THE LIFE-BOAT The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution VOL. XXXVII MARCH, 1963 No. 403 Notes of the Quarter THE disaster at Seaham Harbour, in will yet be free from the dangers of which 5 members of the life-boat crew capsizing in all conditions of wind and and 4 people who had been taken off a tide. The improvement of the design fishing boat by the life-boat all lost their and construction of life-boats is a con- lives, shocked and distressed the nation. tinuous process. New types of life-boat The life-boat capsized at what is so often are under construction and new proto- the most dangerous moment, when she types planned, details of which will be was about to enter the harbour. Here given in the next number of this journal, she was hit by successive waves from but one inescapable fact remains: heavy seas when broadside to the wind danger can never be wholly eliminated. and tide. The confused broken water The task confronting those who design was aggravated by the backwash and life-boats remains what it has always undertow from the breakwaters. There been, that of providing the most sea- can be no doubt whatever that the worthy and effective craft which skill decision to launch the life-boat was a and experience, money and materials correct one. She did indeed succeed in can provide. reaching the fishing vessel and taking off 5 people; nor, as the verdict at the Coroner's inquest emphatically stated, YEAR OF OUTSTANDING can any blame be attached to the cox- ACHIEVEMENT swain and crew. A most thorough in- The year 1962 as a whole was one of vestigation was carried out by the outstanding achievement on the part Institution's officials, from which em- of life-boat crews. They saved the lives of erged clearly that both the hull and 422 people. This was a slightly higher machinery of the life-boat were in first figure than in 1961, when life-boats were class condition. Even after the severe called out on service more often than pounding she received after the capsize in any other year in time of peace. the life-boat was pronounced seaworthy, The conditions in which so many of the and it is significant that twelve days after rescues were effected was such that no the capsize the engines, when tested at fewer than 14 medals for gallantry were the depot at Boreham Wood, started awarded. This is an exceptionally high almost at once. Indeed such is the figure. Some of the services which led condition of the boat that she is being to the award of medals are recorded in put into service in the reserve fleet. this number. On the day following the Because life-boats are known to be Seaham disaster an outstanding service unsinkable confusion tends to arise in reported on page 402 was carried out the minds of many people when a life- by the Blyth life-boat, the coxswain boat disaster occurs, for there is a ten- receiving the silver medal and the bow- dency to assume that "unsinkable" and man the bronze medal; during the same "uncapsizeable" are synonymous. The period the Appledore and Clovelly life- practical fact is that they are very far boats put out in appalling conditions, from being the same. How to construct the Appledore coxswain receiving the a boat in such a way that she will not silver medal. A service of a most unusual sink even if she is repeatedly holed is kind was also performed by the South- something which has been known and end crew, a striking example of team put into practice for many years; no work leading to the unusual award of man has yet designed a boat which can the collective thanks of the Institution be of practical use as a life-boat and inscribed on vellum. 402 THE LIFE-BOAT [MARCH, 1963 EXTENSION OF SHORE BOAT VISIT TO GERMANY AND THE SCHEME NETHERLANDS The Institution has decided to extend The Chairman of the Boat and Con- during 1963 the experimental scheme struction Committee, Commander F. R. launched in conjunction with the Minis- H. Swann, accompanied by the Chief try of Transport to make more effective Inspector, Lieut.-Commander W. L. G. use of the services of boat owners, details Dutton, and the Surveyor of Life-boats, of which were given in the December, Mr. R. A. Oakley, visited life-boat 1962, number of the Life-boat on page stations and building yards in the 341. The experimental scheme, although Netherlands and Germany from the 12th adopted only towards the end of the to the 20th October. Among the summer of 1962, was a proved success. places they visited were: Amsterdam, At least 22 calls were made on the boat Enkhuizen, den Helder, Ijmuiden, Wijk- owners who had agreed to co-operate in aan-Zee, Hook of Holland, Bremer- the scheme. These resulted in the rescue haven and Cuxhaven. or landing of 11 people, and there is no The visit was an example of the co- doubt that other calls were answered by operation between life-boat societies in the boat owners on the list who, largely different countries. On a number of because they did not seek any rewards, occasions in recent years officials from did not report the incidents. In 1963 the life-boat societies overseas have come scheme will be extended to include the to this country to study our methods and whole coastal area from Berwick-upon- recent developments, and the benefits Tweed to Weymouth. At the same time derived from these exchanges of views first steps will be taken to set up the are considerable. Fuller opportunities necessary organization along the south- of learning from the experiences of west and west coasts of England and different countries in the task of increas- Wales, and it is hoped before long to ing the efficiency of life-boat services have the scheme in operation wherever will, of course be provided when the it can be expected to be of practical ninth international life-boat conference value. takes place in June, 1963. Crew rescued after vessel strikes life-boat AT 2.1 on the afternoon of 18th Novem- was lying broached to inside the Fair- ber, 1962, the honorary secretary of the way buoy in about five fathoms of water. Blyth life-boat station, Captain H. Her cargo of lime had shifted, and she Rowe, was informed by the coastguard had a list of 35 degrees to port. that a small coaster was in difficulties off Coxswain Thomas Fawcus first Blyth Fairway buoy. Two minutes later steamed round the vessel to weigh up the maroons were fired. A near gale was the situation, and he then decided to blowing from the north increasing in approach her under the partial lee strength, and there was a rough sea afforded by her starboard side in spite with a heavy swell. It was low water. of the fact that the bilge keel was out of The Blyth life-boat Winston Churchill the water. (Civil Service No. 8), which is one of the 46-foot 9-inch Watson type, was laun- Jumped from Bilge Keel ched at 2.19. She encountered very The master of the Paullgate asked him heavy seas when leaving harbour, and to take off the two members of his crew, people watching, who saw her disappear and Coxswain Fawcus ran in just for- from sight repeatedly when she crossed ward of midships on the vessel's star- the bar, thought she must have been board side. As he did so the Paullgate overwhelmed. It was the day after the rolled to starboard. Her bilge keel disaster to the Seaham life-boat. struck the stem and fender of the life- boat, causing some damage, and the cox- Cargo of Lime Shifted swain had to go full astern to get clear. The vessel in difficulty was the 200- Coxswain Fawcus decided to circle ton motor vessel Paullgate of Hull. She the casualty once again, and he then MARCH, 1963] THE LIFE-BOAT 403 made another attempt to close her. This risk of bringing her under the port time the two men who were to be taken quarter. At great risk to himself Bow- off managed to clamber down the star- man John Kerr succeeded in scrambling board side and jump from the bilge keel aboard. He secured a line from the life- into the life-boat. The life-boat was not boat, and the Paullgate was kept clear damaged. of the beach until a tug arrived. Signal- The master of the Paul/gate, who now man C. Hurst was then put aboard the remained alone on board, said he inten- Paullgate to help the bowman. ded to enter the Tyne, but asked the The Tynemouth life-boat Tynesider coxswain to give him a close escort as he was launched at 4.15 in the afternoon feared his vessel might capsize. and stood by. The sea was breaking heavily both on the bar and inside the Took Calculated Risk harbour entrance. The Blyth life-boat The Paullgate ran out of fuel at the returned to her station at seven o'clock entrance to the Tyne, and not being and the Tynemouth life-boat at 5.5 p.m. under command she drifted through the For this service the silver medal for piers into the harbour with the help of gallantry was awarded to Coxswain the flood tide. There was a clear danger Thomas Fawcus.