THE JOURNAL OF THE RNLI ' Volume XLV Number 461 Autumn 1977 Designed and manufactured and sold direct to user by Functional Clothing. suppliers of weather clothing to the R.N.L.I., to leaders in constructional and off-shore oil activity and to the United Kingdom television industry No. 4 Jacket with No. 8 Contour Hood I No. 21 Seagoing Overtrousers No. 15 Cold Weather Jacket Functional Clothing is ideal for work Ideal for professional seamen, A deep pile jacket to be worn or leisure and gives all weather comfort the ultimate in seagoing against the skin under our and protection. The'Airflow' coat overtrousers waterproof weather clothing in and jackets are outer clothing which very cold conditions provide wind and waterproof warmth in Supplied to life-boat services winter these overtrousers are chest- This Cold Weather Jacket has high and have elasticated waist four pockets, shoulder straps, and braces, a fly, adjustable leg two way zip and an outer of Our claim of true all-weather comfort Widening, heavy incorrodible unproofed nylon. Deep pile in them is made possible by Functional zips, touch'n close fastening trousers, breeches and a one 'Airflow' a unique patented method of and substantial re-inforcement piece suit are also available clothing construction fora long life They are not waterproof or wind proof The range includes conventional overtrousers, ventilated working ROYAL NATIONAL overtrousers and lightweight LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION Letter from ventilated walking overtrousers Assistant Superintendent +0uter& . (Stores! Removable lining Most garments are available in • ^our company s D'oteclive clothing Foamliner six shades nas now been on extensive evaluation lor fabrics of over two years and I am pleased to say within wind and Illustrated catalogue 20 pence that the crews of our offshore boats have the waterproof from Manchester found the clothing warm comfortable and a considerable improvement garment coated ndustnai and personal customers are welcome at our Showrooms at Manchester nylon Monday to Friday) and at London The issue of your clothing is being Monday to noon on Saturday extended to all of our offshore life-boats One Foamliner is normally fitted within Coat r and Jackets but a second one may be inserted for severe cold FUNC IONAL The "foam sandwich" Airflow principle allows the passage of three layers of air between the outer and lining fabrics, insulating and assuring warmth without weight or bulk Dept 6 20 Chepstow Street Manchester M1 SJF Telephone: 061-236 2606 There is not likely to be condensation unless 9 Alfred Place Store Street Tottenham Court Road London the foam is unduly compiessed WC1E 7EB Telephone 01 -580 4906 THE LIFEBOAT Autumn 1977 Contents Notes of the Quarter, by Patrick Howarth 39 Inshore Lifeboats 41 Volume XLV Lifeboat Services 42 Number 461 Annual General Meeting and Presentation of Awards .. .. .. .. 48 The Scout: HM The Queen names the new Hartlepool 44' Waveney Lifeboat.. 52 Chairman: MAJOR-GENERAL R. H. FARRANT, CB Silver Jubilee Fleet Review .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 54 Director and Secretary: Island Aruns: naming ceremonies at Port St Mary, Isle of Man, July 21, and CAPTAIN NIGEL DIXON, RN Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, July 24 56 Some Ways of Raising Money 58 Managing Editor: Lifeboat People 61 PATRICK HOWARTH Editor: Shoreline 62 JOAN DAVIES Building a Rother Class Lifeboat: Part V—Planking 63 Headquarters: Letters 65 Royal National Life-boat Institution, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ (Telephone Poole 71133). Book Reviews 67 London Office: Offshore Lifeboat Services, March, April and May 1977 69 Royal National Life-boat Institution, 21 Ebury Street, London SW1W OLD (Telephone 01-730 0031). Inshore Lifeboat Services, March, April and May 1977 70 COVER PICTURE Editorial: All material submitted for Advertisements: All advertising en- consideration with a view to publication quiries should be addressed to Dyson After the naming of The Scout by HM The in the journal should be addressed to the Advertising Services, PO Box 9, Godal- Queen, Hartlepool coxswain, Robert Maiden editor, THE LIFEBOAT, Royal National ming, Surrey (Telephone Godalming and crew members are presented to Her Life-boat Institution, West Quay Road, (04868) 23675). Majesty by Lieut.-Commander Harry Teare, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ (Telephone divisional inspector of lifeboats (NE), and to Poole 71133). Photographs intended for HRH The Duke of Kent by Captain return should be accompanied by a Alexander Kirk, Hartlepool honorary secre- stamped and addressed envelope. tary (hidden); (r. to I.) Coxswain Maiden, Crew Members M. Elwine, K. W. Baxter, W. Constantine and R. Latcham and Second Subscription: A year's subscription of Coxswain/Mechanic D. Wilson. Attending the four issues costs £1.40, including lifeboat are Crew Members R. McCormack postage, but those who are entitled to (/.) and D. Howe. With them are Commander Next issues: The Winter issue of THE Bruce Cairns, Chief of Operations (/.), and LIFEBOAT will appear in January and receive THE LIFEBOAT free of charge will Major-General Ralph Farrant, Chairman of news items should be sent by the end of continue to do so. Overseas subscrip- the Institution. The photograph was taken by October. News Items for the Spring issue tions depend on the cost of postage to T. M. Carter. should be sent in by the end of January. the country concerned. 