was only a matter of moments before tow line properly without risk of foul- jetty, helped to right her and extricate the tow line broke out from the yacht. ing the lifeboat's propellers. the body before returning to her moor- The tow was again made fast and, as With the slight lee, sea conditions ings and being made ready for service the lifeboat got under way, the bow of improved marginally and Coxswain again by 0300. the yacht was lifted clear of the water; Kennett called for volunteers to man For this service framed letters of only then was it realised that a body the Y class small powered inflatable to thanks signed by Major-General Ralph was caught in the rigging. As soon as take a tow line across to the yacht. Farrant, chairman of the Institution, speed was reduced the bow sank once Crew Members Stuart Pimm and were presented to Crew Members more and in the near gale now blowing Richard Downes volunteered and, with Stuart L. Pimm and Richard Downes. from west by south and the rough sea it the lifeboat steaming slowlv ahead into Letters of thanks signed by Captain was not possible for the body to be wind and sea, launched the inflatable. Nigel Dixon, director of the Institution, recovered by the lifeboat crew. (It was With Stuart Pimm at the helm they were sent to Coxswain/Mechanic
77 David G. Kennett, Second Cox- topher Haw then rowed between the from Whitehaven to Kilkeel with a swain/Mechanic Brian D. A. Miskin, rocks to the yacht; a difficult task in the crew of six aboard, had gone ashore Assistant Mechanic Nicholas G. ground swell and thick fog. They south of Port Erin and needed help. Chandler, Second Assistant Mechanic reached the yacht by 0020, however, The weather was fine with good visi- Robert R. Cooke and Crew Members and while Acting Motor Mechanic bility, a moderate to fresh breeze, force Alan Howard and Maurice A. Pimm. Bishop remained in the dinghy Crew 4 to 5, was blowing from the north east Member Haw climbed aboard Carillion and the sea was rough when, at 0635, of Wight. Two of the crew were helped Port Erin's 37ft 6in Rother lifeboat into survivors' lifejackets and then Osman Gabriel launched and set out at South Eastern Division helped into the dinghy. With a second full speed. Half an hour later she came veering line made fast to the dinghy and up with the casualty ashore on the Thick fog tended by Crew Member Haw aboard rocks at the foot of a 250ft sheer cliff on the yacht, the dinghy was hauled back Calf Island, some two-and-a-half to THE WATCHMAN at St Aldhelm's Head to the lifeboat. By 0045 all six people three miles west south west of Port Coastguard heard sounds of a vessel had been taken off in this way and were Erin. striking the rocks below his lookout in safely aboard the lifeboat. Incentive's port side and bilges were thick fog at 2145 on Thursday July 13. The cliff rescue team also asked to be damaged and she was taking in water. Without delay he alerted the Coast- taken aboard the lifeboat, as the climb A line was passed and secured and with guard Cliff Rescue Company and, at back up the cliffs would have been the fishing boat's engines going astern 2157, requested, through the duty dangerous i,n the persisting fog. So, at the lifeboat made three attempts, all deputy launching authority, the launch 0050, the inflatable dinghy secured to unsuccessful, to haul her clear. With of Swanage lifeboat. Twelve minutes veering lines was rowed ashore by Act- Incentive starting to flood badly, the later the 37ft 6in Rother J. Reginald ing Motor Mechanic Bishop and wind freshening and backing to the Corah launched into the fog with Sec- Emergency Mechanic Ian Marsh and north and the tide now ebbing, Cox- ond Coxswain/Mechanic Victor Marsh the three coastguards were taken off swain Peter Woodworth decided to in command. It was low water and the the rocks and out to the lifeboat. take off the crew from the fishing wind was variable force 0 to 1. The dinghy was then rowed back boat's stern. As the big swell running Course was set to take the lifeboat again so that Acting Motor Mechanic made this a hazardous task, the six men about a mile south of Durlston Head to Bishop could join Crew Member Haw embarked on a liferaft which was pul- clear the numerous trots of lobster pot to see if it would be possible to refloat led to the lifeboat. By 0800 they were buoys inshore and by 2225 the lifeboat, the yacht and tow her off. An attempt all safely aboard. The six men were using radar for blind pilotage in visibil- was made to bail her out but, when it disembarked at Port Erin and the ity that was at best 50 feet, was abeam was found that she was making water lifeboat then returned to her station and of Anvil Point making best possible too fast for the pump to keep pace with was rehoused at 0855. speed. Half an hour later she reached the leak, two anchors were run out to For this service a letter of thanks the position where the casualty was secure her and she was abandoned. signed by Captain Nigel Dixon, direc- thought to be, approaching from almost The dinghy was hauled back to J. tor of the Institution, was sent to Cox- due south, and began to search. Reginald Corah for the last time and at swain Peter Woodworth and his crew. Meanwhile, by 2245, three coast- 0255 the lifeboat recovered her anchor guards of the cliff rescue team had been and course was set for station. She was lowered to the base of the sheer cliff. alongside her slipway at 0410. The South Eastern Division They found the yacht, Carillion of yacht's crew and the cliff rescue team Wight, with a damaged rudder. Her were landed and given hot tea. While Injured men crew of six were all uninjured. the coastguards were picked up by Visibility had closed to a maximum their own transport, the yacht's crew A HANG GLIDER crashed on the rocks of of 15 feet and the young flood tide now spent the remainder of the night in the Beachy Head and the pilot badly running at over 3 knots towards the crew room and were given breakfast injured was reported to Eastbourne east was bringing up a moderate ground next morning by Mrs Gloria Marsh, the lifeboat station by Fairlight Coastguard swell making probes in between the second coxswain's wife. at 1524.on April 23. Eight minutes later rocks at the cliff foot very difficult; The lifeboat was rehoused and ready the D class ILB was launched and, they had to be made athwart the tide for service by 0455. crewed by Helmsman Colin Burden which carried the stern away to star- For this service framed letters of and Crew Member David Corke, set board. There were also many single thanks signed by Major-General Ralph out at full speed. The day was fine with lines of lobster pot buoys laid in the Farrant, chairman of the Institution, good visibility but a fresh to strong area. Visibility was practically nil and were presented to Second Coxswain/ breeze, force 5 to 6, was blowing from at such short distance from the shore Mechanic Victor A. C. Marsh, Second the north east and the sea was choppy. radar was no help, so Acting Coxswain Assistant Mechanic George W. Bishop It was 4'/2 hours after high water. Marsh asked the casualty to sound her and Crew Member T. Christopher As speed was reduced to negotiate fog horn to help him in his search. Haw. Letters of thanks signed by Cap- the confused sea at Head Ledge the After six attempts to find the yacht tain Nigel Dixon, director of the hang glider was sighted on the rocks among the rocks, during which the Institution, were sent to Assistant near Falling Sands and at 1546 the ILB lifeboat had grounded several times Mechanic Phillip J. Dorey, Emergency was beached 150 yards from the pilot, a and had once been brushed against a Mechanic Ian P. Marsh and Crew Frenchman, who was being treated for rock on the starboard quarter by a long, Members Walter E. Bishop and John multiple injuries by ambulancemen and heavy swell, Acting Coxswain Marsh E. Corben. policemen. The two lifeboatmen helped prudently manoeuvred some 20 to 30 to carry the casualty on a stretcher feet to seaward, clear of the rocks, and, over the big rocks and down to the at 0012, anchored in about 5 feet of North Western Division water's edge, where he was wrapped in water. He then ordered the inflatable protective plastic sheets. To help dinghy to be made ready. MFV ashore relaunch and give extra ballast Police It was estimated that the lifeboat was Constable Anthony Kemp volunteered 60 feet off the casualty. The dinghy, RAMSEY COASTGUARD, Isle of Man, to embark as third crew member, and secured to the breeches buoy veering informed the honorary secretary of he put on the extra gear and lifejacket line, was launched. Second Assistant Port Erin lifeboat station at 0616 on which had been brought in the boat. Mechanic George Bishop, acting motor Saturday, June 17 that the 70ft motor At 1553 the ILB was dragged off the mechanic, and Crew Member Chris- fishing vessel Incentive on passage rocks until she floated and then, while 78 Newhaven: At 2003 on Monday July 3 HM Coastguard informed Newhaven lifeboat station that the German coaster Arosette, two miles south of Beachy Head, had broadcast a 'mayday' calling for immediate help. Newhaven's 44ft Waveney lifeboat Louis Marches! of Round Table slipped her moorings at 2012. Reaching the position given at 2105 she found the car ferry Senlac standing by Arosette which had a very- heavy list to starboard. Her deck cargo of timber had shifted. With a south-west gale force 8 blowing and very rough sea, her crew were cutting away lashings to release timber overboard using gear passed from Senlac. The lifeboat passed over some of her gear and eventually the list was cor- rected to about 20 degrees. Arosette set course under her own steam for Shoreham escorted by Newhaven lifeboat until at 0015 her master advised that all was well. East- bourne lifeboat had also launched and stood by. These photographs of Louis Marches! of Round Table standing by Arosette were taken from Senlac.
Colin Burden went back to the casu- alty and, with the help of his friend, carried him down to the water's edge. The ILB was pulled alongside the rock and the injured man lifted aboard; then his friend jumped in followed by Colin Burden after he had freed the rope. The ILB was pulled clear of the rocks with the anchor and, at 1634, headed back to the lifeboat station. She was beached safely twenty minutes later and the injured man transferred to an ambulance. The ILB was checked for damage, but none had been sustained. She was rehoused at 1705. For this service letters of thanks signed by Captain Nigel Dixon were sent to Helmsman Colin Burden and Crew Member David Corke. she was held steady by David Corke, bourne and notified Coxswain/ the casualty was carried out. Two Mechanic Derek Huggett. minutes later, with the injured man At 1555, once again with Helmsman North Eastern Division safely aboard, the ILB set off slowly Colin Burden and Crew Member David through the choppy sea; once clear of Corke as her crew, the ILB was Four launches the confused, rough water at Head launched and set off at full speed for Ledge, speed was increased to half. Beachy Head. The weather was fine OVER THE WEEKEND of September 16 The ILB was safely beached at the with good visibility, a gentle easterly and 17 Filey lifeboat, the 37ft Oakley lifeboat station, where help was mus- breeze and slight sea. The tide was Robert and Dorothy Hardcastle, tered, at 1635 and the casualty transfer- high. launched on service three times and the red to an ambulance. The ILB was Ten minutes later a man was seen station D class ILB once within the rehoused and once again ready for signalling from the top of an old cliff fall space of 26 hours. service at 1645. 15 feet up from the sea. It was not pos- The first call, to a small fishing boat For this service a letter thanking sible to beach the ILB because of large firing red flares in the tideway off Filey Helmsman Colin Burden and Crew rocks at the base of the fall and a four Brigg, came to the deputy launching Member David Corke signed by Cap- to five foot swell, so she was anchored authority at 1250 on Saturday Sep- tain Nigel Dixon, director of the off and veered down as close in as pos- tember 16. The wind was south wester- Institution, was sent to Alderman Cecil sible. Colin Burden entered the water ly, strong breeze to near gale, force 6 to Frank Baker, station honorary sec- with the first aid kit, managed to wade 7, the tide was flooding. The lifeboat retary Eastbourne, and a letter signed ashore and climbed the rocks. Finding launched at 1305 and headed for the by Captain Dixon thanking Police Con- the injured man suffering from a broken casualty through rough seas, coming stable Anthony Kemp was sent to the ankle he immobilised the fracture with alongside at 1320. The four occupants Chief Constable of Sussex Police. splints and bandages. were transferred to the lifeboat and a As the position would be cut off for tow line put aboard. As the weather some time, Colin Burden returned to was worsening, Coxswain Thomas A few weeks later, on May 28, a the ILB to see if he and David Corke Jenkinson then headed south west to pleasure boat was returning from a could get her ashore. A rope secured to get into the shelter of Filey Bay before lighthouse trip when her crew, Second the ILB was made fast to a large rock, turning north for Filey. The fishermen Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Ronald but, as it was found that the boat could told the crew that their boat had been Wheeler spotted a man on the rocks not be left in this position for fear of swamped by a wave which put the out- signalling that somebody was injured. damage, the rope was slackened and board engine out of action. After trying Unable to help, he returned to East- David Corke pulled her afloat again. to row, without success, they had fired 79 a hand flare. The men were landed and Filey ILB launched at 1515 after the The Dutch Mate, the ferry Norwave the lifeboat was rehoused by 1440. crew of a small boat had been reported and Haico Holwerda. The men in the At 2005 information was received waving an oar. It was one of the sailing water could be heard shouting but, that Scarborough lifeboat was launch- club's own rescue boats and the club's even when located, they could not be ing to investigate red flares sighted by other rescue boat came to her assis- picked up by the high-sided vessels in Flamborough Coastguard and at 2240 tance, arriving just after the ILB. The the eight to twelve foot waves. Filey lifeboat was requested by Tees club rescue boat took her 'partner' in A helicopter was able to winch one Coastguard to launch to join Whitby tow, the ILB escorting both boats survivor to safety and, because of his and Scarborough lifeboats in a search through the tideway. The ILB then condition, immediately took him back north east of Scarborough; the search returned to station and was rehoused to shore. pattern was co-ordinated by Scar- by 1527. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 0620 borough Coastguard. Filey lifeboat For these services a letter of thanks and began to search. With the help of launched at 2250. It was a fine evening signed by John Atterton, deputy direc- Nonvave's searchlight one man was with good visibility and the wind had tor of the Institution, was sent to the found. Coxswain Richard Davies veered to west south west, moderating coxswain, crew and shore helpers of started to approach in the normal man- to force 3 to 4; the tide was low. After Filey lifeboat station. ner but found that, with the high seas three hours the search was called off. and the wind lifting the lifeboat, it was No boats had been reported missing Eastern Division too dangerous: there was the risk of the and nothing could be found. As the tide boat coming down on top of the man. was not suitable for rehousing Filey So he decided to go up wind and let the lifeboat, she was berthed temporarily Coaster capsized lifeboat blow down on the casualty. in Scarborough. The crew arrived back A CARGO VESSEL, Nimrod, with a list to This approach still meant taking a risk, in Filey at 0330 and mustered again at starboard and requiring urgent assis- but it proved successful. Suffering 0700 to bring their boat home. She was tance was reported to the honorary badly from exposure and in great pain rehoused at 0840 on Sunday September secretary of Cromer lifeboat station by the man was unable to help himself. 17. HM Coastguard at 0358 on Monday With two crew members lying on deck Just after 1000 that morning Filey November 14, 1977. Her position was and hanging through the guardrail he Coastguard reported a dismasted yacht given as two miles west of Dudgeon was pulled alongside; then other crew- off Filey Buoy. The wind had gone Lightvessel. men leaning over the guardrail pulled round to north west and had risen again Visibility was fair with a near gale, him clear of the water and on board. He to a fresh breeze, force 5; the sea was force 7, blowing from the north north was taken below where members of the rough. At 1014 the lifeboat launched to east when, at 0426, Cromer's 48ft 6in crew worked to revive him. escort the 25ft yacht, which was under Oakley lifeboat Ruby and Arthur Reed Meanwhile the search continued. her own power, through the heavy seas launched and set out at full speed in One more survivor was picked up by into Bridlington Bay. During the pas- very rough seas. While en route it was Haico Holwerda and the last two men sage, Bridlington ILB, returning from learned that Nimrod, which had been were successfully winched to safety by service, offered to meet the yacht and on passage from Whitstable to Leith a second helicopter. lifeboat round Flamborough Head. with a cargo of stone chippings, had Having made certain that Nimrod's This offer was accepted and the ILB capsized at 0540 and had sunk within crew of five were all accounted for, the took over the escort. Filey lifeboat three minutes. At this time it was lifeboat started on the return passage at returned to station and was rehoused thought that her five crew members 0715. She arrived back in Cromer at by 1255 with tremendous spirit despite had taken to liferafts but in fact they 0918 but, not being able to rehouse the fact that there had been three were all in the water. Three ships were because of the heavy swell, went on to launches and rehousings in 24 hours. in the vicinity searching for survivors, Great Yarmouth, docking and landing the survivor at 1209. Her crew returned to Cromer by road, and the lifeboat Bridlington: Late on the evening of Wednesday July 26 Arthur Dick, the honorary secretary, eventually returned to Cromer and was saw a small trawler pass the harbour entrance and go ashore on North Beach. The Harbour rehoused on November 20. Office was informed and Bridlington's 37ft Oakley lifeboat William Henry and Mary King For this service a letter signed by launched immediately. She anchored and was veered down so that the man on board, who Captain Nigel Dixon, the director of was single/landed, coidd be taken off. photograph by courtesy of Arthur Dick the Institution, was sent to Dr Paul Barclay, chairman of Cromer station branch, thanking Coxswain Richard Davies and his crew and also D. L. Snelling, at that time station honorary secretary.
