Journal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Volume 53 Number 52S The Lifeboat Summer 1994 Outstanding Lifeboat Services Fundraisers Nationwide The Annual Meetings ILJH-AEEh JJ Last year, legacies helped us launch over 5.000 times Isn't that worth remembering? As a voluntary organisation, we rely on your generosity to launch our rescue missions and help bring our lifeboat crews safely home. Last year, legacies funded over 60% of the RNLI's income. Providing our courageous volunteers with a vital lifeline of lifeboats, equipment and protective clothing. As a result over 1,300 lives were saved. We certainly think that's something to remember Royal National Lifeboat Institution If you would like more information about leaving a legacy to the RNL1 (including our recommended wording), please contact: Mr Anthony Oliver, Dept. CFRL42, RNLI West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH 1 5 1 HZ. lcrrd Chanl> No. :cWMH The Summer 1994 Lifeboat Royal National RNLI News 182 What's happening in and around the Institution Lifeboat Services 184 Lifeboat Notable launches around the coast Institution Ceremonies 189 Contents New all-weather and inshore lifeboats named and dedicated Volume 53 Past and Present 191 From THE LIFEBOAT of 1959 and one of today's lifeboatmen Number 528 Your Letters -__ 192 Chairman: Your views on all aspects of lifeboats and related subjects MICHAEL VERNON The Annual Meetings 194 Director and Secretary: Reporting from London's South Bank on the AGM and LT CDR BRIAN MILES CBE RD FNI RNR Presentation of Awards The Scottish AGM 201 The Scottish Lifeboat Council's annual meeting Editor: MIKE FLOYD Editorial Assistant: MARY GYOPARI Bookshelf 202 Books of RNLI and maritime interest reviewed Advertisement Manager: Lifeboat Services 204 BARBARA TROUSDELL November and December 1993, January and February 1994 Classified Advertisements: MARION BARDSLEY Membership News 2O6 for Shoreline, Governors and Storm Force members The Fundraisers 207 Headquarters: How some of the money is raised Royal National Lifeboat Institution, West Quay Road. People and Places 211 Poole, Around and about the RNLI Dorset BH15 1HZ. Telephone Poole (0202) 671133 Telex 41328. Registered Charity No. 209603 Next Issue: The Autumn issue of THE THE LIFEBOAT: THE LIFEBOAT is pub- COVER PICTURE LIFEBOAT will appear in October 1994, and lished four times a year and is sent free of news items should be received by 19 August charge to RNLI members and Governors. by Maggie Murray 1994, but earlier if possible. For further information on how to join the All material submitted for consideration Institution as a Member or Governor contact The four Bronze Medallists arrive at with a view to publication should be ad- the Membership section at RNLI Headquar- the Festival Pier before the Annual dressed to the Editor, THE LIFEBOAT, Royal ters, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 General Meeting and Presentation National Lifeboat Institution, West Quay 1HZ. Subscriptions are also available - con- tact the Editor at the same address for details. of Awards. Full details in the report Road, Poole, Dorset BH 15 1 HZ. Photographs intended for return should be on page 194 in this issue. accompanied by a stamped, addressed enve- Printed by the Friary Press, Bridport Road, lope. Dorchester, Dorset 181 NEWS NEWS NEWSPOINT Royal visits Few can complain at the amount of exposure the In- On the LLeyn... stitution has received on tel- Over a period of two days in evision recently. April HRH the Duchess of Kent Hardly had the Salcombe- visited the four lifeboat stations Dased documentary left our on the Lleyn Peninsual - TV screens than BBC's 'Blue Absersoch, Pwllheli, Peter' took up the cudgels; Porthdinllaen and Criccieth and and even before that suc- attended a coffee morning with ;essf ul appeal had ended the drama The Lifeboat' kept up the ladies' guild. awareness ably supported by On Tuesday 19 April the reconstructions of service on Duchess arrived by helicopter almost every episode of '999'. and was greeted by the Lord There can be little doubt that Lieutenant for Gwynedd, Mr television publicity is self Meurig Rees. She went to the sustaining! station at Abersoch, which is still under con- station branch committee and ladies' guild. What has been particu- struction, and met the lifeboat crew, wives The Duchess then moved on to Pwllheli and arly interesting over the past and children and representatives from the again met crew, wives, station branch committee few weeks has been the con- and representatives of the la- rast between '999' and The dies' guild and had lunch in Lifeboat' - one reconstruct- the new crew room. She then ng real-life events and the Agency status for Coastguard other with its imaginary went for a short trip around Her Majesty's Coastguard