37 ROYAL ALBERT HALL General Manager: Anthony J. Charlton KENSINGTON, SW7 2AP Tuesday, 13 December, 1977 7.30 p.m. In aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution THE CREATION HAYDN JILL GOMEZ soprano KENNETH BOWEN tenor PAUL HUDSON bass St. Bartholomew's Hospital Choral Society English Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Robert Anderson Tickets: Boxes (per seat) £3 & £2; Stalls £3 & £2; Arena £2 & £1; Balcony £1 & 75p engines Gallery (standing) 30p Priority booking for RNLI supporters from 17 October to 11 November. Applications to: RNLI Concert, St. Bartholomew's Hospital Choral Society, Box 16, Nurses' Home, St. Bartholomew's Hospital London EC1, with cheque payable to St. Bartholomew's Hospital Choral Society and stamped addressed envelope. From 14 November tickets will be on sale from the Royal Albert Hall (tel. 01-5898212) and usual agents. Something special ? Wright away sir! iere complete reliability under arduous conditions is essential to human life,the RNLI specify MERMAID marine engines. MERMAID quality and reliability is also specified by Boatbuilders worldwide who take pride in the craft they produce. Make sure your next vessel is powered by MERMAID- Contact us NONA/! TANKS TELEPHONE O1-398 68O2 For almost half a century Wrights have specialised in the fabrication of tanks from 5 to 50,000 gallons in stainless steel, aluminium, or mild steel, or write to - either one-off or on a production run. We are proud to have made tanks for Arun and Atlantic lifeboats. MERMAID MARINE ENGINES LIMITED BOATS Wrights are official fabricators of the new Sarum 28 hull for the British THAMES MARINA ^ Aluminium Company. They also manufacture and market aluminium workboats. Wrights have built special equipment and fittings for Chay PORTSMOUTH ROAD. Blyth's Great Britain II and Great Britain III. THAMES DITTON R. Wright & Son (Marine Engineers) Ltd Church Broughton Road, Foston, Derby DE6 5PW SURREY. ENGLAND. Telephone: Burton-on-Trent 812177 year-old son of the Hartlepool cox- swain, the RNLI made its Jubilee gift to the Queen during the naming ceremony. This was a photographic record giving some impression of the wide variety of engagements which members of the Royal Family have undertaken in order to assist the work of the lifeboat service since Her Majesty came to the throne. In the inscription the album was appropriately described as 'a record of twenty-five years of service and concern'. Another royal naming ceremony took place on July 24 when the Duke of Kent, the RNLI's President, named the new lifeboat at Yarmouth in the Isle of Wight Joy and John Wade. On page 65 a letter appears from a retiring member of the Committee of Management, Mr L. C. H. Cave, in which he describes NOTES OF how a lifeboat was not available for a naming ceremony as planned because THE QUARTER she had been called out on service. The Yarmouth lifeboat nearly had a similar experience as she had in fact been called out on three separate occasions on the The RNLI's Jubilee tribute to HM The Queen night before the naming ceremony, and reflects the great support given to the lifeboat by Patrick Howarth was on service for ten hours. The first service by various members of the Royal Family during Her Majesty's reign.... On a call came at 2115, to a yacht off St recent visit to the Isle of Scilly, HRH The Catherines, the second took the lifeboat Prince of Wales inspected the lifeboat station THE RNLI'S ASSOCIATION with the Queen's east to Gurnard Ledge, and the third at St Mary's. The crew and their wives were Jubilee and with activities of the Royal was to investigate a reported flare off presented to Prince Charles before he went Family during the Jubilee summer were the Needles. These first services of the afloat in the 46' 9" Watson lifeboat Guy and widespread and colourful. On July 14 new Arun since she arrived on station Clare Hunter. the Queen named the new Hartlepool on July 19 left no doubt of the photograph by courtesy lifeboat The Scout. This was the first advantages of the boat's high speed. of Richard Lethbridge time a reigning sovereign had named a On the first call it took her just 21 minutes to reach the Needles, on the lifeboat at her station, although in 1972 Thames and Spithead Review the Queen named a reserve lifeboat The first of the ebb, from the time she slipped Three lifeboats took part in the Royal British Legion at a special cere- her moorings; it would probably have Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames mony arranged at Henley-on-Thames.