Western Division Clawing off beach AT 2302 ON FRIDAY December 23, 1977, St Anns Coastguard informed the hon- orary secretary of St David's lifeboat station that the cargo vessel Cumulus I of Panama bound from Glasgow to Beirut appeared to be in serious trouble off Musslewick Beach, Marloes, in St Brides Bay some 7'/2 miles south by east of the lifeboat station. The weather was bad. Storm force 10 winds were blowing from the west, the seas were very high with a flooding tide and visibility was poor when, at 0140 on December 24, the lifeboat was asked 80 Launch of Bembridge lifeboat, the 48ft 6in Solent Jack Shayler and the Lees, photograph by courtesy of HMS Daedalus
Arriving on the scene four minutes later, the ILB embarked two of the survivors. Having landed them safely ashore, she returned to the dinghy and, taking the remaining two people on board, she again returned to the shore with the dinghy in tow. It transpired that the fishing party had set out that morning in good weather but as the day progressed, the weather deteriorated and they decided to return to shore. On the way back, their outboard engine failed and they were driven under the pier and into the girders by the wind and tide. The ILB returned to her station where she was rehoused and again made ready for service at 1538. On January 23 Bembridge lifeboat, the 48ft 6in Solent Jack Shayler and the Lees, launched in gale force winds to stand by the coaster Greta C, at anchor off St Catherines with engine failure and awaiting a tug. When the tug arrived, the lifeboat (just discernible between the North Eastern Division other two boats) put a line aboard the coaster for the tug, which then took the coaster in tow to Cowes. photograph by courtesy of 'Isle of Wight Weekly Post' Propeller fouled to launch. Maroons were fired but director of the Institution, was sent to AT ABOUT 2100 on Thursday June 1, because of the noise of the storm it was W. Llewellyn, the station honorary HM Coastguard informed the honorary doubtful if they could be heard and the secretary, thanking the coxswain and secretary of Hartlepool lifeboat station crew were called by telephone. At 0210 crew. that a Shackleton aircraft and a the 47ft Watson lifeboat Joseph Soar helicopter were searching for the MFV (Civil Service No. 34) launched and set Dolphin whose trawl had caught on an out at full speed. North Western Division underwater obstruction and had fouled Cumulus I which had been dragging her propeller. The intention had been her anchor, managed to claw her way Trapped under pier to drop skin divers with wire cutters to off the beach and make rendezvous at free the propeller, but the aircraft were 0306 with the lifeboat, which then FOUR FISHERMEN in a 14ft dinghy, unable to sight the vessel. At 2130 escorted her through very heavy seas trapped among the girders under the Hartlepool's 44ft Waveney lifeboat The to Milford Haven. They arrived at central pier and being battered by the Scout was placed on standby. 0835. waves, were reported to the honorary The weather was good, with fair to Having partaken of refreshment and secretary of Morecambe ILB station by good visibility, light variable winds and hot drinks provided by Hakin Point HM Coastguard at 1458 on Sunday June a smooth sea when, at 2205, the branch, the lifeboat left Milford Haven 11. helicopter returned to base bringing for her station at 1110 and arrived back The tide was still flooding and a gen- with her the skin divers and The Scout in St Davids at 1345. tle to moderate breeze was blowing let go her moorings and set off at full The captain of Cumulus I made a from the west when at 1505 the inshore speed to the search area. donation to the lifeboat crew and a let- lifeboat launched into a moderate sea In the position given there was no ter signed by Captain Nigel Dixon, and made for the casualty at full speed. sign of any vessel, nor was there any 81 relatively calmer water close in under the land. There it became obvious that the port hull was taking in water fast and unless the catamaran was quickly beached, she could be lost. She was therefore made fast to the starboard side of the lifeboat and a quick run was made for Sennen Cove. Haven was reached safely at 1620 and Floral Dancer was beached without damage to either her or to The Vincent Nes- field. The securing lines were cut and immediately the lifeboat went full astern to save herself being stranded by the rapidly falling tide. The lifeboat then returned to her sta- tion and was rehoused at 1637.
Lowestoft: A trimaran on passage from Wells to Ramsgate was reported making water fast on Sunday August 6. Lowestoft's 47ft Watson lifeboat Frederick Edward Crick launched at 0554 and reached the casualty at 0750. Three people were taken off the trimaran; three lifeboatmen Services by Offshore were put aboard and by continuous bailing were able to save the boat which was towed to Lowestoft and beached. photograph by courtesy of W. J. Keith Lifeboats, June, July sign on the radar screen. The lifeboat the vicinity of Longships Lighthouse. and August, 1978 widened the area of search and let go Storm to hurricane force winds were flares at eight miles from Hartlepool blowing from the south east with Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and again at 12'/2 miles. This last flare squalls of rain, hail and snow. Visibility August 24 was seen by the casualty which, in varied from a quarter to two miles and Aldeburgh, Suffolk turn, set off a distress flare. the sea was rough when, at 1418, the August 2 The Scout closed the casualty at 0015 Amble, Northumberland reserve 37ft Oakley lifeboat The Vin- June 26 and July 1 on June 2 and within half an hour the cent Nesfield, on temporary duty at Angle, Dyfed propeller had been freed and the vessel Sennen Cove, launched and set off on June 23, July 11 and 31 was able to return to Hartlepool under course at full speed. Anstruther, Fife her own power, escorted by the By this time, a helicopter had July 2 lifeboat. become airborne and she sighted the Arklow, Co. Wicklow The Scout returned to her moorings casualty some two miles west of the July 25, 29 and August 11 and was again made ready for sea at Brisons, two rocky islets, and well Arranmore, Co. Donegal 0430. clear of the lee of the land. Guided by June 23, 26, July 11, August 11 and 20 the helicopter, the lifeboat arrived Balljcotton, Co. Cork August 16 alongside the casualty at 1440. Floral Baltimore, Co. Cork South Western Division Dancer had a fouled propeller and rud- June 1, 5, 24, August 1, 11, 14 (twice) and der, her stays and halyards had been 15 Catamaran out of control carried away and her engine had failed Barmouth, Gwynedd leaving her at the mercy of the wind June 28 and August 13 A CATAMARAN, Floral Dancer of Fal- and tide. Barry Dock, South Glamorgan mouth with a crew of three aboard, out To have transferred the three men June 25, July 4, 7, Sand 16 of control and needing help was aboard her to the lifeboat would have Beaumaris, Gwynedd reported to the honorary secretary of entailed risk to both vessels and to the July 22 and 26 Bridlington, Humberside Sennen Cove lifeboat station by HM survivors themselves. Accordingly, a July 26 and 27 Coastguard at 1347 on Saturday Feb- towline was passed and secured and Buckie, Banffshire ruary 18. Her position was given as in the casualty was taken in tow into the August 7 and 11 Calshot, Hampshire June 9, 23, August 27 and 31 ANNUAL AWARDS Members Barry Garland and Roger Campbeltown, Argyllshire Radcliffe of St Agnes, who on July 17, July 9 and 24 1977 rescued an injured man trapped in a Clacton-on-Sea, Essex narrow rocky cove at the base of 150ft June 24, August 6, 26 and 28 The Maud Smith Bequest for the overhanging cliffs. The ILB, Blue Peter Clogher Head, Co. Louth outstanding act of lifesaving by a life- IV, continually swamped by breaking June 8 and July 22 boatman in 1977 has been given to waves, was driven through dangerous Clovelly, North Devon Coxswain Thomas Walsh of Kilmore. surf and over rocks just below the June 11, July 3, 21, 23,26, 31, August 1,2, 17, 21 and 25 On December 24 the lifeboat under his surface. Courtmacsherry Harbour, Co. Cork command was capsized twice while June 17, July 9, 20,23, 26 and 31 investigating a report of red flares in a The James Michael Bower Fund monet- Cromer, Norfolk strong gale and exceptionally high seas. ary awards have been made to the July 24 and August 16 One crew member who was washed out seven lifeboatmen who received the Donaghadee, Co. Down of the lifeboat during the first capsize RNLI's silver medal for gallantry in June 26 was rescued and three of the four crew 1977: The late Coxswain Eric Pengilly, Douglas, Isle of Man members who were washed out of the Sennen Cove; Coxswain Matthew June 1 and 18 lifeboat during the second capsize were Lethbridge, BEM, St Mary's; Coxswain Dover, Kent Antony Warnock and Second Cox- June 3, 24, August 6 (twice), 9, 16 and 20 also rescued. Dunbar, East Lothian swain/Assistant Mechanic Trevor Eng- July 2, 17 and August 8 The Ralph Glister Award for the most land, Padstow; Helmsman David Bliss, Dungeness, Kent meritorious service of 1977 by the crew St Agnes; Coxswain Thomas Cocking, June 15 of an inshore lifeboat has been made to Senior, St Ives; and Coxswain Thomas Helmsman Peter David Bliss and Crew Walsh, Kilmore. continued on page 105
82 You know, everybody holds their Knockdown . . . breath for a minute. Coxswain Thomas Walsh, Kilmore: It took us completely by surprise, too; no . . . DURING A WINTER OF UNUSUAL FEROCITY doubt of it. There were pretty big seas running all right, but there was no heavy breaking water whatsoever. We had come for miles and we had seen IN THE EARLY HOURS of Christmas Eve was Coxswain Thomas Cocking, nothing like that. Then we seemed to 1977 Kilmore lifeboat, the 37ft Oakley Senior, who was awarded the silver come on a wave that was just coming to Lad\ Murphy, and St Ives lifeboat, the medal. From Torbay there was George the point of breaking and we just rolled 37ft" Oakley 'Frank Pen/old Marshall. Dyer, at that time Coxswain and with it and went right over. It must were both out on service in storm force awarded the bronze medal. It was of have been just as the wave comes to winds and some of the worst seas great value to the working party in its breaking and it must have just picked experienced for many years. There had allotted task that it should be able to us up under. There was no sound at all. been a long period of hard south- take into consideration the experiences Then the noise started coming like westerly wind which had fetched a very and suggestions of such seamen. breaking water in, around and under big, heavy swell into the western Later in the morning, after the main the boat. She had run on it. But the approaches and high seas were gener- meeting had ended, conversation con- minute she started running she was ated right across the area from Corn- tinued informally between the five toppling as well at the same time. You wall to the Irish coast Frank Penfold lifeboatmen and Captain Roy Harding, know, when a wave comes on the Marshall took a tremendous sea on the trials officer RNLI, who has himself break, how the head curls over? We beam and was rolled over on to her been a lifeboat coxswain and who has must have just gone right over with her. beam ends: Lady Murphy took a simi- had experience of going right over in a Jimmy Bates, the former coxswain of lar sea on the quarter but she was cap- boat; he remained aboard an Arun Lady Murphy, was out on the corner of sized twice, righting herself each time lifeboat, strapped in her coxswain's the pier watching and afterwards he and each time her crew were able to seat, during her self-righting trial. Parts asked, ' You didn't go end over end, did restart the engine immediately. One of the discussion which followed are you?' I suppose he had seen the naviga- crew member washed out of the reproduced here so that lifeboat people tion lights and then they went down lifeboat during the first capsize and in general can share some of the first- and disappeared and he could see the three of the four crew members washed hand descriptions of the three services. stern light. But actually we didn't. We out during the second capsize were went to port. You could feel her rolling rescued, but tragically one man lost his over. But to him looking from a dis- life One subject raised by Captain Hard- tance away it seemed that we had gone Two months later, on February 19, ing wax whether there had been any end over end. 1978, Torbay lifeboat, the 54ft Arun forewarning of the exceptionally high The second time I could hear the Edward Bridges (Civil Service No. 37) seas which had caused the knock- wave breaking, coming down on us, was knocked down on her beam ends downs; whether there had been any but we hadn't time to bring her up to by an exceptionally high wave while on premonition of what was approaching, this one either. I gave her full ahead on service in an east-south-easterly storm. any change in the sea pattern, any the starboard engine to bring her up to Once again, there had been a long increase in the wind? weather. The wave was coming at us period of high wind, this time from the from port. Thinking about it after- east, and conditions in Lyme Bay were Coxswain Thomas Cocking, Senior, St wards, there must have been ropes in very bad. The very big sea which broke Ives: There was no forewarning, none the screw on the starboard side or right over the Arun's flying bridge was whatever. We were outward bound 17 something because she didn't respond estimated to be 30 to 35 feet with an miles north of St Ives Head. We got a very well. additional 12 feet breaking top. One recall. Red flares off Porthtowan. We man was swept overboard but he was came back, oh, six miles. On the way Coxswain George Dyer, Torbay: It was recovered safely. back the boat behaved beautifully. We so slow, it took us by surprise. You'd When lifeboat people met in London were all happy with her. We were sing- never think it was going to happen. She last May for the annual presentation of ing, actually. Some of the chaps were went over so slowly we were all look- awards, Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Hez- singing carols. We were nine miles ing at it, laughing. Then a couple of let, chairman of the Lifeboat Crew from Portreath when the second seconds and up she came. Beautiful. It Safety Working Party set up by the mechanic, who was on my starboard was the topping that knocked us over. Committee of Management, took the hand, shouted, 'Look out, Tommy!' We had a pilot boat in tow but she was opportunity to hold a discussion with and when I looked, there was the sea up on the top of it. We had the worst of the honorary secretaries, coxswains just rolling up. It completely covered it, I should imagine. When we were and some crew members from these the boat; right over. We were going looking up aft, as you do, she looked as three stations together with divisional along full speed. The next thing, she though she was coming down with us inspectors of lifeboats and other was just picked up and we were on our as we went. But when the pressure of operational staff. beam ends. I held the wheel as tight as I water came off and the lifeboat came Much was to be learned from such a could. I was holding on to the binnacle up, everyone, even the bloke who had forum, which included coxswains and so that I had the wheel spoke held hard been washed overboard, seemed to crew members who had been over- against my wrist. The wheel couldn't come with us. taken by freak seas such as few move. I thought I kept her straight. The second coxswain took the wheel encounter and who had handled these When we came out of it the second and I went aft, because the second cox- situations with skill and success. From coxswain said, 'Tom, I can't see any swain isn't a big man. The biggest of us Kilmore there were Coxswain Thomas lights.' I said, 'Eh? They aren't there.1' went aft to keep the tow clear and bring Walsh, awarded the silver medal for And that boat had literally turned on the man in the water aft to where there gallantry; Acting Motor Mechanic John her port side 100 degrees And we was more arm room. It was a problem Devereux, awarded the bronze medal; brought her back. It seems ages when of weight. The guard chain tended to and Acting Second Coxswain Joseph you are on your side going along like foul our lifejackets and then we had got Maddock, the man who had been swept that. Endless. And you are saying to to lift a tidy bit of weight about four out of the lifeboat twice and recovered yourself, 'Now is she going?' Then up feet, I should imagine, plus a bit of on each occasion. From St Ives there she comes. 'Thank God for that, men!' motion. We didn't like that because I
83 could see that the man had hurt his From Kilmore: (I. to r.) arm. We tried to push him off until the Acting Motor Mechanic- right sea came to bring him in all in one John Devereux, bronze go. medallist, Coxswain Thomas Walsh, silver medallist, and Acting After a boat had recovered from Second Coxswain Joseph such a knockdown the whole crew Maddock. would be drenched; there would be cold and discomfort. Did they also, perhaps, experience some disorienta- tion, asked Roy Harding? Were they at all confused? (Below) George Dyer, Dyer: No problem at all. bronze medallist, former coxswain of Torbay Cocking: We were all bound for land, lifeboat, now retired. quite happy. Then the sea hit us and I saw the assistant mechanic, David heard someone say they could hear him Smith, going past the back of my head shouting. at the rate of knots. 'My God!' I said, 'That's one gone!' As soon as we came Acting Motor Mechanic John Devereux, back upright the first one I shouted for Kilmore: The first thought in my mind was David. I heard his voice there, was, 'Would the engines start again?' behind me, and he was jammed down So I just went down and pressed the behind the seat. The signalman, he was buttons, and the minute I pressed them down on the deck, round the second she went immediately without any hesi- coxswain's legs. He got up. 'You all tation at all. It was like music to my right?' I asked. Yes, he was all right. ears. 'Where's John Thomas?' David said, 'He's under me.' There was John The man who had been swept out of underneath and the assistant mechanic the lifeboat twice was Joe Maddock on top of him, both jammed behind the and Roy Harding asked him about his would be close enough to hear me, I back of the seat. When they had all got feelings; had he perhaps felt despair gave a few more shouts. So they took up and I had looked under the canopy the second time? me on board. to make sure my boy and the mechanic Earlier you raised the question of were there and we had sorted things Acting Second Coxswain Joseph Mad- brains. Personally my brain seemed to out, I said 'How are you feeling?' 7 dock, Kilmore: If I could start at the be racing very clearly. I didn't think I can see the lights in there,' came a first occasion, my greatest fear was had a brain until that night! I was think- reply. I said, 'That's all we want. Carry that the boat wouldn't come back to ing of so many things that there wasn't on searching.' The morale of the crew me. First of all I thought that there was time. You know, I thought, Christmas was still all right. I asked them, 'What nobody else left in the world but Eve; terrible night for something to do you think about going back?' 'No, myself; that everybody else had gone. happen. What will they think at home? we're going to search.' And that's it. I So when I saw the lights coming on in Will the boat come back for me? Will I asked their opinion. I don't make a the boat I think I came back to life. But kick off the boots? Will the lifejacket decision unless I ask them. I'm only on the second occasion I was quite keep me up? Should I swim for a fen- one. There's six others besides me. We close to despair. I thought the boat der—I saw one off the boat and stayed passed the message through the Coast- couldn't come back a second time. I close to it because it looked very bright guard to the honorary secretary: didn't think it possible that the men in the water. It was all over in a few 'Radar and MF out of action. Took big could have done so good a job the sec- minutes. On the second occasion they sea. Crew all OK'. Message came back: ond time. So I was really delighted had some of the lads back on board and 'Are you happy about your position?' A when they came back and picked me up then they had me back and I was over- few choice words! I said: 'Message to again. joyed. The lads must have been react- honorary secretary: We are nine miles Before the first capsize John ing the same, you know, because they north west of Porthtowan. Proceeding Devereux and I were having a discus- did all the right things. Nobody seemed on our search.' And we carried on for sion about the boat. I said I would go to be frozen or dazed or anything like another four hours. anywhere in her and John said she was that. It all seemed natural . . . sticking to the swells like a stamp, I Walsh: Thinking back afterwards I think his expression was. And practi- Devereux: It all seemed part of the found that some things stood out very cally within seconds of that I was in the night's work .... clear, and I suppose those were the water. When I went underneath I won- things that were going through my dered which way up I was. The lifejac- Discussion turned to the problem of mind. The minute she came back after ket worked perfectly. It was only a getting a man out of the water and the first one I shouted out for everyone matter of seconds and I surfaced. I everyone agreed that it was far from to shout back that he was there. Had a gave a few shouts when I came up to easy, even in a lifeboat which has very- roll call. And I found that there was one see if there was anybody else in the little freeboard. Could the present man missing. I didn't know who it was water. Two things ran through my practice drills be augmented in any- then. We checked again and we found mind. Should I kick off the boots or way to help lifeboat crews? out fast enough. Then we thought that keep them on? If I'm heading for the he should have been somewhere in the rocky shore I would be better with Walsh: We were so short of manpower boat. Let's see if he's had a knock and boots on my feet... So when I saw the the second time. With four in the water lying down the other side, maybe. We lights coming up on the boat—they it only left three on board. I never couldn't believe that we had lost one of probably were on all the time but the thought it was as hard before to get our crew overboard. Every second boat had gone quite a distance away men back into a boat. But it would be seemed like hours, going back to look from me—I kicked off the boots and hard to simulate the circumstances you for him. I thought we would never find held on until Tom headed back up to would meet on a night that will capsize him again. I was really delighted when I windward again. When I thought he you. You've not only got a man in the Captain Roy Harding, trials officer RNLI. afterwards that he would not like to go through that again. I said, 'Do you want photographs by courtesy of Peter E. to pack up?' 'No, thank you.' Hadfield Did any of your lights go out at all, John? (Below) From St Ives: Coxswain Thomas Cocking, Senior, silver medallist. Devereux: No, Tom. We had them on.
