The Spring1999 The magazine of the RNLI In this issue... • Lifeboat Services including Bronze Medal and Vellum awards Anniversary Special a six page feature looking back at 175 years of the FfNL/'s lifeboats, 175 years boathouses and headquarters of saving lives at sea Lifeboat Lexicon how to identify a lifeboat... 2^i* Lifeboats Royal National Lifeboat Institution 1824 - 1999 CONTAINER VESSEL-VOYAGES THl PERFECT VOYAGE TO; sotrrt« t AFRICA TWIN CABINS FROM ONLY£3,230 ROUND TRIP £1r700 Tilbury to Durban" * £36 per passenger per day full board. Maximum 12 passengers per ship Special round sea voyages of about 45 days, calling at Rotterdam, Las Palmas, Cape Town, Port ElizaBfeth, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Las Palmes, Zeebrugge, and return to Tilbury. ' Travelling on one of our large container vessels - all cabins en-suite - excellent food. SIX SAILING'S ONLY FROM STH APRIL • WTHMAY99 INCLUSIVE. THE PERFECT WAY TO TRAVEL... Member of the Passenger Shipping Association. For more information contact Pafhfinder, our Passenger Services representative in the UK Telephone (01703) 330645 Fax (01703) 334416 web site http://www.safmarine.co.uk email [email protected] The Li oat Spring 1999 In this issue. Number 547 News and Views The magazine of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution The latest news from and about the RNLI West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ. Telephone Poole (01202) 663000 Lifeboat Services 8 Telex 41328 Including Bronze Medal and Vellum winning rescues www.rnli.org.uk email: [email protected] Anniversary Special 14 Registered Charity Number 209603 175 years of saving Invsatsfa Chairman: Director and Secretary: Three items looking at 175 years of aspects of the RNLI ...plus Sir William Hillary's famous Appeal of 1823 In the Beginning... 14 David Acland DL Andrew Freemantle MBE Sir William Hillary's historic Appeal to the Nation Moving with the Times 15 The Lifeboat From a single room to a purpose-built HQ House Style 16 Editor: Editorial Assistant: How boathouses have developed over 175 years Drawing from Experience 18 Lifeboat 'design and development Your Letters 20 Readers put pen to paper Mike Floyd Jon Jones Stormy Stan Says... 23 New developments to encourage young supporters and a Advertisement Editorial (01202)663188 double page spread from Storm Force magazine - which will Administrator: Fax (01202) 663189 interest older readers too! Adverts (01202) 663215 High Seas 26 Fax (01202) 663238 email: [email protected] More lifeboat stations from the air Membership Enquiries Lifeboat Lexicon 29 (01202)663234 Continuing our occasional series... Tizzy Perkins email: [email protected] This time what those lifeboat numbers signify Front Cover Bookshelf 30 Cullercoats' Atlantic 21 A look at some of the latest books on lifeboats and the sea Lifeboat Edmund and Joan White makes a fine sight as People and Places 33 she avoids a breaking Around and about the RNLI wave off the north east coast. The Fundraisers 35 How some of the RNLI's funds are raised Photo by Rick Tomlinson List of launches 41 Station-by-station lifeboat launches for August, September and October 1998 17 5 years of saving lives at sea Charting our course N EWSPOI NT for the future Vision and Values for the RNLI can almost hear your groans as I mention two business of the Institution for the buzzwords currently in fashion. Notwithstanding this future. It is not just for me healthy cynicism - I need your help. or the SMT to decide 'top My early impressions of the Service are that it has, down' what the Vision for among many other assets, a very clear idea of where it has the Institution should be al- come from. The Institution is steeped in history and has a though, clearly, I and my wonderful heritage hard earned by generations of brave senior colleagues have a lifeboat crews and dedicated fundraisers. Everyone I have view on what it might be. spoken to; crew members, shorehelpers, voluntary workers At this stage, I envisage or staff members, is very clear about what the RNLI is here such words as, 'recog- to do - our purpose, which is to save lives from disaster at nised', 'international', sea. 