has long had the responsibility for the area on the Mersey class events against a lifeboat co-ordinating civil maritime search and rescue around the background. lifeboat and then moved on to coast of the UK, with the RNLI's fleet of lifeboats just one of the Porthdinllaen lifeboat station The contrast between the operational assets available to it. Other resources it can call on quiet understatement of the where again she met the sta- include its own helicopters and those of the RAF and RN, its real coxswains and the dra- tion personnel. mas surrounding the fictional own cliff rescue teams and HM Coastguard The following day she vis- Penrys lifeboat station and general purpose rigid ited Criccieth lifeboat station crew is marked, yet both are inflatables and other merchant *HM Coastguard maintains a and inspected the newly ex- equally important in keeping shipping and aircraft which tended lifeboat house and :he word 'Lifeboat' in the are in a position to give help. 24-hour watch on the mari- : time radio distress frequen- souvenir shop after which she orefront of the public mind. HM Coastguard and the Ma- met the 80 members of the Without awareness there can cies and can also be con tacted rine Pollution Control Unit South Caernarfonshire ladies' be no funds, and without (MPCU) together formed the by dialling 999. unds there can be no life- • In some locations the Coast- guild at a coffee morning at DoT's Marine Emergencies the Mynydd Ednyfed Hotel. boats. Organisation. guard operates the lifeboat The RNLI co-operated in However as from 1 April crew's radio pagers after :he making of both series al- (Top) HRH The Duchess of Kent talks this year the two bodies have consulting the Honorary to crew and station personnel at Pwllheli hough in the drama the main become a single agency under Secretary. lifeboat station during her tour. concern was to ensure as ' Most SAR operations are Photo Peter Westley Photography accurate a portrayal as pos- the name 'Coastguard', but sible of the RNLI in action. with each retaining its indi- initiated and co-ordinated by Surprisingly perhaps there vidual name and responsibili- the Coastguard. ...and in the Scillies are those who seem to think ties. » HM Coastguard is divided While visiting the Scilly Isles hat the incidents are real, or Although both remain in into six SAR Regions, each in March to open the new air- with a large Maritime Res- hatthe RNLI wrote the scripts the public sector the aim is to port the Duchess of Kent found - to the extent that the Public make the service 'as respon- cue Co-ordination Centre time to visit St Mary's lifeboat Relations office braces itself sive as possible to the needs of (MRCC). station - a planned visit last or a busy Thursday when a the citizen by setting it chal- ' The Regions are subdivided ictitious shore helper mur- September having to be can- lenging targets - relating both into three or four Districts, celled at the last minute as the ders his fictitious wife before to quality of service and effi- each under a District Con- letting out on a fictitious life- island was shrouded in fog. ciency.' troller either in a Maritime After being introduced to boat on a Wednesday Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) evening! The RNLI works very the crew and their wives and or in the MRCC. The series is to lifeboats closely, and has excellent re- partners, the station commit- • Each District is is in turn /vhat 'London's Burning' is to lations, with HM Coastguard tee and the ladies' guild com- he fire service - an exciting - the great majority of lifeboat divided into a number od mittee the Duchess then invironment in which to set a services are initiated and co- Sectors, with Sector Officers boarded the lifeboat which who manage the Auxiliary drama series. It can only do ordinated by them - and it is took her to St Agnes, where good in making more people unlikely that the changes will Coastguard Centres provided she carried out an engagement. awareof the Institution's work have any marked effect on the with rescue vehicles and She later returned to St Mary's - and is well worth the busy equipment. way in which the two organi- by lifeboat. phones on Thursday! i sations work together. 182 NEWS NEWS The right lines for Blue US Coast Guard visit Peter lifeboat The first all-weather lifeboat erately capsized with the aid to be funded from the pro- of a large crane, the strops be- ceeds of the 1993 Blue Peter ing released when she was Appeal underwent self-right- completely inverted. ing trials at Cowes on 8 April. The lifeboat righted herself, The new Trent class life- as designed, in just six sec- boat is to be called Blue Peter onds. VII and will be stationed at She is pictured here just a Fishguard, going on service little over half-way through there later this summer.