Walsh: The compass light went after the first time, that is all.
Cocking: We lost our compass light when we were coming back. We had plenty of seas coming at us, although not like the one that knocked us down. Maddock: I have been asked that ques- I got the crew to give me the masthead tion a good many times. I couldn't give light and rigged it up as a jury compass a definite answer as to what happened light. on the first occasion. But on the second When we were coming down across occasion I was very definite: I held on the bay St Ives Coastguard called: 'St for dear life with all the strength I could Ives lifeboat. I can't see your blue command. But I was still swept off. It light. Where is it?' 'Nine miles off, was something like going down a slope where do you think!' It was the only with the turning over movement of the thing we lost off her, that blue flashing sea piling in and I was just swept out. light. The sea ripped that right off the top of the mast, so you can guess how water but you have chaos on board as Earlier in the morning Tom Cocking far she was over. well. Your mast is down and fallen had told the meeting that in severe across on the side; there are stays; conditions he makes his crew pull the Devereux: Everything worked perfectly there are aerials; your plastic canopy plugs on their life jackets so that, if as regards the machinery of the boat. down round about you and you can't anyone should go overboard, the lights get near the wheel without picking it up can activate as they are immersed Harding: There was a time, in the early to climb in under. Your movement on without the man himself having to take days, when self-righting lifeboats were deck is very restricted, even to go to any further action. Roy Harding asked not very popular with some of the older the help of anyone. It would be very him to explain how he decides when to crews. How do you feel now? Are you hard to simulate it all. give this order. happy to have a self-righting lifeboat?
Dyer: You've got a scrambling net. It's Cocking: Well, say we are called out. If Walsh: I think that's obvious—yes! We all there, but at the time all you are it is a flat calm you don't need your wouldn't be here otherwise! interested in is getting that man out of lifejacket light on; you are not going to the water. My crew member seemed capsize a lifeboat in a flat calm. If there Cocking: For two years they were try- injured and we wanted him aboard. We is a gale of wind, say from force 7 up, ing to push an Oakley on to us. We could have put out the net if we had especially down our way where we get wouldn't have her. Didn't want to stopped and thought, but by that time, the big nor'wester with a big ground know anything about it. We'll keep our in those conditions, we might have lost swell, the plugs are pulled. If a man is Liverpool: you keep the Oakley. They him. hit on the head and he is unconscious, capsize too easily. But I'll tell you now, he can't pull the plugs in the battery to let anyone from head office come down Cocking: Have you any experience of get the light working. Now you are and say they are taking Frank Penfold an inshore lifeboat? That's where you searching for a man who is unconscous Marshall away and, you know, we'll learn how to get a man aboard with a and all you are depending on is the chain her down! You are not having lifejacket on. With an ILB you turn him reflecting strips on the jacket. But if the that one, and this time we mean it! back on to the boat, dunk him and let plugs have already been pulled the bat- him come to you and he'll float up to tery will be activated by the sea water Harding: John, going back to the you beautiful. And you take him in. we and the light will come on engines, you would say that familiarity do the same with the big lifeboat. If a automatically. with the position of the controls, so man goes in, when he comes alongside, that a chap, in the dark, would be able back on, dunk him once and he comes Talk continued about equipment, to go to them straight away, is back on easily. They come aboard all and about the boats . . . essential? right if you can get them to turn round. But if you are the one in the water? Devereux: How did you keep your VHP Devereux: Yes, that is essential. It is You know the feeling! I've got you dry when your boat went over like also essential that every man on the now! You're not turning me around! that? lifeboat should be able to start her I'm coming on! engines, regardless of the mechanic. Cocking: My boy had his back against The full crew should be able to start her Maddock: They tried to turn me round it. He jammed himself right up in the at any time. corner. As we were going he saw what was happening and he put his foot Cocking: I agree. All the crew should Walsh: He was holding on to the against the battery box and stood up, know how to start the engine. Suppos- lifelines . . . and he is six foot. He was jammed up in ing nearly everybody was thrown out the corner and the radio was all behind of the lifeboat, leaving, say, just two Maddock: I said, 7 won't let go!' him. It was a very poor experience for men aboard. Start? Which way do you him because he saw everything happen- do it? You've got five men in the water Harding: Joe, when you felt the boat ing in front of him: the lights going out; and nobody knows how to start the going over, did you consciously hang the deckhouse going under; Phillip, the engines. You are in the same trouble as on to the boat or did you push yourself mechanic, is gone; his father is gone; if the boat was in the boathouse. Every off clear? Can you remember? the water coming up ... He said to me one of my crew knows how to start the 85 engines of Frank Penfold Marshall Dyer: Yes. Even in a force 4 when you Harding: You carried on for hours after now. have got any wind on the bow you need your knockdown. When you do these the seat strap on. It eases you back. If long services you never seem to get The same argument applied to taking you are not strapped in you try to fight tired, do you? Do you find that you are the wheel of the boat . . . the sea, but if you are strapped in, even given some sort of extra strength? We in just a little bit of plop, you are rock- had a very long search on one occasion Cocking: If you have got a boat out on ing along. when I was coxswain of the 70-footer. I service in poor weather, by all means wasn't off the bridge for 51 hours. When it was all finished I was abso- you are the man to stay on the wheel. The cold can be intense on a wild But if you are out on service or on winter's night, particularly for anyone lutely flat. exercise in fine, good weather, you who has been in the sea or soaked with have got six men with you and they Cocking: The reason is that you are salt water . . . should take a turn. It's possible for me there to do a job. You know you are to go over the side the same as anybody going out to save life and while there is else; somebody has got to go and catch Walsh: Everyone was really shivering, someone out there, you'll keep going. the rope . . . though I felt warm enough, that is until You keep plodding and plodding. I've Our boat went out on exercise I got up to the boathouse. A couple of done 16 or 17 hours on the trot, but recently. I walked up to the honorary hundred yards on and I was really when you get in and settle down and secretary and said, 'I'm not going.' shivering. think about it ... oh, I'm all right . . . "What?' he said. 'I'm not going,' I sit down in a chair by the fire . . . the repeated. 'Let the second coxswain Harding: That would probably have next thing, you are gone . . . asleep. take her.' The second coxswain took been nervous reaction, wouldn't it? her out. He was just coming back when Dyer: Once you have done the job and a message came over the radio: 'St Ives Maddock: You don't feel cold in the you relax, the heat gets hold of you and lifeboat: proceed to Forth Kidney water; that is one thing that doesn't you are gone. Sands. Vessel ashore.' They took off enter your head. You never think about 24 hands. And there I was standing on the cold until after. After the first cap- Devereux: When we came in that night, the beach looking a fool! I said, 'What size I thought I was about the best one the people on shore were wonderful. have I missed?' But never mind. That of all of them. After the second cap- When you look back, the heart is in the man took the boat on his own and did size, though, I was very shocked. One right place. the job, and that's what I want. It gave thing that is most important when you him more confidence doing the job go under is not to swallow salt water. Walsh: Everybody was marvellous. without me there. It's a funny thing, but it was impressed on me that if you are in the water and Cocking: You were the same as us. And so the conversation turned to you keep your mouth shut there is a Two of the ladies' guild were waiting crews . . . good chance of survival. I had high for us that morning when we came in. blood pressure; they said from swal- They had bacon sandwiches and tea all Dyer: Crews are born, you know. You lowing salt water. The Red Cross insist laid on. It is usually the chairman and can't train a crew. You can tell that anyone who has been in the water treasurer who do it. They are up every immediately who are going to make should always be treated for shock. time we go out. But the whole town at good crew members. They have only There is exposure and shock will have home was interested because, as you got to come once. It falls out of them. set in. It's the cold. I called out to know, in 1939 we lost a boat. I suppose But you cannot get it out of some Dermot Culleton. He was perfectly this was the closest we have been to it blokes at all. It isn't there to start with. likely to be shocked as well, but he stayed watching where we were going, Harding: Some people have sea sense and I said, 'Keep talking to me, what- Harding: Later that evening, still on and some people don't. ever else happens, keep shouting and Christmas Eve, Lt-Cdr Brian Miles I'll shout back. If I don't shout, make was on duty in the 'Ops' room at Poole Cocking: Lifeboat work is bred in the sure you get an answer from me.' and a phone call came through from man that is doing the job. If it is not Because you see I have this thing that if Captain Kemp, the honorary secretary bred in you, you won't do the job. One you fall asleep you are a gonner. I think at St Ives, at about 10 o'clock, saying of my boys was driving me mad for two 1 was shaking the whole bow part of the that they had made their repairs, com- years. I didn't want him in the boat. boat. I knew I was badly shocked pleted their running tests and the crew The only reason I didn't want him there because I was vibrating all over. was just going to stand down. They had was that I have lost my whole family had a whip round and they had about once before. If I go out, lose him and Walsh: You know that feeling of shiv- £60 which they wanted .to send to Kil- lose myself, that's another family gone. ery cold. While you are moving around more as a contribution to any fund I didn't want him but he's there in my and working it seems all right. which might be set up in memory of boat. I couldn't keep him out of it. Fintan Sinnott, the crew member who Cocking: It was all right at full speed. had been lost. And that was just two Dyer: With a fast boat you cannot Quite warm. But when we got in close hours before Christmas. afford to take a bloke on service who to land, we had to ease down because hasn't been before. Fair enough on a we were in shoal water—not more than Walsh: We had great support from all practice, but on a shout I would sooner 6 or 7 fathom of water—and there were stations, every one of them. It was a go without than grab anyone. breaking seas all the time. The flare great help. was seen from Porthtowan, so we had Harding: Do you feel, George, that to search from three miles off and we To round off the discussion, Captain with the faster boats you need a kept going in, and in, and in, until we Harding asked the three coxswains younger man? were 50 yards off the rocks. That's whether they had any good advice for when we felt the cold, when we had to other coxswains who could possibly Dyer: The Arun is a young man's boat, ease down. Everybody was out on find themselves in similar situations, or I can assure you of that. deck with a searchlight going and all whether they thought anything could be that lot. We've got one hand light and done to improve their type of boat . . . Harding: Because of the increased we used the Aldis lamp as well. I had acceleration? The crew is bound to be had enough myself because I had had Walsh: I think if you can keep the men thrown about a lot more on board. eight hours on the wheel. continued on page 93 86 First lifeboat wedding at Littlehampton station: June Combes, daughter of Crew Member Mick Combes, and Jim Osborn, the youngest member of the crew, were married at Clymping Church in October, with the lifeboat crew forming an arch of oars as they left the Brian Williams, a Shoreline member, church. specialises in making scale miniature mod- els of individual boats. His replicas include sailing barges and yachts and a/so lifeboats, a number of which have been ordered for presentation to serving or former crew members. He regards each miniature as a challenge, asking for drawings, data and Crew Member John Dew of Torbay photographs so that detail is accurate. Part was one of two men who rescued two Lifeboat of all commissions are donated to the elderly people when fire broke out in a RNLI. Information from Brian H. Williams, block of flats in Brixham last October. Marine Artist, West Rock, The Cleave, He had seen the flames while driving People Kingsand, Plymouth PLIO INJ. home, went to investigate and helped It is with deep regret that we firemen and police rouse sleeping resi- formed. It has great plans for the future and anyone who would like to help announce the following deaths: dents and lead them to safety. June * * * should write to the honorary secretary, Mrs B. Pearce, 9 Suffolk Street, Thomas Moore, coxswain of Porth- There has been a lifeboat at Walton Walton-on-Naze, Essex. dinllaen lifeboat from 1956 to 1973. and Frinton for 94 years, but last sum- * * * July mer for the first time a ladies' guild was The marriage took place last August Miss A. D. Guy, holder of the of The Hon. Sir Kenneth Jones and Institution's gold badge and president Mrs Patricia Whittaker, former district of Ashford, Kent, branch for the past organising secretary (North East). The three years. She had been honorary many messages of good wishes they secretary of the branch from 1952 to received from lifeboat people delighted 1957 and assistant treasurer from 1958. them and Lady Jones hopes that while August accompanying her husband on circuit Roy Gawn, deputy launching author- she will have the opportunity to meet ity and honorary bosun of Rye Harbour old friends. ILB station. First helmsman when the ILB station was opened in 1966, he was a much loved and respected member of The Lord is my pilot; I shall not drift. the branch. He lighteth me across the dark waters; Captain Ian B. B. Robertson, honor- He steerest me in the deep channels: He ary secretary of Holy Island from 1953 keepeth my log. until the station closed in 1968, since He guideth me by the Star of His Holiness when he has cared for the Institution's for His name's sake. interests on the island. He was Sharing the work—and the enjoyment—in a awarded binoculars in 1964 and the husband and wife partnership, Alf and Joan Yea, though I sail amid the thunders and tempests of life thanks of the Institution inscribed on Jenkins are joint honorary secretaries of vellum in 1968. The adaptation of the Truro branch. They put their combined help I shall fear no danger, for Thou art near me: behind such enterprising branch activities Thy love and Thy care, they shelter me. Twenty-third Psalm on this page is as a button auction which raised over i7,000 Thou prepares! a harbour before me in the accredited to Captain Robertson. and a Cornish concert at Truro Plaza homeland of eternity; Mrs Angela Wooldridge, a founder Cinema. 'This Celtic Land', a recording of Thou anointest the waves with oil; my ship member of Stourbridge branch when it this performance of brass and voices in rideth calmly. was reformed in 1953 and honorary music by Kenneth Pelmear is now available Surely sunlight and starlight shall favour me secretary from then until she moved to price i3 (plus 30p postage and packing) in the voyage St David's in 1976. She was awarded I take, and I shall rest in the port of my God from A. A. Hyde, Plaza Cinema, Lemon the silver and the gold badge. Street, Truro, Cornwall TRl 2PN. All pro- for ever. fits to the RNLI. October Alfred D. Maddrell, BEM, coxswain (Right) A visit to St Mary's lifeboat station of Port Erin from 1946 to 1972 after while holidaying in the Scil/y Isles 22 years previously serving as bowman from ago began a lifelong interest in lifeboats for 1935 to 1946. He was awarded the Mr and Mrs Derrick Waters. Since then, bronze medal for gallantry in 1970. they and their children, Carolyn, Stephen and David, have gradually been fulfilling an November ambition to visit every lifeboat station in Captain T. W. C. Jones, honorary England, Scotland and Wales: an ambition secretary of New Quay (Dyfed) lifeboat finally realised last summer during a holiday station from 1971 to 1978, having pre- to Shetland. Next year they plan to start viously served as deputy launching visiting Irish lifeboat stations . . . Both Mr authority from 1970. and Mrs Waters are active members of Win- Dr E. W. Hicks, honorary secretary chester branch committee, of which Mrs of Wells lifeboat station from 1940 to Waters is chairman; Derrick Waters is also a founder member of the Lifeboat 1969. He was awarded binoculars in Enthusiasts' Society. 1952, the gold badge in 1966 and the photograph by courtesy of 'Hampshire thanks of the Institution inscribed on Chronicle' vellum in 1969. 87 Lerwick: The 52ft Arun Sol- dian before her naming. In background, moored along- side, can be seen the Nor- wegian lifeboat Skomvaer II: she was also visited by the Duke of Kent during the afternoon. photograph by courtesy of John Wilson, British Pelroleum Naming Ceremonies
LERWICK and DUNGENESS
HRH THE DUKE OF KENT, president of be present at the naming ceremony. the Institution, visited Shetland for the Particularly welcome was the Nor- first time on Tuesday September 12, wegian lifeboat Skomvaer II, an old 1978, when he named Lerwick's new friend in Lerwick Harbour, and her 52ft Arun class lifeboat, Soldian. A crew. Norwegian lifeboats sail in com- guard was provided by A (Lovat pany with their offshore fishing fleets Scouts) Company 2/51 Highland Vol- and over the years, during the fishing unteers and as the Duke arrived at the season, Skomvaer II has paid many vis- pier, where more than 2,500 people had its to the Shetland Islands. gathered, he was presented with a Shet- Arun 52-10 was handed over to the land silver paper knife as a memento of RNLI by Lady Steel on behalf of the the occasion by Julie Clark, the eight- Oil Consortium and all other donors; year-old daughter of Motor Mechanic this lifeboat was provided by all who Hewitt Clark. A. G. Beattie, chairman had responded so generously to the of Lerwick branch, opened proceed- Lerwick Lifeboat Appeal including After demonstration runs to sea, HRH The ings, greeting the Duke, all the station's members of the Brent and Ninian Duke of Kent disembarks from Soldian at guests and everyone who had come to LerH'ick .... Pipeline Consortium, Chevron Pet- photograph by courtesy of Fotopress, Dundee Dungeness: The moment of naming. photograph by courtesy of J. P. Morris
. . . and Miss Ursula Upjohn disembarks from the 37ft 6in Rather Alice Upjohn at Dungeness. roleum (UK) Ltd, the Aberdeen Stu- guests gathered at the station's new Lifeboat weekends dents Charities Campaign and a lifeboathouse for the naming of their number of bequests. new 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat Alice Upjohn. Gordon Paine, chairman of A SERIES of unusual long weekends for 7 know,' said Lady Steel, 'that the oil Dungeness station branch, welcomed lovers of ships, lifeboats and the sea industry is-delighted to have been able to everyone to what was indeed a family are to be held in St Ives, Cornwall. lend its support to the tremendous occasion from every point of view, the Mike and Jill Elleston, who own the efforts that so many Shettanders, both warmth of which could in no way be tiny Skidden House Hotel, have individuals and firms, have made in rais- organised two weekends in February ing funds for this lifeboat.' diminished by the light rain falling. The lifeboat had been given by Miss and March for small groups of RNLI Soldian was accepted by Major- Ursula Upjohn in memory of her supporters who would enjoy a winter General Ralph Farrant, chairman of the mother and RNLB Alice Upjohn was break learning about the lifeboats and RNLI, and placed in the care of Ler- delivered to the care of the station by marine traditions of the area. wick station, the honorary secretary, Commander Ralph Swann, a vice- Very full weekends are planned start- Magnus Shearer, accepting her on president and past chairman of the ing with talks and films by the RNLI, behalf of the branch. Institution who is also Miss Upjohn's visits to local lifeboat stations and The service of dedication which fol- cousin. Miss Upjohn herself has got to walks along the coast path to ancient lowed was conducted by the Reverend know the branch and crew members wreck sites. Good food, company and a A. E. Lambie, Minister of Lerwick and closely and the presentations made to fascinating subject are the keynotes of Bressay Parish Church, assisted by the her of a special plate decorated with a the weekends. Reverend D. Monkton of Lerwick picture of the lifeboat and of a painting The tariff of £65 per person is inclu- Methodist Church and Bernard Clamp- of the boat by Mrs Pauline Fehr, were sive of all visits and travel around ton, Superintendent of the Royal just two expressions of the deep affec- Cornwall and the weekends run from National Mission to Deep Sea tion of 'the family'. Thursday dinner to Tuesday breakfast. Fishermen. Following the acceptance of Alice A percentage of all money raised will Before naming Soldian, and the Upjohn on behalf of the station by the go to RNLI funds. Write to Jill Elles- breaking of the bottle of champagne, honorary secretary, G. L. Bates, the ton, Skidden House Hotel, St Ives, the Duke of Kent paid tribute to all service of dedication was conducted by Cornwall. Telephone: St Ires 6899. those who had helped provide her and the Reverend G. P. Chidgey, Rector of to ... Lydd, assisted by the Reverend Father O'Brien, Roman Catholic Parish Priest, '. . . the men upon whom the whole of the lifeboat service ultimately depends: and the Reverend Dennis Reynolds, the crewmen themselves, whose dedica- the Methodist Minister. tion to the cause of saving life at sea, Gordon Paine then invited Miss quite regardless of danger to them- Upjohn to name Alice Upjohn and, at selves, is simply beyond praise.' the conclusion of the ceremony, to board her for an inspection and The naming ceremony performed, launching. the Duke went aboard and up to Sol- Lifeboat people had come from all dian's flying bridge with Coxswain the neighbouring stations to be present, George Leith for a demonstration run and the music for the occasion was to sea. played by Hastings Lifeboat Brass * * * Ensemble, whose conductor, Robert A month later, on Monday October Shoesmith, is second assistant 9, Dungeness lifeboat people and their mechanic of Hastings lifeboat.
and principal trumpet for many of our great symphony orchestras. One of the finest renderings of 'The Padstow Lifeboat' I have heard for a very long time was played by The National Band of New Zealand con- Letters... ducted by Mervyn J. Waters, MBE FTCL, during their recent visit to Lon- don as part of a world tour. The per- formance was given in Westminster Lerwick lifeboat Aberdeen Barnett lifeboat Hilton Abbey. It was perhaps appropriate that I read, with interest, James R. Kay's Briggs which we believe is being con- Malcolm Arnold's fine music should be letter regarding Lerwick lifeboat and verted for a similar purpose.—w. G. heard in a building so steeped in our his uncle's yacht Soldian, which was BROOKS, 50 Trinity Street, Barry, South national heritage and tradition as is published in the autumn issue of THE Glamorgan. indeed the lifeboat service. The com- LIFEBOAT. poser incorporates the sound of Tre- It may be of some interest to Mr Kay 'The Padstow Lifeboat' vose Lighthouse foghorn and wrote: to know that the lifeboat to which he One of our greatest composers, Mal- 'The new (1967) lifeboat station is near refers was Lady Jane and Martha colm Arnold, lived for a period near Trevose Lighthouse whose foghorn var- Rylands, 51ft Barnett class. This boat, Padstow in Cornwall and had a great ies in pitch between middle C and D. For which has now been converted, lies at admiration for the local RNLI crew, the sake of musical unity it remains D Barry Docks, South Glamorgan, and is often seeing their work at first hand. As throughout the march.' used by her owners as an instruction a tribute to the Padstow boat with its and examination vessel for yachtsmen long, distinguished and heroic record The clever interpretation of the who wish to qualify as yachtmasters he composed a descriptive march impressive booming of the signal is a under the Royal Yachting Association which is now known almost every- real musical experience not easily for- and Department of Trade syllabus. where at home and overseas; a most gotten. A fine march indeed.—LEN Also, moored alongside this craft, effective piece from a composer who KITCHER, 13 Captains Row, Lyming- now named Cambrae, is the ex- was himself a leading instrumentalist ton, Hampshire. 89 175 YEARS
A TIME TO PAUSE AND LOOK BACK
Eight of Greathead's 'Originals' went on station in 1803. AROUND THE BEGINNING of the communities they were to serve and lifeboats and just some of the boats that nineteenth century 31 'Original' the link with Lloyds has remained very have been, and are, stationed at one or lifeboats built by Henry Greathead of close in Mount's Bay. The first RNLI other of these eight stations are illus- South Shields were established in ports honorary secretary of Penzance trated on these pages. Oars and sails and harbours scattered all round the lifeboat station, Richard Pearse (1826 were followed by steam, petrol and British Isles. Not a great deal is known to 1862) was the Lloyd's agent for the finally diesel engines. The very first about their activity on the coast, but area, as have been his successors in an lifeboat to be fitted with an internal nevertheless they were an early practi- almost unbroken line right down to the combustion engine, J. McConnell cal expression of the mounting concern present honorary secretary of Penlee Hussy, was in fact sent to Newhaven in felt in seaboard communities for the lifeboat station, D. L. Johnson. November 1904 on service trials. She great loss of life at sea. In the early years a lifeboat presence was well received and it is reported that Eight of those 31 'Originals' went to was not necessarily continuous; in she gained 'golden opinions from the the coast in 1803: to Arbroath, some areas the exact site of the boat- coxswain and crew'. Plenty, Palmer, Exmouth, Guernsey (with a boat first house was to change; gradually indi- Peake, Liverpool, Watson, Barnett . . . at St Sampson, then, in later years, at vidual stations would be absorbed into so the roll call comes right up to the St Peter Port), Hoylake, Mount's Bay the RNLI. Nevertheless for these eight present day. There is now a 52ft Arun (first at Penzance, then Newlyn, now communities a start had been made and Class lifeboat at St Peter Port; a 48ft 6in Penlee), Newhaven, Plymouth and Rye by 1978 they could look back on 175 Solent at Exmouth; a 47ft Watson at Harbour (with Winchelsea). Most of years of lifesaving history. Penlee; 44ft Waveneys at Newhaven them were funded in part by the Corpo- Those 175 years saw the gradual and Plymouth; a 42ft Watson at ration of Lloyds and in part by the development of many different types of Arbroath; a 37ft 6in Rother at Hoylake
(Above, left) Exmoiith's third lifeboat, Vic- toria, a 32ft self-righter pulling ten oars double-hanked, was on station from 1867 to 1884, during which time she rescued 15 peo- ple. In one gale she was hauled on her car- riage through narrow, twisting country lanes to launch from Budleigh Salterton to help a fishing smack; she look off the cap- tain after three of the smack's crew had been rescued by Sidmoulh lifeboat.
(Above) John Lockett, also 32ft palling ten oars, was the third lifeboat on Giternse\. She was stationed at St Sampson from 1875 to 1888.
(Left) Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse, a 52ft Barnett lifeboat stationed at Plymouth from 1952 to 1974. For her service to Merc Enterprise an January 16, 1974, Coxswain John Dare was awarded the bronze medal for gallantry. 90 Penlee's first motor lifeboat (1922 to 1931) wax a 45ft Arbroath's 42ft Watson lifeboat, The Duke of Montrose, went on station in 1956. Watson, The Brothers. She still carried auxiliary sails She was exhibited at the International Lifeboat Conference at Edinburgh in 1963. and inshore lifeboats at Rye, Exmputh and Plymouth. In the 175 years, 2,077 people have been rescued by offshore lifeboats at these eight stations and 170 by their Oldham, the second of inshore lifeboats. The combined roll of Hoylake's four Liverpool honour is impressive: seven gold med- lifeboats which spanned als for gallantry, 71 silver and 27 the years 1906 to 1974; the bronze. The last of the seven gold med- first was a pulling and sail- als was awarded to Coxswain Hubert ing boat, the last three E. Petit of St Peter Port, father of the motor. Oldham, presented present coxswain, for the service to MV by the town of Oldham, Johan Calien in 1963. was on station from 1931 to 1952; she carried auxiliary continued on page 93 sail and also four oars. The Liverpool* were followed at Hoylake in 1974 by a 37ft 6in Rather The 44ft Waveney lifeboat, Louis Marches! of Round Table wax lifeboat, Mary Gabriel. stationed at Newhaven in 1977.
(Right) The 52ft Arun lifeboat Sir William Arnold, second in her class, was sen! to St Peter Port in 1973.
Rye Harbour station, closed in 1928 after the loss of Mary Stanford and her whole crew of 17, was re-established as an ILB station in 1966.
91 One at a time the twin Ford diesel engines . . . are lifted aboard the Rather lifeboat
Building a Rother Class Lifeboat
PART X: ENGINES, SUPERSTRUCTURE AND STEERING SYSTEM
A CRANE MOVED into the boatshed at William Osbornes one day last autumn . . . and fitted into the to lift first the twin engines and then the engine room. superstructure aboard the 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat which will be terbalance each other. The bias of the bulkhead and faired to the deck sheer; RNLB Shoreline. torque, or twist, of each individual then it is bolted in place with The engines are twin Ford 2712E propeller can, of course, be used to aluminium angle. four cylinder 4.165 litre marine diesels advantage when the boat has to be Within one day the building of the developing 52 SHP at 1,750 RPM and manoeuvred in a confined space. lifeboat has suddenly made an impres- they are fitted with 2:1 reverse reduc- Before the engines are lifted aboard, sive move forward and work which had tion PRM gearboxes. These engines are the bearing pads on which they will be been waiting until these important supplied in handed pairs, one with bedded down are machined so that the members were in place can now go right-hand rotation for the starboard engines, when put in place, will ahead; the fitting, for instance, of the side, and one with left-hand rotation for automatically be aligned with the shaft after engine room bulkhead the port side. Thus the starboard pro- coupling. Each engine is bolted in its (aluminium); the fitting of pipework peller will be turned clockwise and the position through the bearing pads with such as the exhaust, closed water cool- port propeller will be turned anticlock- four 'Ain bolts, two on each side. ing and fuel systems; the fitting of the wise so that when both engines are Now the aluminium superstructure engine controls; the fitting of running at the same speed the opposing can be lifted aboard. It is fitted down toughened glass windscreen and win- torques of the two propellers will coun- over the wooden forward engine room dows; on deck the fitting of stanchions, guardrails, capstan, searchlight socket The steering system. . . . and so it goes on. The diagram (left) shows the steering system, which is also being assembled at this time. The steering wheel is mounted on a pedestal which in turn is mounted on a support taking its weight right down to the centreline structure of the boat, thus ensuring complete rigidity. As the wheel is turned to port or starboard, its rotation is transmitted TRICING LINES SPHERICAL BEARING through two pajrs of bevel gears to the UNIVERSAL JOINT vertical intermediate shaft and on via the tail shaft and steering gearbox to the rudder. Movement of the boat's hull in a seaway would make the working of the entire system very rough if it were not for the flexibility of the connections between the pedestal and the gearbox.
92 This is achieved by universal joints and a spherical bearing where the inter- mediate shaft passes through the end box bulkhead. The tail shaft is also splined at its lower end, allowing a limited travel of the universal joint along it. The rudder is mounted on a square shaft on which it can be raised and low- ered by means of tricing lines. It is raised to avoid risk of damage on slip- way or carriage when the lifeboat is launched or recovered and lowered as soon as there is enough water under the beat as she gets away from the beach after launching. (To be continued)
The aluminium superstructure goes aboard.
175 Years from page 91 Some of the lifeboats have taken part in historic events. Plymouth's lifeboat Clemency was present on August 19, 1879, at the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new Eddystone Lighthouse by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh. Newhaven's 45ft Watson Cecil and Lilian Philpott was one of the lifeboats at Dunkirk. Sadly, not all remembrance in 1978 was happy. On November 19 a service was held at Rye Harbour Parish Church in memory of the loss 50 years ago, on November 15, 1928, of the Rye Harbour lifeboat Mary Stanford with her whole crew of 17 men while on ser- vice to the Latvian vessel Alice. It was the greatest loss of life from any single lifeboat of the RNLI in the Institution's history. Rye Harbour was closed as an offshore station in 1928, but was Knockdown Cocking: If the men can stay with the reopened as an ILB station in 1966. boat, so much the better, and I agree A service at Mutley Baptist Church from page 86 with George, if crash helmets or caps on April 24 was one of Plymouth's tri- are issued I think the coxswain should butes to her 175 years of lifesaving, and insist the crew wear them and keep a little later, in May, Major-General in the boat, that is the main thing. To them on. Then I think you will find you Ralph Farrant, president of the Institu- get them back out of the water is the will not have any head troubles at all. tion, was to open the West Country problem. If you keep them in the boat All my crew have got hats now. If we Boat Show in Plymouth. In that same you will not have to pick men out of the were called out in a gale of wind I think month Guernsey lifeboat station was water in seas that are still liable to cap- the crew would pick up their hats the central feature of the first Guernsey size you. The crew should be secured if automatically and put them on. Boat Show. at all possible. When to strap in, I sup- Penlee celebrated its 175th birthday pose, would be the big question. In Harding: And your boats? You have with special fund raising efforts services in lighter weather you confidence in them? embracing the whole Mount's Bay wouldn't. But our capsize, and the area. A week of celebrations organised knockdowns we have been talking Walsh: The performance of the boat by Penlee branch from May 28 to June about, they all took us so completely speaks for itself. We came back twice 2 included events in Penzance and by surprise. Even with straps in the and the engine worked perfectly. On a Newlyn and there was also a sponsored boats, would they still be used at all, or service that is the great thing. sail by Penzance Sailing Club, there would you go over and still find the were Harvest Homes at the Old Coast- men not strapped in? Dyer: I think the crews are 100 per cent guard Hotel, Mousehole, and the more confident now than they were Crown Inn, Penzance, and also an Dyer: The only thing I would say with before. anniversary draw with a prize of the little bit of experience I have got is Martell-Cognac given by Martell. 'A that the coxswain should see that as Cocking: You try taking our boat away! marked feature of the year' wrote D. L. few men as possible are on deck when Johnson, Penlee honorary secretary, he is doing a job; he should keep closed Harding: That says everything! So, 'has been the tremendous support we ship at all times; and he should make after—let's face it—a tragedy and some have had not only from our own people use of all the facilities he has, es- near misses, I am sure we would all but from the local organisations, the pecially the crash helmets, because agree that there is a great deal we can public and the police.' A fitting post- they are 100 per cent. learn from these experiences. script to such an historic year. 93 The Earls Court Boat Show in January will be a landmark in the his- tory of the RNLI membership because it was in January 1969 that Sir Alec Rose founded the YLA, forerunner to our present membership scheme. The RNLI stand this year will feature the ten years of Shoreline and what has happened within the Institution during Shoreline that time, and I sincerely hope that any member coming to the show, which runs from January 4 to 14, will make a Section point of visiting us in the Pembroke Hall. * * * We are happy to show you here a IN THE PAST tWO JSSUCS of THE LIFEBOAT I have asked members of my picture of our friend and Shoreline staff to give you an insight into their member Mrs Nora Neill of whose work within the department and I think scheme we have made mention in pre- Mrs Nora Neill hard at work. you will agree that this has caused a fair vious issues and who has, by her dedi- amount of interest. So in this issue I cated and untiring efforts, now raised lifeboat exhibited afloat. At our end of would like to give you more details of the staggering sum of around £1,300 for the stand we enrolled 211 new what is happening within Shoreline lifeboat funds by collecting and trading Shoreline members and sold £785 itself. in unwanted Green Shield stamps. She worth of insignia, while the branches On Wednesday November 1 there is still hard at it and will be until not a and guilds raised a splendid £6,099 sel- was a very successful gathering of over stamp remains. So, come along all you ling souvenirs and tickets for the 200 Shoreline members at Portsmouth. members and your friends; rally round; Southern District competition the prize At a cheese and wine reception fol- dig out all those stamps that you always for which was a Saab car. lowed by discussion everyone seemed meant to use but didn't and help Mrs * * * to enjoy an opportunity of meeting Neill to beat the almost unbelievable Many of our members in their letters others all with a similar interest in total that she has already reached. Her ask for details of their nearest branch lifeboats. A further meeting has been address is 95 Fitzroy Avenue, Har- or guild so that they can take part in its arranged with a talk by Sir Alec Rose borne, Birmingham B17 8RG. activities. This information is readily and it is hoped that these social * * * available from the various RNLI dis- exchanges will be run on a regular You may remember that I asked you trict offices, the addresses of which are basis. to send me little snippets you think given below. Our district organising If this idea is successful then possi- would interest other members and I am secretaries will be happy to help and bly such a scheme will be of interest in pleased to report that the following has local support from Shoreline members other parts of the country. been received from K. H. Moss, sec- is very welcome. Scotland: 45 Queen Street. Edinburgh. * * # retary of Dudley branch. The Inland Tel.: 031-225 4014. North East: The Mill. Glasshouses. Nr Harrogate. North The Shoreline Lifeboat Appeal to Waterways Association held its Yorkshire. fund a Rother class lifeboat has finally National Rally at Titford Pools, Old- Tel: 0423 711667 West Midlands: Royal Mail House. 2 Calthorne Road. come to a close. The total amount bury, over the three days of last August Birmingham 15. Tel: 021-454 300V received from all your efforts was just Bank Holiday. Dudley branch was in Midland Shires: Royal Mail House. 2 Calthorpe Road. over £101,000 and I would like to take attendance with a souvenir stand and Birmingham 15. Tel: 021-455 96X1 this opportunity of thanking all of you the former Rhyl D class ILB which is East: Aldham Road. Hadleigh. Suffolk. Tel: 047-3IX 2837 for your loyal support of this venture. now used as a promotional boat in the North London: 553A High Road. Wembley. Middlesex. As you will see from the previous West Midlands. Because of holiday Tel: 01-903 3230 South London: 6 Bell Parade. Glebe Way West Wickham pages, building is progressing well. commitments only three members of Kent. Tel: 01-777 1776 Now the time has come when we the Dudley committee were available City of London: RNI.I. 40 St Mary Axe. London t'CI must consider what to do next, so again to man the stand during the 12 hours Tel: 01-283 4680 K\i 497 South East: 9 Union Square. The Pantiles. Tnnhiidgc if any of you have any good ideas each day that the rally was open. Dur- Wells. Tel: 0812 35000 please drop me a line. ing this period, however, they managed Southern: West Quay Road. Poole. Dorset. * * * to sell £122 worth of lottery tickets and Tel: 02013 71133 SouthWest: Carlton Chambers. 25 Baldwin Street. Bristol. £265 in souvenirs, receiving £30 in Tel: 0272 291939 When fitting out of RNLB Shoreline is Wales: The Exehange. Mount Stuart Square. Cardiff complete, her Pye Westminster radio donations; but by far the most success- Tel: 0222 31831 ful part of their efforts was the fact that North West: Princes Chambers. 26 Pall Mall. Manchester 2. telephone, with its whip aerial, will be a Tel: 061-834 6978 more than £500 worth of Shoreline Ireland: 10 Merrion Square. Dublin. lasting memorial to the late Donald Tel: Dublin 762217 Bridgman, who died last August. Mr membership subscriptions were 33 Sainttleld Road. Belfast. Bridgman was senior navigation covenanted during the weekend. Many Tel: 0232 645645 inspector of the Thames Water Author- more of the narrow boat fraternity took ity and a founder member of Molesey away with them Shoreline application forms which we hope will eventually Once again, ladies and gentlemen, branch and more than £740 has been the year has come to an end and I given in his memory by his friends and find their way to our office in Poole. Well done the three of you and many would like to take this opportunity of colleagues. wishing you a prosperous and happy * * * congratulations. * * * 1979 with success in anything that you The membership is growing steadily undertake. In closing may I take this and we are now over 51,000. The magic Southampton Boat Show celebrated opportunity of thanking you for your figure of 50,000 has been well and truly its tenth anniversary year and is support over the past year and from all passed, and I hope that by the end of undoubtedly going from strength to the staff at Poole good luck for the the year our target of 53,000 will have strength. The RNLI was well rep- future.—PETER HOLNESS, membership been achieved. If you have not already resented with a very busy souvenir secretary, RNLI, West Qua\ Road, done so, how about asking your friends stand manned by members of the local Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ (Tel. Poole or work colleagues to support us? branches and guilds and a Thames class 71133). 94 weather in the whole country, and a Sweet William local farmer, Gordon Moore, drove us to St Ives in his horse box. A cheerful A MARATHON 278-MILE DONKEY TROT FROM holiday crowd had gathered at the lifeboat house on the quay and collect- ST IVES TO LONDON ing boxes were well filled. The Mayor kindly saw me away after a short cere- mony and many senior members of the by Rosemary Whitten RNLI including chairmen of the vari- ous guilds were there in force. Tommy 'Hey, what's that Freisian donkey I started training four months before Cocking, St Ives' coxswain, presented doing staked out on your grass?' my planned start date, which had to be me with a huge RNLI flag which was to The cheerful farmer's voice stopped in May to avoid the heavy traffic which fly from my whip tied to the back of the the conversation in the comfortable bar builds up in the holiday season. As my chaise thereafter, providing an excel- of The White Hart, Bishop's Caundle, route was inevitably along the general lent traffic warning as well as publicity. where we were enjoying an excellent line of the A30, I was most anxious not Away up the hill past Carbis Bay, salad lunch and we became the centre to create a hazard for other road users, trailed by small boys and with of attention. Our story told, the lifeboat nor to subject William, who has an encouraging messages ringing in my collecting box circulated and returned excellent temperament, to any undue ears, I suddenly realised that I had noticeably heavier. And so it proved to stress. His first ever shoeing took place started! be most of the way from St Ives in in January. Our local farrier, Ken Lunch was a picnic in a field with Cornwall to Hyde Park Corner in Trengrove, made a very light training friends while William munched the Central London. set and was amazed how well he hedgerows. This was the pattern for the To start at the beginning: I was behaved. I used our large children's next month and very relaxing it proved. becoming somewhat restless living in cart initially as it was reasonably heavy The first week passed quickly. The the depths of the country with my hus- and therefore ideal for our four to five weather was cold but dry and the A30 band weekend commuting, two boys at mile daily jaunts in the early months. lightly trafficked. After one or two boarding school and our seven-year-old My husband meanwhile was making a incidents—William testing the security daughter at the local school. Having led very light chaise with rubber shod artil- of his stable at Zelah, for instance, and a very active life as an Army wife I lery wheels for the actual journey. climbing on to the windowsill—I decided I ought to be doing something; By mid April the organisation was in reached Five Lanes where my husband as a member of a keen sailing family full swing: heavier sets of shoes made was going to join me and act as escort with strong seafaring connections in St and fitted (I took three sets with me); for the remainder of the journey. On Ives I decided to help raise urgently William and I fully fit; 200 sponsor average I was receiving £10 per day in needed money for the RNLI. The way I forms and posters out to all sorts of the lifeboat box on the chaise; having would do it came in a moment of inspi- people and organisations; the local had good local media coverage, people ration: 1 would undertake a sponsored press and television informed; were most generous and loved to talk. donkey trot with Sweet William, our arrangements made for our children's One of William's shoes was showing four-year-old coloured stallion donkey half term; the family car containing signs of wear and I was glad I had with a light chaise from Cornwall to back-up food, water, tack, two dogs arranged for a farrier to call at my London! With a bit of luck I thought I and my husband all organised and most cousin's farm near Petrocstowe on our might raise £500 or so and that it would overnight stops confirmed. The various first rest day. take about a month. Police Divisions had been contacted Here William met sheep for the first The family, and particularly my hus- and the RSPCA informed. Eric Wil- time and had a marvellous time chasing band once the subject had been liams, public relations, DBS, was now them like a playful puppy until he broached and 'planning' approval fully in the picture and generously realised they could turn quicker than he given, entered enthusiastically into the offered every assistance. could. Three huge men turned up with scheme. Not knowing where to start I May Day dawned bright and clear, a mobile forge and took immense pains approached our local vet for his opin- Cornwall apparently had the only fine to fit one of the spare sets of shoes cor- ion, not only of William's general rectly. Again William behaved per- health but on the feasibility of the continued on page 103 whole project. He was extremely help- ful and we reckoned that 10-15 miles per day was perfectly reasonable for a fit, shod donkey with well-fitting har- ness and a single seat chaise. The Don- key Breed Society also gave me valu- able advice and invited me to attend the DBS Drive In and Assessment at Newquay.
Sweet William's personal appearance (above) with John Noakes on the BBC's 'Blue Peter' programme, Thursday May 25.
(Left) end of a day's trot.
End of the road: Hyde Park Corner, Saturday May 27.
95 (Left) Joyce Pearce, who handles all the lot- funding a new Rother lifeboat annually. tery counterfoils at head office. Winners are sent their cheques on the day of the draw and the names are pub- lished in the next issue of the journal. Touring headquarters after the third lottery- They are also put into 'The Daily draw, June Whitfield said how much she Telegraph'. would like to go out in a lifeboat. Arrange- June Whitfield and Terry Scott took ments were made for her and Terry Scott to go out on trials of the 50ft Thames class time off from their very successful lifeboat which will be stationed at Islay. summer show 'A Bedfull of Foreigners' at the Pier Theatre, Bournemouth, to draw the third RNLI national lottery at Poole headquarters on September 29; a lottery which raised nearly £29,000. By coincidence the first prizewinner was a local man and he and his wife visited the Pier Theatre for the last perfor- National Lotteries mance of the show. Here is the full list of prizewinners: YOU WILL FIND in this journal eight tickets for our fifth national lottery, £1,000: E. P. Goodger, Poole. also a reply paid envelope to use if you £500: D. Cornell, London. wish to take part. The tickets can be £250: A. Ellingford, Bexleyheath. sold to any member of the public and £25: W. Poole, Ashford; Miss Bragg, not necessarily to members of a South Humberside; Mr Wood Guildford; branch, guild or Shoreline. If branches Mrs Mead, Thornaby; Mrs F. B. Harrison, and guilds sell lottery tickets the pro- kets either be given to a friend or put in Bournemouth; Mr Henderson, London; ceeds can be paid into their accounts as the waste paper basket. On the other David Jacobs, Lightwater; Leslie Wilson, Walesby; B. L. Wilkinson, Plymouth; Mrs long as a remittance together with the hand, if you think you can sell more Radbourne, Horndean. counterfoils is sent to head office than eight tickets, please let the appeals before the date of the draw. department at head office know and we A number of supporters are asking Some people disagree with lotteries shall be happy to send you more. why we do not go into 'instant lot- and would rather not receive tickets in The first three national lotteries have teries'. Many promoters have their journal but, owing to the method brought in £80,000 and in future we will approached us but these schemes of distribution, it is not possible to ex- be running four a year. That means that would seem to benefit the promoter clude tickets from any individual copy. a maximum of £160,000 is possible; the more than the lifeboatmen. We can only suggest that unwanted tic- overheads are so low that we could be
A cheque for £5,000 from the Association for Rescue at Golf Supreme Sea (AFRAS) towards the To enhance the funds of the RNLI American/British Lifeboat and the Gunnar Nileson Cancer Treat- Appeal was recently ment Campaign, Clifford Jardine and presented by Kingman British Airways are combining to Brewster, United States arrange a day's competitive golf with a Ambassador (I.) to Vice- difference. Golfers are invited to fly by Admiral Sir Peter Comp- Super 1-11 on Saturday February 24 to ston, chairman, Fund Rais- play golf on the island of Mallorca. ing Committee. With them (I. to r.): Patrick Howarth, Departure from Luton, 0800; arrival of PRO RNLI, and Norman return flight, 0200 next morning. The Blake, an Appeal Committee cost, due to the generosity of British member. Airways, is £69 a person. The day will include a buffet lunch books are sold almost £1,500 will be American/British Appeal and gala dinner as well as drinks kindly raised for the appeal. Although a price A 500-page book on North Atlantic supplied by British Airways during the higher than the published price cannot Seafood by Alan Davidson is to be pub- flights. An auction will be held on the be charged, there is no objection to lished by Macmillans around the end of outward bound 'plane. purchasers sending larger cheques if March. By the kindness of the pub- Tickets from Clifford Jardine, they wish to increase their lishers and author, the 'first run' of 250 George Hotel, Beaconsfield(7e/: 04946 contribution! copies of the first edition will be sold in 3086). aid of our American/British Lifeboat The book is in two parts. The first is Appeal. These 250 copies will be num- a beautifully illustrated catalogue of all bered and signed by the author on a the marine fish, crustaceans and mol- special book-plate type insertion. The luscs which are eaten in the North price will be the normal £9.95, plus Atlantic countries, from Portugal up to £1.05 for packing and postage. the Soviet Union and Iceland, and RNLI members who wish to reserve down the eastern seaboard of North copies of this limited edition should America. send a cheque (made out to the RNLI American/British Lifeboat Appeal) for (Right) Foreign coin has been pouring into £11.00 to the author, Alan Davidson, at Poole HQfrom collecting points generously 45 Lamont Road, London SW10 OHU. set up last year by Lipton's at their 850 To keep costs to the minimum, postal stores in England and Wales. (1. to r.) Numismatists John Phillimore and Colin orders will not be acknowledged unless Day with Cdr Ted Pritchard, appeals sec- the limited edition is already fully sub- retary, and Diane King who organises the scribed when they are received. Books collection at Poole. So far more than £6,000 ordered by post will be despatched as has been raised and foreign coins are still soon as they are available. If all 250 pouring in. 96 Some
Clacton Co-operative Band was just one of the attractions on Clacton Pier for a highly successful 'Charity Nile' last June. Free rides on the funfair, cabaret and two free dolphin shows helped to make the evening a success. More than £1,000 was raised for the lifeboat service. photograph by courtesy of 'East Essex Gazette'
'What Granny Threw Out' was the theme of an auction organised by May McMaster, ADOS Northern Ireland, and Harry Briggs at The Dunmore Hotel, Killyleagh, on October 10. Nearly 300 letters to friends and lifeboat supporters asking for anything that could be spared from the attic resulted in 121 lots, including Arundel Cathedral was the magnifi- an oil painting by Paul Henry cent setting for a concert and organ 'knocked down' by auctioneer recital last July by Broadwater Manor Jim Morgan for £810 and a School Choir from Worthing; a concert Chinese mandarin's em- which raised £308 for Littlehampton broidered silk costume which boathouse fund. The 30 boys in the went for £69. Silver, linen, choir, conducted by Norman Pope and glass, paintings came under accompanied by Gregory Wheele at the the hammer and in all, £2,500 was raised. organ, sang pieces by Mozart, Handel, Mendelssohn, Quilter and many other composers. Soloists were Paul Staples, David Leonard, Clive Jefferies and James Richardson (trumpet). To swell the funds, the boys also collected £20 in pennies.
Eight members of Yarmouth and District Round Table, led by Terry Morrison, made a sponsored trip by sea from Gorleston to Seaham and then on to Glasgow by road with an inflatable dinghy. Crews of three took it in turn to man the boat. After completing the journey the men were able to present the RNLI with a cheque for £3,050, written on an eight foot hardboard Mike Inkster raised £500 by running from Whitstable via Birchington and Mansion and back, replica of an ILB. More than £3,000 a total of 50 miles. The money was divided equally between Whitstable branch and Cancer worth of equipment used in this effort, Research. Mr Inkster's firm, Pedigree Toys Ltd, kindly gave 50 dolls to Whitstable branch to including the boat, Yamaha 40 out- raise further funds. They are being raffled and used in competitions. board engine and 12 sets of waders and oilskins, given by Freeman's of Yar- Six children from Harpenden, whose A harvest home sale held in the Old mouth, were also handed to the RNLI ages ranged from four to ten years old, Coastguard Hotel, Mousehole, raised for use on the coast. made a clover chain measuring 92 feet! over £200 to buy equipment for the Sponsors were asked to contribute '/2p Penlee lifeboat. It was organised by the During the bad weather of early or lp per foot and £10.58 was raised for mother of the coxswain, Mrs M. August, 16-year-old Sharon Slater the lifeboat service. Richards, who has worked for the decided to organise the children on RNLI for over 40 years as honorary holiday in Morfa Nefyn, North Wales. Fleetwood's lifeboat week, secretary and chairman of Penlee After some days of rehearsing, a con- organised by members of the local ladies' guild; Mrs S. Madron, wife of cert including a condensed version of ladies' guild, station branch and crew, the motor mechanic; and Mrs Mary the musical 'Oliver' was performed in raised £3,500. A crowded week of Williams, whose husband, before his front of parents and holidaymakers. dances, concerts, flower and river dis- retirement, served as assistant Such was the demand for tickets that plays, and including a fish sale at the mechanic and wireless operator for 28 two performances were put on. As a lifeboathouse, culminated in a service years. Other helpers included Mrs M. result £20 was sent to the RNLI. at St Peter's Church. Pomeroy, wife of the winchman of 97 ^
Members of the Brierley Hill and Kingswinford branch had highflying ideas for fund raising, for John Stoker, a branch committee member, persuaded some of his friends to make a sponsored parachute jump. When all the jumpers had their feet firmly on the ground once more, and all the money had been collected in, £400 had been raised. A similar event on Bodmin Moor, undertaken by nine young people, Two by two they rode to the Young Farmers' Conference at Black- raised £150 for the Mevagissey branch, Cornwall. pool. Members of the Norton and Gaulby Young Farmers' Club sol- ved a transport problem and raised money for the RNLl as they went by organising a sponsored tandem ride to Blackpool. A cheque for £200 was later handed over to Leicester ladies' guild. photograph by courtesy of 'Leicester Mercury'
A clear day and a pleasant setting made a coffee morn- ing run by Mr and Mrs Wilkes in their caravan-type home at Acaster Malbis, York, a tremendous event. Despite the limited space available Mr and Mrs Wilkes were able to entertain enough guests to raise £143. many years standing, and Assistant An annual appeal in the north east Mechanic Nigel Brockman who acted among employees of the several insur- as auctioneer. ance companies which come within the Industrial Life Offices organisation has Mud, mud, glorious mud—and it this year realised £578. raised £500 for the RNLI. Ann and Mike Porter-Ward, landlords of the A record profit of £900 was raised by Ship Inn, Canterbury, organised a mud Mudeford guild's annual fete on day for their regular customers. Tug- Mudeford Quay last summer during Filey station held its first lifeboat queen of-war, greasy pole and three-legged which Elizabeth Dewey was crowned contest at a dance at Primrose Valley Holi- races were among the competitions lifeboat queen. A children's lifeboat day Park in August. The winner was Mandy battled out in the mud of Conyer painting competition, races and many Simpson from Beverley; Jane Beaumont (I.) Creek. other events helped to make the day a and Julie Moxon (r.) were second and third success. respectively. Coxswain Tom Jenkinson pre- sented the prizes which were donated by After a successful sale held in her local firms. The money raised from the con- garage last year which raised over £60, A Japanese luncheon was held at the test and dance was credited to the Filey Mrs McMurray of Rye, Sussex, has home of the chairman of Aldeburgh lifeboat week, when about £1,700 was gone on this year to raise a further £84. ladies' guild in May and raised £150. collected. The main course, a genuine Japanese The greyhound which won the Bass chicken dish together with the tradi- During Greenwich Clipper Week, Trophy Race at Middlesbrough indi- tional side dishes, was cooked by an ladies from Woolwich branch sold rectly raised £100 for Whitby branch, American family, who are staunch £1,500 worth of souvenirs. In addition, for he was 'adopted' by the George supporters of the local lifeboat. £250 of lottery tickets were sold to Hotel, Whitby, to run in the race holidaymakers, including visitors from organised by Bass Charrington. The Eight children and three teachers of America, Australia, Canada and Sri landlord, Ted Davis, presented his Emmanuel Junior and Infants School in Lanka. prize to Peter Thomson, coxswain of Preston raised £85 by each swimming Whitby lifeboat, in appreciation of the 20 lengths of the local swimming pool. A folk music evening and fork supper lifeboat's splendid record of service at Oxonhoath, the home of Mr and Mrs and because he had been rescued twice Following a visit by pupils of Bayne-Powell, raised £230 for Ton- by the boat. Berkhamstead High School for Girls to bridge branch last October, and a Port Isaac ILB station, the girls summer evening at Penshurst Place, Four young children, Alan and Ste- decided to hold a flower show to raise the home of Lord de L'Isle, which ven Boyle, Michelle Cane and Corine money for the station. Over 120 entries included supper and a guided tour of Rimmer collected jumble and held a were judged ranging from miniature the house, raised £160. In all, Ton- sale in Alan and Steven's front garden. gardens, Victorian posies and pressed bridge branch, which has 'adopted' Tea and biscuits were also sold and at flowers to plants grown by the children Sheerness lifeboat, raised more than the end of an enjoyable day for the four themselves. As a result the girls were £1,000 in the first six months of the friends, £9.86 had been made. able to send £20 to Port Isaac. financial year.
98 This remarkable scene, depicting Weymouth lifeboat rescuing a man Two magnificent efforts by children in Ipswich have raised enough off Portland Bill, is made entirely from sand. It is the work of Fred money to buy 112 sets of ear defenders for lifeboat crews. The top Darrington whoAs now the only sand sculptor in Weymouth and who three classes ofWhitehouse Infants School hoped to raised £100 with made the sculpture for Wey mouth's flag week. It raised £15.97 of the a sponsored spell; they actually raised £429, enough for 100 sets of £4,022.53 raised altogether during the week. ear defenders. Three pupils from St John's School raised the money photograph by courtesy of 'Dorset Evening Echo' for 12 sets, photograph by courtesy of the 'Evening Star', Ipswich.
Last October, Mrs Carmen, vice- A weekly ticket competition held by The 16 forms of Sawston Village Col- president of Lianelli branch, was pre- Michael Skinner, landlord of the Mos- lege, Lower School, set themselves a sented with a bar to her gold badge by tyn Hotel, Swanage, has raised £350 target of raising £4.50 per form to buy David Mansel-Lewis, HM Lieutenant of over the last 18 months. ear defenders for lifeboat crews. After Dyfed. Mrs Carmen has had a perma- two months of races, sweet and cake nent collecting box in her hotel for Foreign students taking English stalls and sponsored events, £450 was nearly 20 years and has personally courses at the Anglo-European School handed over. raised over £12,000 for the RNLI. of English in Bournemouth, are fined 5p if they are caught talking in their Shortly after the opening of the new Mark Hannah and his 73-year-old own language while in the school. So Arts Centre in Poole, a concert of bar- grandfather, W. F. Harris, recently far about £45 has been raised in this bershop singing was organised by the undertook a sponsored walk from way. East Dorset Barbershop Harmony Plymouth to Brixham: a walk which A model lifeboat made entirely out of Club, after which a cheque for £462 took them three days. Over £81 was matchsticks has been made and pre- was donated to the Yarmouth lifeboat collected which has been given to sented to the RNLI by a prisoner in appeal. Barbershoppers from Bristol, Plymouth lifeboat pontoon fund. Dungavel Jail, Scotland. The model is Reading, Crawley, Bridgwater and fitted with working lights and inside is a Bournemouth also took part. Each year the Ritchie family, who table, bunks and bookcase. So far the live at Billericay, Essex, arrange their model has been used during flag weeks A cheque for £20 in memory of the holidays to coincide with flag week at in the Southern District. late Dick Partington was given to Borth, Dyfed. Each year they manage to increase the amount they collect and At a highly successful concert by Harrow Concert Band at Kodak Hall, Wealdstone, in this year they brought in £92 of the September, the music played ranged from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Tchaikovsky. Rayners Lane and Eastcote branches helped with the decorations and at the end of the event £496.95 raised at Borth during the over £500 had been raised. The band has very kindly offered to help at any RNLI function for week. out-of-pocket expenses only. Branches and guilds should write to the honorary secretary of the hand. Herbert Scott, at 20 Mount Drive, North Harrow. After being paid at the end of the photograph by courtesy of Peter Ransom week, the seven crew members of MV Hoocrest only take their money to the round pound; any surplus coins go into the lifeboat box kept on board. If they go ashore for an evening out, any loose change is put in the box. In just three months this crew has collected £54.
Shawls in all colours crocheted by Glenys Clarke are raising money for Rugby branch and guild. So far, Mrs Clarke, a full time teacher, has crocheted 50 shawls and has amassed £200 for branch funds.
Four Dutch schoolboys, Michael Heins, Dick Ket, Andre U. Oosten and Wim Vink, while staying in York, raised £37.63 for the RNLI in just one hour by playing their accordians and drums in Kings Square, York. The boys called their group Rubbish; not a name that fits the music, according to the response from the shoppers.
99 fund-raising ideas include guessing how many sweets are in a jar and treasure maps as well as selling games and books. His last sale, earlier this year, Norden Primary School raised £5.82, the highest total so far. raised £250 for the RNL1 by Keep up the good work. John! collecting newspapers and organising fairs and com- petitions. Philip Shepherd A successful barbecue was organised handed over the cheque to by Boston Motor Yacht Club last Brian Stevenson, ADOS autumn and despite bad weather the North West, with Mrs S. event raised £148 for the lifeboat Taylor and Mrs J. P. Heywood of Rochdale service. ladies' guild looking on. photograph by courtesy of Barnt Green Sailing Club kindly 'Rochdale Observer' allows the local ladies' guild to hold a fork supper in its grounds each year. This year the supper raised £720, all the food being prepared by guild members. Presentation by Rear- With such good co-operation, no won- Admiral Sir Edmund Irving, der raising money is plain sailing. a vice-president of the Institution, to Littlestone- on-Seu ILB crew of a tele- A ladies' darts league, started eight scope paid for by the Rom- years ago in public houses on Romney ney Marsh ladies' darts Marsh, has proved to be a real money league (see right). The spinner. During each match a collecting league cup for 1977/78 was box is handed round, the money col- won by the Royal Mail lected being given to the local branch ladies' team. photograph by courtesy of for that area. At the end of each season 'Folkestone and Hythe a presentation dance is held and any Herald and Gazette' money raised from the raffle is split equally between Dungeness lifeboat and Littlestone ILB. During the 1977/78 season. £6(X) was raised The ladies guild in the small through the collecting boxes and £589 market town of Driffield from the raffle. raised £3.046 in 1978, mak- ing a total of £9.497 in five years. A cheese and wine Pangbourne branch has had a party at the Trout Inn is one bumper year, raising an all-time record popular annual event. (I. to sum for them of over £6.500. Some r.) Mrs H. Byas. honorary £3.200 of this was raised on one day in treasurer. Lady Farens, Mrs July at Beenham Gala, for which, on a B. Navlor, chairman, K. Thirlwell, DOS North East. glorious day, a crowd not far short of Mrs G. Sykes, vice- 10,000 turned up. Of this sum £1.600 chairman, and Mrs R. G. came from a raffle and the first prize, a Foster, honorary secretary. Mirror dinghy donated by Hambros Life of Park Lane, was won by George Laing from Fife. Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Compston, chairman of the Fund Raising Committee, was guest of hon- our and members of the crew and Llunelli ASC organised a committee of Weymouth lifeboat sta- sponsored sea swim in tion paid the gala a welcome visit. August and raised £145, £80 of which was raised by Susan Roach who presented At least once a month someone from the cheque to Mrs Dorothy the Welsh District Office is called to Williams, chairman of Burry empty the lifeboat collecting box in the Port ladies' guild. Burry bar of the Red House, a pub near their Port ILB was herself pro- office in Cardiff's dockland. The land- vided us a result of a pre- lord, Mr Young, and his regulars have vious national sponsored collected over £100 in six months. .swim, the money having been raised by Tiverton Swimming Club. Hove Deep Sea Angler's Club are netting more and more money for the Beaumaris ladies' guild by the North while sitting in a set of stocks; the sec- RNLI as the years go by. In 1972. £134 Wales Venturers Yacht Club of ond occasion was during Lifeboat had been collected in their lifeboat box. Beaumaris. Mr Partington, a long- Larks last August 27. Certainly food by 1977 the amount had risen to £223 distance cruising man, was honorary for thought! and £105 from special efforts. So far training officer for the club, and thus this year £187 has been put into the col- passed on his knowledge of the sea. lecting box and £211 raised by special of the sea to others. New Brighton station has a very good friend in young John Liddle. For events. Bob Young, a crew member of Port the past two years John has been hold- Isaac ILB, has twice raised £25 by hav- ing small sales at his home while his London lifeboat day, held on March ing bags of wet pig food thrown at him mother is holding coffee mornings. His 14 raised £90.208 gross.
100 A raffle, a cake stall, a bring and buy stall and a game of bingo were all part of the programme of a coffee evening held at the home of Tynemouth ladies' guild chairman, Mrs Whatley, last April. The evening, for which there was a full house, raised over £122.
A cheque for £200.67 was handed over for Torbay lifeboat by pupils of Yarner House, Audley Park School, Torquay. During the past two years the 450 pupils of the house have been rais- ing about £50 a term by selling hot pasties, soup and cake.
Mandy and Ashley Way of Chaw- leigh, North Devon, with help from 'Every man to the boat and every woman to the rope' used to be the cry at Newbiggin and, as some of their school friends, raised a tribute to the past, for the branch's harbour fete in August the ladies dressed in traditional £83.50 for Appledore lifeboat with a fisherwomen's costume. With the help of donations from Morpeth and Bedlington guilds, coffee evening. There was an exhibi- £5,458 was raised this year, photograph by courtesy of White House Photographic Studio tion of ancient objects as well as stalls and competitions. Sculpture from scrap has been a highly successful idea Leeds Model Group of the Lifeboat for John Perse nee, a com- Enthusiasts' Society raised £53 in two mittee member of Heist on branch and also a Shoreline hours at their first fund-raising effort. member. Mr Persence, a Their stall, at a local gala, was stocked welder by trade, creates, in with homemade cakes, jams and his spare time, model steam sweetmeats. engines, boats and figures from discarded nuts, bolts A wine and cheese party, held by a and scrap metal. Half the small branch almost in the centre of proceeds of any pieces sold England, raised £82 in July. The party is handed over to Helston was held at the home of Buckingham branch. and District branch's chairman G. W. Battersby. Portpatrick lifeboat museum, looked boxes and a percentage of the sale of after by Mrs Patsy Milligan, sister of paintings, but latterly a souvenir stand 'Come as you were when the ship the late Coxswain Andrew Mitchell, is has been opened every weekend man- went down' was the invitation for a getting busier and busier every year. In ned chiefly by Portsdown branch but dance organised by Cannock branch, the past two years the museum's many with helpers from other branches in the and we are told it caused a great visitors have given £4.500 to the Portsmouth area. lifeboat service. amount of fun and unusual dress. Over Upminster branch has received £100 was raised from this very enjoy- Point Battery Art Exhibition, £211.70 raised for the RNLI at a recent able evening. Portsmouth, has been running for ten concert held at Chafford School, years, during which time £4,000 has Rainham, Essex. The entertainment This year's rag efforts by Aberyst- been raised for lifeboat funds. In 1978 was provided by 'Stardust', a group of wyth students raised a total of £67,300, alone, from May to September, £975 students from the school aged between £4,500 of which was donated to the was collected through the generosity of 12 and 16 years who arrange all their RNLI. In all the students donated the artists and the public. Initially the own choreography, and the Chafford money to 37 different charities and money came from RNLI collecting School band. organisations. Swanage police held a ball which raised £200 for local charities, one of which was the RNLI. Philatelic souvenirs of them are cancelled by one-day pic- torial handstamp postmarks for the A balloon race organised by Selsdon event being commemorated. A small Park Hotel, Surrey, during its Easter IT is NOW MORE than four years since number of each issue are carried house party raised £106 for the lifeboat the series of official RNLI com- aboard the lifeboat concerned and service. The winning balloon reached memorative covers was started. These copies are also available signed by the Dusseldorf by midday on Bank Holiday colourful philatelic souvenirs of events coxswain. Monday. in the life of the Institution were first Some early covers are no longer issued in 1974 during the 150th anniver- available from stock and these can Garden parties, sherry parties and sary year, when several of the postal change hands for anything up to £10 coffee mornings have helped Alderley administrations in the British Isles each. However, the RNLI philatelic Edge branch to raise £7,639 in the last issued special lifeboat stamps. agents have a comprehensive stock of ten years. In 1977 £1,046 was sent to Further covers have been produced the remaining covers and are always headquarters from this village with a since then for many different events prepared to receive and consider offers population of only 4,000. resulting in a regular contribution to of early covers for resale from collec- RNLI funds. By the end of 1978 over tors. A complete list of covers available In the summer issue of THE 40 different covers will have been and current prices, including the RNLI LIFEBOAT a photograph was published issued, many for naming ceremonies of cover album with an embossed crest on of Rupert, the parrot who 'collects' for new lifeboats or centenaries and 150th the cover, can be obtained by foward- the RNLI at the garden gate of his anniversaries of lifeboat stations. ing a stamped addressed envelope to: owners, Captain and Mrs Wilson of All the covers depict lifeboats, both RNLI Philatelic Agents, 13 Best Lane, Falmouth. Rupert's lifeboat box took modern and early types, from specially Canterbury, Kent CT1 2XX (Tel. Can- £175.17 in 1977 and £224.62 in 1978. commissioned drawings, and almost all terbury 61859). 101 and Charles, and his great great grand- child Alan—all became in their turn designers, engineers and supervisors for the Northern Lighthouse Board, spanning the years from 1786 to 1971. Even the best-known of the family, Robert Louis Stevenson, was trained as a lighthouse engineer before turning to writing. They designed and supervised the building of towers, lanterns, lamps and optics, fog signals, enginerooms, REVIEWS storehouses, keepers' dwellings, beacons, buoys, radios and piers, and they were also responsible for their maintenance. Until 1900 they under- • Richard Evans of Moelfre has now Inshore lifeboats do not average 50 took an annual inspection tour of all joined the distinguished band of calls a year. These and a few others installations. By the 1930s they had lifeboatmen of whom a full-length bi- are, however, only minor built over 90 lighthouses including the ography has been written. This is Life- blemishes.—P.H. lighthouses on the notorious Bell Rock, boat VC by Ian Skidmore (David and a reef 11 miles out in the North Sea Charles, £4.95). covered by several feet of water each The great rescues from Hindlea in • The public library at Cowes con- high tide (completed 1811) and on 1959 and Nafsiporos in 1966, for which tains a small maritime museum one Skerryvore Rock, 12 miles out into the Richard Evans was awarded gold med- corner of which is devoted to Uffa Fox Atlantic (completed 1843). Muckle als for gallantry, are vividly recalled. and includes, among other things, a let- Flugga, Cape Wrath, Sule Skerry, There are also a number of other ter he wrote as a young man applying Flannan Isles and many others were to accounts of services which indicate for a job at a local boatyard. In the let- follow. Eventually the Stevensons' something of the variety of work which ter he chats away about everything influence was to stretch right round the lifeboat crews are called upon to do. under the sun—including his prefer- world: to New Zealand, Newfound- On one occasion Moelfre lifeboat ence for plump girls—in his own inim- land, India, Australia, Japan and towed in a cow which had fallen into itable style. It is an extraordinary letter China. the sea and which was in calf. The dif- and, like everything else he wrote An impressive chronicle of high ficulties of war-time service without including the material chosen for Best adventure and imaginative hard work lights or radio are also emphasised. of Uffa compiled by Guy Cole (Nautical well worth reading.—J.D. To many the most interesting parts of Publishing Co., £8.50), it is immensely the book will be the descriptions of life readable. You may disagree with some in a small fishing community rather of his opinions and deductions but you • A number of innovations appear in over half a century ago. Richard cannot fail to be entertained and the latest edition of Reed's Nautical Evans's grandfather, Richard Matt- somewhere, for everyone, will be snip- Almanac, for 1979 (Thomas Reed Pub- hews, never learnt to read or write, yet pets of instruction and moments of lications Ltd, £6.25). Welcome minor he was the local butcher and a fine inspiration. additions and changes have been made seaman. He made his own nets, sails Best of Uffa is composed of material to the tables and explanations, in par- and masts and built houses with his from five volumes of design choices ticular the tide tables which have been own hands. The commercial import- published in the 1930s. You will not put extended to cover the French Atlantic ance of fishing to supplement the low it down without experiencing the con- coast; the section on the use of the wages of seamen is also stressed. One tagion of his inextinguishable love of tables has been much improved and of the most vivid pictures is of colliers life, of boats and the sea.—B.A. simplified with a new table for interpo- arriving off Moelfre, from which the lation of heights at times intermediate coal was hand-winched from the holds between high and low water. The con- into carts, which were then drawn by • Family tradition in service to sea- tinental port entry section has been horses over the shingle. faring people is well understood by extended to include Dutch ports. As many lifeboat supporters know, lifeboat people, who will surely find the One new departure is the extension Richard Evans is now a brilliant public story of the Stevensons told by Craig of the text of the chapters describing speaker with an exceptional capacity Mair in A Star for Seamen (John Mur- the use of the tables and the problems for holding an audience's attention. It ray, £7.50) enthralling. For five genera- of coastal navigation to include calcula- may therefore seem strange to learn of tions this Edinburgh family of civil tions performed on the hand-held elec- the young Dick Evans, who when he engineers were lighthouse builders, tronic calculator. This prompts one to first went to sea stayed on board rather gradually bringing to Scottish coasts observe that many of the more lengthy than risk the danger of losing himself in navigational aids vital to the safety of tables—traverse tables, versines, log the back streets of ports and worried the men who sail those waters. cosines, departure into difference of because he had difficulty in speaking The story began in 1786, the same longitude and so on—are rendered English. year that Lionel Lukin's 'unimmerg- obsolete by the arrival on the chart The new work must be an essential ible', the first boat to be adapted for table of the electronic calculator with feature of any adequate lifeboat library. lifesaving, was established at Bam- trigonometry functions. Perhaps, in It is well written with a smoothly run- burgh. It was in that year that Thomas future years all these could be omitted ning narrative and an air of authen- Smith took to the newly established or replaced by a single table of natural ticity. It is a pity therefore that it is Northern Lighthouse Trust his inven- five-figure sines and cosines for the marred by a number of factual errors. tion to improve the intensity of light in benefit of the navigator whose cal- Outstanding record though it has, simple oil lamps: a parabolic shaped culator does not include trig, functions. Moelfre station has not, as the author reflector to be fitted behind the lamp. There is a correction to the BBC states, won more medals for gallantry Thomas Smith and his descen- Radio changes given on page 826 which than any other. The late Coxswain Dan dants—Robert Stevenson, who was must be noted. At the time the Kirkpatrick of Longhope did not die on both his stepson and his son-in-law, his Almanac went to press it was intended the day he was to go to London to grandchildren Alan, David and that there should be two wavelengths receive his third lifeboat medal. Thomas, his great grandchildren David for Radio 4 on long wave. This decision 102 was later revised by the BBC and there amusing illustrations. Although not hardback, £4.50; Puffin Books paper- is now only one: frequency 200kHz, principally concerned with the sea back, 90p), which is an anthology rang- wavelength 1500 metres. there are some very good sections for ing from the writings of Ancient Greece The contents page has been re- the help of boat owners relating to wind to those of the present day, across designed with coloured flashes leading and weather, fog, conflagration and many countries and touching on many to marks on the edges of the pages for even the traditional 'lookout'.—E.J. sea-related subjects. easy reference. One day we may hope And finally, Old Harry's Bunkside that the colour printing will extend to Book, by J. D. Sleightholme (Adlard the cloud illustrations in Chapter XXI • Among books recently received Coles, £1), which is a collection of which lose so much from being printed are: stories about 'Old Harry' originally in black and white. The Shell Book of Practical and published in 'Yachts and Yachting' and In all respects the Almanac main- Decorative Ropework by Eric C. Fry 'Yachting Monthly'. A good bunkside tains the high standards set by previous and Peter Wilson (David and Charles, book indeed. editions and it is perhaps churlish to £3.95), which shows the bights and repeat the perennial complaint of small tucks of each knot in clear photographs ship navigators that it should be printed taken from the point of view of the Fire .. . in two volumes; one annually, contain- knotmaker's own eyes. After working ing the ephemeris and tides, and one through decorative knots, plaits, sen- Fire at sea can be both swift and less frequently with the unchanging nits and mats, the book ends with devastating. All too often not enough chapters on general matters. This step designs for a small bell toggle, a large thought is given to its prevention; not would be a great help to the seafaring bell toggle and a multi-unit mat. enough preparation made for fighting public which has to pay the ever- Merchant Fleets in Profile, by Dun- it. The Royal Yachting Association increasing cost of the complete issue can Haws (Patrick Stephens, Cam- Seamanship Foundation, in conjunc- every year.—K.M. bridge, £4.95), which is the first in a tion with Nu-Swift, has produced a proposed series of books giving brief poster illustrating some of the reasons • Accidents Happen by Ann Welch historical records of shipping com- why fire occurs and how they can be (John Murray, hardback £5.95; paper- panies and their fleets and including prevented; it also gives information back £2.95), with the subtitle Anticipa- profile drawings of many of their ships. about suitable fire extinguishers to tion, Avoidance, Survival, is a book This volume covers the P and O, Orient carry on board. These posters are that has been written no doubt follow- and Blue Anchor lines. available, price 20p each, from RYA ing a great deal of research and con- The Puffin Book of Salt-Sea Verse Seamanship Foundation, Victoria tains a fund of useful advice amidst compiled by Charles Causley (Kestrel Way, Woking, Surrey GU21 1EQ.
sons in floppy hats, put £1 in the box rearranged their programme to give us Sweet William after a long chat, then caught up with a three-minute slot. William and I duly continued from page 95 us at our lunchtime pub and, claiming presented ourselves at the studios on that he had been mean earlier, put a the Thursday and after three rehear- further £5 in the box! Another splendid sals, all different, we appeared live. character took out his cheque book and From White City we went to fectly and they departed full of smiles, I said, 'How much the lot? Come on, I'm Knightsbridge Barracks, from where suspect of relief, and only charged a serious!' we made the final trot down Rotten nominal fee. Animal reactions were just as varied. Row to Hyde Park Corner. The journey Hatherleigh Market was close by so I Thoroughbred hunters backed away was over, on time, and it had been asked the market RSPCA inspector to wide eyed when William greeted them, thoroughly enjoyable. William was check William; he was reported in while other donkeys always sounded very fit and quite unperturbed and the excellent shape. off and came to investigate. We journey back by trailer was the only On then through the Devon country- became adept at spotting other don- hurdle to overcome. We finally arrived side with its short, steep hills and red keys and I always led William past their back in Cornwall the next Sunday, soil; it was beautiful weather with a real fields as he was liable to go up the exactly 28 days after setting off on that hint of spring in the air. Off the main bank, chaise and all, to exchange May Day morning. road, in the little villages, how many views! What was achieved and what are my sights there are that you miss from a We were well over half way for our lasting impressions? I proved to myself car: an old fording place across a clear second rest day on Lord Chichester's that a journey of this sort can still be stream; a local forge; delightful estate near Salisbury. Wilton, with its undertaken if proper training, prepara- thatch-covered cottages dispensing Army messes, proved a lucrative stop tion and planning is carried out. The cream teas and William the centre of and many of my husband's friends average person is still as generous and groups of children offering sweets, car- came to wish us well. A further set of kind as one would wish, and the RNLI rots and titbits. Wherever I could I let shoes were fitted, by the cold process, has tremendous support throughout the our two Lurchers run on short chains and these were to last the rest of the country, even in places remote from behind the chaise and they loved the trip. We met a number of enthusiastic the sea. The small B roads are still exercise. DBS members near Salisbury and were incredibly traffic free and those who By now the hedgerows were break- most encouraged. We managed to keep use them are far more tolerant of ani- ing into blossom and were thick with dates with TV crews and local press- mals than those on the main roads. campions, foxgloves, scabias and, in men who I am sure all thought we were Incredibly beautiful countryside still Dorset, wild orchids. Hedges rustled mad but who always left wishing us exists quite unspoilt and is well worth with bird life, rabbits and other small luck. visiting, particularly in the spring. mammals as we passed: a real educa- Our final week saw us drawing closer Finally, without the support and help tion to me being used to travelling by to London and stabling William was a of the many people who really made car. Farmers were extremely generous, bit more difficult. From Staines we the adventure possible—my mother not only with contributions but in stab- took the A315 which proved to be very who held the fort in Cornwall, our ling William and helping wherever pos- quiet. Children flocked round and we generous sponsors, helpers, friends sible. They all observed how nice it drew amused glances from people and members of the DBS and RNLI—I was to see a working donkey and shopping. would never have been able to hand always gave encouragement. One Then came an enthusiastic welcome over a cheque for £1,506.06 on board St farmer, complete with two strapping from the BBC's 'Blue Peter' team who Ives lifeboat.
103 Lifeboats and wrecks * A Ship's 'Wheel * of Cornwall * for only £19.80!*
Nothing conjures up visions of the sea more vividly than a traditional ship's helm. Nauticalia wheels are authentic re-creations, craftsman made, and extremely good value. Available in acacia-wood or teak.
20in. (50cm) acacia-wood, brass hub, wooden dowling, varnish finish £19.80 (Post £1.50) Spend a long and relaxing weekend in Cornwall, learning about wrecks 36in. (90cm), as above £32.00 (Carr. £3.00) and lifeboats. Based at St. Ives. two weekends will be held in February and March 1979. 36in. (90cm) teak, individually handmade. Solid brass concentrating on the history, traditions and bravery of the lifeboatmen of hub, ring and spoke cap. Antique finish. the area and the men they rescued Lectures and slide shows will be given by RNLI representatives and time will be allowed to tramp the smugglers £79.00 (Carr. £3.00) paths to see some of the spots where great ships foundered years ago Lots of good food, talks and films on lifeboats and rescues and visits to lifeboat stations will ensure a fascinating weekend for a small group of RNLI supporters. A percentage of all course fees will go to RNLI funds Book now by writing to: Jill Elleston. Skldden House Hotel, St. Ives. Cornwall. Dept. LB1, Tel: St. Ives 6899. 121 High Street, Shepperton-on-Thames, Middx TW17 9BL _ Tel: Walton-on-Thames 44396/4 1 860 The battery that's fitted to the Atlantic
The Atlantic 21 was designed for the RNLI to withstand the arduous conditions involved in high speed search and rescue operations. This special boat needs a very special battery and Varley were selected for their outstanding Varley reliability under the most severe conditions. Varley produce a unique battery that is Please send me full details and technical virtually unspillable and highly resistant to shock specifications on Varley marine batteries. and vibration, resulting ina system that gives high Nome electrical performance and long effective life, in a safe, compact package. Address Does your craft deserve anything less? Berec (Varley Batteries) Limited Telephone 12-14 Chandos Road London NW10 6NF
1(14 Padstow, Cornwall (twice), 7, 8, 20, 22, 23, 31, August 3, 5, 6 Lifeboat Services July 21 and August 1 (twice), 24 (twice) and 31 Penlee, Cornwall Youghal, Co. Cork from page 82 June 23 July 3, 22 and 31 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire Lifeboat ON 1032 on passage Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin August 14 August 22 July 18, August 26 and 31 Plymouth, South Devon Eastbourne, East Sussex June 2 and 19 July 2 (twice) and 3 Poole, Dorset Services by Inshore Exmouth, South Devon June 18, July 1 (four times) July 30, August July 22 and 23 1, 7 and 20 Lifeboats, June, July Eyemouth, Berwickshire Port Erin, Isle of Man and August, 1978 June 28 June 17, 18 and July 22 Falmouth, Cornwall Porthdinllaen, Gwynedd June 3, 10, July 5, August 18, 21 and 27 July 20, 21, 28, August 12, 13, 25 and 27 Aberdovey, Gwynedd Filey, North Yorkshire Portpatrick, Wigtownshire June 17, 25 and July 22 July 3, 13 and August 18 July 10, 31 and August 6 Abersoch, Gwynedd Flamborough, Humberside Ramsey, Isle of Man June 1, 2, 17, 20, 26, July 2, 8, 20, August July 29 (twice) August 2 5, 16, 24, 25 and 27 Fleetwood, Lancashire Ramsgate, Kent Aberystwyth, Dyfed June 18, July 6, 9, 17 and 25 June 23, July 15, 21, 22, 25, 28, 31, August June 3, 17, July 30 and August 2 Fowey, Cornwall 9, 11, 24 and 28 Aldeburgh, Suffolk June 20, July 25^27 and August 20 Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford June 26 Galway Bay, Co. Galway June 5, 14 and August 3 Amble, Northumberland June 23, 25, 29, July 13, 29 and August 2 St David's, Dyfed June 24 and 26 Girvan, Ayrshire July 12, 15, 19, 23 and August 30 (three Arbroath, Angus June 19 and August 31 times) June 24 Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, Norfolk St Helier, Jersey Arran (Lamlash), Buteshire July 3, 6, 7, 25 and August 1 June 24, July 12, August 20 (twice) and June 11 and August 13 Hartlepool, Cleveland August 27 Atlantic College, South Glamorgan June 1, July 24 and 28 St Ives, Cornwall July 4 and August 14 Harwich, Essex August 1, 6 and 26 Bangor, Co. Down June 8, 13, July 23, August 5, 21 and 22 St Mary's, Isles of Scilly June 4 and July 25 Hastings, East Sussex June 3, 19, August 18 and 30 Bar mouth, Gwynedd June 19 and August 7 St Peter Port, Guernsey June 28, July 24, August 13 (twice) and 22 Holy head, Gwynedd June 13,15, July 23, August 15 (twice) and 19 Barrow, Cumbria June 18, July 10, 11, 23, 29, 31, August 14, Salcombe, South Devon July 24 24, 25 and 31 July 2 (twice) and 11 Beaumaris, Gwynedd Howth, Co. Dublin Scarborough, North Yorkshire June 10, 29, July 23, 26 and 28 June 13, 14, July 25, August 14 and 21 June 15 Bembridge, Isle of Wight Humber, Humberside Selsey, West Sussex August 9 June 16, July 11, 19. August 1,3,8 (twice), July 1, 26, August 1, 6 and 27 Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland 12, 27 and 28 Sennen Cove, Cornwall June 28 and July 31 Ilfracombe, North Devon June 14 Blackpool, (D.117), Lancashire July 22, 25 and August 18 Sheer-ness, Kent June 10, July 18, 22, 31, August 12, 19, 20 Islay, Argyllshire June 3, 17 and 24 and 25 June 16 Sheringham, Norfolk Blackpool, (B.528), Lancashire Kilmore, Co. Wexford July 5 August 7 June 19 and July 22 Shoreham Harbour, West Sussex Blyth, Northumberland Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbrightshire July 30 and August 1 July 5, 24 and August 8 June 27 and July 9 Skegness, Lincolnshire Borth, Dyfed Kirkwall, Orkney July 5 June 18, July 1, 14, 18, August 7, 13, 18, 26 July 2 and August 4 Stornoway, Ross-shire and 27 Lerwick, Shetland June 7, 10, July 23, 27 and August 30 Bridlington, Humberside June 8 and August 19 Sunderland, Tyne and Wear June 1, 10, July 8, 25, 28 and August 17 The Lizard-Cadgwith, Cornwall June 11 and August 16 (twice) June 4 Swanage, Dorset Brighton, East Sussex Llandudno, Gwynedd June 24 (twice), 25, July 3, 13 (twice), 16 July 29 and August 20 July8 (twice), 19, 30, August 2, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20 Broughty Ferry, Angus Lochinver, Sutherland and 27 July 30 and August 13 August 4 and 9 Tenby, Dyfed Bude, Cornwall Lowes toft, Suffolk June 10, 23, 26 and August 12 July 26, August 2 and 9 August 6 and 30 Thurso, Caithness Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex Macduff, Banffshire June 3, July 10, 26, August 4 and 16 June 17 and July 1 July 15 and August 11 Torbay, South Devon Burry Port, Dyfed Mallaig, Inverness-shire August r5, June 2, 3, 20, July 21, August 19 and 20 June 19, July 19, 20 and 23 Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear Clacton-on-Sea, Essex Margate, Kent June 11, August 20 and 25 June 24, 29, July 21, 26 (twice), August 20, August 1, 28 and 30 Valentia, Co. Kerry 25, 26, 27 and 30 (twice) Moelfre, Gwynedd June 24, July 12, August 16, 17 and 23 Conwy, Gwynedd June 21, 24, 26, August 13 and 31 Walmer, Kent July 11, 14, August 8 and 12 The Mumbles, West Glamorgan July 2 and August 21 Coverack, Cornwall June 24 Wells, Norfolk July 30 and August 27 Newbiggin, Northumberland July 5 and August 30 Craster, Northumberland June 12 and 26 Weymouth, Dorset July 25 Newcastle, Co. Down June 7, 24, 29, July 13, 15 and August 20 Criccieth, Gwynedd July 23 Whitby, North Yorkshire June 18, 28, July 27 and August 29 Newhaven, East Sussex June 10 (twice) and July 11 Cromer, Norfolk June 22, 25, July 2 (3 times), 3, August 5, Wicklow, Co. Wicklow June 25, July 9 (twice), 21, 27 (twice) and 19 and 21 June 4, 11, July 22, 23 and August 18 August 28 New Quay, Dyfed Workington, Cumbria Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear July 22 June 22 and July 6 June 15, July 21, 22, August 15, 19 and 20 Oban, Argyllshire Yarmouth, Isle of Wight Duribar, East Lothian August 26 June 17, 21, 23 (twice), 24, 25, July 3 August 19
105 Eastbourne, East Sussex Minehead, Somerset June 7, 15, 21, 23, July 20, 30, August 18 June 28, July 2, 4, 7, 9 (twice), 17, August 8 June 11, 25, July 7 (twice), 15 (twice), Scarborough, North Yorkshire and 16 August 2 (twice), 11, 23 and 24 (twice) June 18, July 17, 27, August 19 and 21 Exmouth, South Devon Moelfre, Gwynedd Selsey, West Sussex June 4, 18 (twice), 26, August 5, 11, 13, 15, June 6, 30, July 17, 21, 22, 23, 26, August June 4, 17, July 3, 9 (twice), August 1 16, 24 and 29 13, 15, 16, 18 and 21 (twice), 6 (twice) and 19 Filey, North Yorkshire Morecambe, Lancashire Sheerness, Kent June 15, July 9, 13, 25, 27, August 15, 18 June 3, 11, 16, July 11, 15, 28, August 12 June 17 and 23 and 22 Shoreham Harbour, West Sussex Fleet wood, Lancashire Mudeford, Dorset June 18 (twice), 25 (twice), July 3, 8 August 17 June 26, July 11, 20, August 5, 6 and 16 (twice), 14, 28, August 8 (three times), 20, Flint, Clwyd The Mumbles, West Glamorgan 23, 26 and 29 July 30 June 5, 24 and 25 Silloth, Cumbria Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, Norfolk New Brighton, Merseyside June 4, July 15 and 16 June 2, 7, 12, 13, 26, July 5 (twice), 25, 27, July 22, August 26 and 27 Skegness, Lincolnshire 28, August 6, 13, 19, 22 and 25 New Quay, Dyfed July 4, 5 (twice), 17, 21, August 3, 14, 15 Happisburgh, Norfolk July 26 (twice), July 30, August 11, 16, 19, and 28 August 7 26 and 29 Southend-on-Sea, (B.527), Essex Hartlepool, Cleveland Newquay, Cornwall June 3, 5, 6, 18, 24, 25, 30. July 5, 8 (twice), June 6, 11, 24, 29, August 16 and 26 June 3 (twice), 13, 18, 20, 22, 27, July 16, 12, 13, 16 and 18 Harwich, Essex 18, 24, 29, August 11, 13, 16, 17, 18 and 20 Southwold, Suffolk July 4 and August 8 North Berwick, East Lothian July 17, 22 and 25 Hastings, East Sussex July 17 and 23 (twice) Staithes and Runswick, Cleveland June 5, 8, July 27, 30, August 13 (twice), North Sunderland, Northumberland July 24 and 26 19, 20 and 29 June 13 Stonehaven, Kincardineshire Hayling Island, Hampshire Oban, Argyllshire June 10 and 11 June 18, 25 (twice), July 8, 16, 29, August 6 June 4, July 1, 5, 27 and August 26 Stranraer, Wigtownshire (twice), 15 and 19 Plymouth, South Devon July 2 and August 11 Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire June 1, 2, 22, 25, July 2, 7 and August 3 Sunderland, Tyne and Wear June 9 Poole, Dorset June 10 Holyhead, Gwynedd June 11, 18, July 7, 22, 30 (twice), August Tenby, Dyfed August 3 (twice) and 25 1, 15, 16, 17 (twice), August 30 (twice) and June 3 (twice), 6, 10, 30, July 3, 7, August Horton and Port Eynon, West Glamorgan 31 15, 16, 30 and 31 June 19, July 1, 8, 23, August 3,6,7 (twice) Porthcawl, Mid-Glamorgan Torbay, South Devon and 20 June 13, 18, 24, July 8 and 22 June 16. 18, July 3, 5, 16, August 12, 13, 15, Howth, Co. Dublin Port Isaac, Cornwall 16, 25, 27 (twice) June 4, 5, 17, 18 and July 8 July 2, 16 (twice), 28, August 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, Tramore, Co. Waterford Humber Mouth, (Cleethorpes), Humberside 14, 18, 22 and 25 July 20 and 26 August 19 Portsmouth, (Langstone Harbour), (B.530), Trearddur Bay, Gwynedd St Catherines, Jersey Hampshire July 19, 27, August 12 and 13 June 4 and July 19 June 3, 4, 16 (twice), 23 (twice), 24, July 3, Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear Kinghorn, Fife 7, 14. 22 (twice), August 5 (three times) and June 10. 11 (three times). July 15, August June 19 (twice), 26, July 9, 15, August 10, 17 20 and 25 18 and 22 Portsmouth, (Langstone Harbour), (D.184), Walmer, Kent Kippford, Kirkcudbrightshire Hampshire July 9, 23 and August 18 July 11, August 4 and 12 July 13, August 6 (twice) and 20 (twice) Wells, Norfolk Largs, Ayrshire Port Talbot, West Glamorgan June 18, 28, July 5, 9, 12, 16, 26, August 21 June 3, 16, 18, 28, July 5, 15, August 6, 10, June 14 and 17 and 28 (three times) 18 and 20 Pwllheli, Gwynedd West Kirby, Merseyside Little and Broad Haven, Dyfed July 5, August 23, 24 and 29 June 4 June 3, 17, 18 and 25 Queensferry, West Lothian West Mersea, Essex Littlehampton, West Sussex June 1, 11, 18and July 10 June 7, 15, 21, 24. July 2 (twice), 8 (twice), June 3, 4, 8, 25, July 24, 26, 29, August 6, Ramsgate, Kent 31 (twice), August 3 (twice), 6 (twice), 12, 13, 20, 23 and 27 June 7, 20, July 5, 22 (three times), 23, 24, 15, 19, 23 and 25 Llandudno, Gwynedd 25, 30,31, August 16, 23 and 27 Weston-super-Mare, (A.504), Avon June 11, 20, July 8, 24, 26, 27, 31, August 4, Red Bay, Co. Antrim June 24, July 26 and August 18 13 and 14 July 15 and August 8 Weston-super-Mare, (D.170), Avon Lyme Regis, Dorset Redcar, Cleveland June 3, 4 and 24 July 25, August 6, 16, 20, 21 and 27 July 23 Weston-super-Mare, (D.135), Avon Lymington, Hampshire Rhyl, Clwyd July 26, August 12 and 18 June 15, August 7 and 13 June 1, 2, 20, 28, July 1,11 (twice), August Whitby, North Yorkshire Lytham-St Anne's, Lancashire 3, 11 and 13 August 22 and 25 July 30 and August 22 Rye Harbour, East Sussex Whitstable, Kent Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire June 9, 12, 17, July 15, 19, 22 (twice) and 24 June 5, 12, July 2 (twice), 22, August 6 and July 2, 24 (twice), 27 (twice), 29, August 9, St Agnes, Cornwall 12 15, 17 and 21 (four times) June 15, 21, 24 and 25 Withernsea, Humberside Margate, Kent St Bees, Cumbria July 19, August 3, 9 and 29 June 1, 4, July 1, 2, 15, 17, 23, 31, August July 6 and 29 Yarmouth, Isle of Wight 6,9, 10, 15, 27 and 30 St Ives, Cornwall July 8, August 3. 5 and 21
SERVICES AND LIVES SAVED BY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE LIFEBOATS January 1, 1978 to October 31, 1978: Services 1,982; lives saved 779 THE STATION FLEET (as at 31/10/78) 134 offshore lifeboats 125 inshore lifeboats operating in the summer 46 inshore lifeboats operating in the winter LIVES RESCUED 104,054 from the Institution's foundation in 1824 to October 31, 1978
106 RNLI INSHORE CREWS USE our FOUL WEATHER GARMENTS BRITISH DESIGNED BRITISH MADE from BRITISH MATERIALS and engines Manufactured in our own Factory EVETT SAILWEAR LTD. TIMBER HALL WORKS THE SQUARE CATERHAM, SURREY, CR3 6QA Tel: Caterham (STD 0883) 44433 & 48704 NECOMARINE THmaE AUTr O PEOPLE Where complete reliability under arduous conditions is essential to human life.the RNLI specify MERMAID marine engines. MERMAID quality and reliability is also Automatic Pilot specified by Boatbuilders worldwide who for take pride in the craft they produce. Commercial Craft Make sure your next vessel is powered by MERMAID- Electronic Capstans Mermaid Marine Engines Ltd Electronic Instruments FERNDOWN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, 70-72 COBHAM ROAD, WIMBORNE, DORSET BH21 7RN Anchor Windlasses Telephone FERNDOWN *^ (0202)891824 s Telex 418236 RATHER SPECIAL Servicing and installation Dinghy Hoists throughout UK & s- Overseas ^ NECO MARINE LIMITED Walton Road, Eastern Road, Cosham, Portsmouth, England Tel: Cosham (070 18) 70988 Telex: 86149
107 Index to Advertisers Birds Eye Food Limited Inside Back Cover Evett Sailwear Limited 107 TEDDY BEARS PICNIC Functional Clothing Inside Front Cover When your organisation holds its next fund raising effort at a David Jolly (Tiller Master) 108 carnival, fete, donkey derby, boat show or similar activity you Maritime Book Society (Readers Union) 74 can make an additional £200 in a few hours by running a Martell Brandy Back Cover Teddy Bears Picnic. No financial risk as all stock is supplied at Mermaid Marine Engines Limited 107 wholesale price on full sale or return, nothing to pay until after Nauticalia 104 the event, then you pay for what you use, return the balance. Neco Marine Limited 107 Send for full details giving Club/Guild name and status to: Peeks of Bournemouth 108 V. WEBSTER (DEPT LB) Skidden Lifeboat Study Course 104 BRINELL WAY Varley Batteries 104 V. Webster 108 HARFREYS INDUSTRIAL ESTATE GREAT YARMOUTH NORFOLK NR31 OLU
HOLIDAYS AFLOAT PAINTINGS Classified Advertisements Take a waterways holiday in Brittany LIFEBOAT OIL PAINTINGS £45, post ACCOMMODATION aboard our hotel boat, or hire one of our paid. S.A.E. to Lee, 9 Esplanade, BOURNEMOUTH—Seaside holiday flat, 5 self-drive Cruisers. For further information Weymouth, Dorset. tnins walk to beach or town centre and near write to Watercruises Ltd, 10 Nicholas RNLI HQ and Museum. Sleeps 5 in com- Court, Green Lane, Hayling Island, fort. Fully inclusive rent £60 per week. Hampshire. Please write: Eric Jensen, 1A Purbeck Road, Bournemouth. ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION BOAT FOR SALE Displayed (sizes in millimetres) BRIXHAM, Devon. Beside outer harbour, On 485 Misty Dawn Ex RNLI Lifeboat overlooking Torbay Lifeboat. Comfortably Robert & Catherine, former Appledore & Full page (Ordinary) 267 x 178 £220 furnished self catering holiday apartments, Holyhead Boat, 36ft o/a Rubie Self Righter Half page 130 x 178 or 267 x 82 ...£115 each with lounge/diner, fridge, television converted 1934 8 berth Ketch Rig. Perkins Quarter page 130 x 82 £60 and modern electric facilities for 2-6 per- 4.99 Main Britania 6.9 Aux. Full survey to (Cover and colour rates on application.) sons. (Children over 8 years.) Resident Thames Conservancy requirement. L. H. proprietors associated with Torbay Life- Jones & Son (Boatbuilders) Ltd, Tel: 0480 boat. Stamp please for brochure: G. A. 63463. Classified Smith, "Harbour Lights", 69 Berry Head Entries under ACCOMMODATION are Road, Brixham. Telephone 4816. offered at the special rate of £6.00 for up to FINANCE 50 words, including address and phone PORT ISAAC, Cornwall. Overlooking Port Marine Finance for new and secondhand number. Additional words at 20p each. Isaac Bay on North Cornwall footpath yachts and motor cruisers (Registered and route. Family Guest House, Bed and Break- Other Classifications are at 20p per word, Unregistered) including yachts in course of minimum ten words. fast, evening meal optional. Cornwall regis- construction, at competitive fixed or float- tered accommodation. Proprietress: Mrs ing interest rates. Repayments over five All Classifieds are subject to pre-payment K. M. Castle, 12 Tintagel Terrace, Port years if required—longer in some instances and cheque or PO must accompany order. Isaac. Telephone Port Isaac (020888) 383. to suit your income. Competitive insurance COPY DATES FOR ALL THE OLD HOTEL, RUSWARP, WHIT- facilities also available. For details or quota- ADVERTISEMENTS: BY. Delightful Jacobean Hall bordering the tions, write to: Trade and Consumer Equity glorious North Yorkshire moors and Ltd, Freepost, Harrow, Middx. HA2 6BR. 1st May Summer issue beaches. Ideal for fishing, boating, walking 1st August Autumn issue 1st November Winter issue or relaxing. Residential proprietors ensure INSURANCE 1st February Spring issue warm hospitality and good food. Twenty From the RNLI's home town of Poole. bedroom family hotel, radio and baby listen- Orders and enquiries to: Specialist Marine Craft Insurance Brokers Dyson Advertising Services, ing system, lounge, television lounge, would welcome the opportunity of advising restaurant, bar. Brochure—Whitby (0947) PO Box 9, Godalming, Surrey. members on the insurance of their boats. Tel. 04868 23675. 2801. For prompt and personal service contact NORTH DEVON. Period farm cottage. 2 GEOFFREY BERE, FCII, TEMPLE miles from Welcombe Beach. Sleeps six. INSURANCE BROKERS LTD, 29 HIGH Cooker, refrigerator and television. Tele- STREET, POOLE BH15 1AB. Telephone When you have finished with your copy of phone Holsworthy (0409) 253030. (02013) 79444. THE LIFEBOAT please pass it on . . .
THE ORIGINAL TILLER MASTER HAVE FUN FUND WITH THE LONG-LASTING MOTOR FOR WHEEL OR TILLER RAISING 1969/70 California to UK and back in 36ft sloop. 1978 Free Illustrated Round Britain Race—Our autopilots were aboard three of the first four home—two Catalogue from had already crossed the Atlantic. Wind, water and solar battery chargers available. PEEKS OF BOURNEMOUTH DAVID JOLLY Tuckton, Bournemouth Long Range and Emergency Radio Consultant Tel: 0202 429404/5 2 Little Russel, Lytchett Minster, Poole, Dorset BH16 6JD. Tel: 0202 622142 TELEX: 41495.
108 The Captain takes his hat off totheRNLL When you're saved from the drink. For those who'll need a pick-me-up, there's a bottle of 3 star cognac on board every RNLI lifeboat. Courtesy of Martell.