'leader', 'professional', and Where there seems to be a little less certainty is around 'innovative', as being ones that could well feature in a Vision two areas: for the Institution which, incidentally, should not be more • Where we are going as an Institution? What sort of than two or three lines long. organisation do we want the RNLI to be in, say, 10 or 15 The sort of words I am beginning to consider as worthy years time? What, in jargon terms, should be our Vision? of being Values for the RNLI are, 'selfless', 'volunteer', • What are the virtues we hold most dear and underpin 'skilled', 'courageous', 'steadfast'. everything we do and feel about the service; what, You may disagree with or wish to challenge these first simply, are the shared Values of the RNLI? impressions and thoughts of mine - please do so. I ask you After only four months in the organisation and just four to do this because the design of Vision and Values is very weeks in post, I am beginning to develop my own ideas on much a 'bottom up' process involving wide consultation these two key issues. However, I recognise that I am new throughout the Institution lasting several months. With this and that the RNLI is a rich and varied organisation, the in mind I have asked Ian Ventham, the RNLI's Head of complexities of which cannot fully be understood by anyone Fundraising and Marketing, and a small staff team to initiate after such a short time. an exercise called 'Vision and Values - charting our course Yet it is my job to provide a clear sense of direction for for the future'. the future. This is something which, with my Senior Manage- From now on, at numerous normal meetings and gath- ment Team, I fully intend to do throughout my term as your erings that you will attend, or perhaps direct to some of you Director. by post, we will be trying to give everyone involved in the life Which is why I need your help. I would like of the RNLI an opportunity to participate in defining these everyone who has a 'stake' in the RNLI two areas of our life: - crews, shorehelpers branch, com- • Our Vision - which is where we want to get to as an mittee members, trustees, Institution. fundraisers, members, gover- • The Values that should underpin everything we do. nors, staff and those who work The aim of this is to ensure that, by the end of this year, alongside us, to contribute to everyone in the Institution will know where we are trying to an exercise to help me and my get to and the values that we will apply along the way. senior team chart the course Please play a full part in this process. Try not to be cynical, at least until you really find out what we are aiming Charting our course for the to do! future... the RNLI is setting out i\. ..^ IW--«— to define its Visions and Values The Lifeboat \s published four times a year accompanied by a stamped, addressed enve- Any products or services advertised in and is sent free to RNLI Members and Gover- lope. Contributions may be held for subsequent The Lifeboat by third parties are not in any nors. The next issue will be Summer 1999 issues and to reduce costs receipt will not usually way endorsed by the RNLI and the RNLI and will appear in July 1999. be acknowledged unless requested. shall not be responsible for the accuracy of News items should be received by 23 April For further information on how to join the Insti- any information contained in such adver- 1999, but earlier if possible. All material tution as a Member or Governor contact the tisements nor has it investigated or verified submitted for possible publication should be Membership section at RNLI Headquarters. West any of the information. addressed to the Editor. The Lifeboat, Royal Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ. National Lifeboat Institution, West Quay Road, The Lifeboat is published by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and printed by Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ. The Friary Press. Bridport Road. Dorchester. Dorset DT1 1JL. Photographs intended for return should be 175 years of saving lives at sea Report and inset photo by Martin ^Woodiuard, Bembridge lifeboat coxswain. MLain photo by Steve Guscott. ne of the most famous launches in the history of the the hills. A huge crowd of locals and spectators were gathered RNLI was realistically re-enacted on 12 January - the at Porlock Weir to welcome the procession, and the atmosphere Oexact centenary anniversary of the actual service. was incredible. The incredible story of the 1899 overland launch of the When considering that the original overland launch took ten Lynmouth lifeboat Louisa was relived when the newly hours, which included dismantling walls, taking the boat off its restored 1887 ex-Bembridge pulling and sailing lifeboat carriage to get through gates, and numerous other obstacles, it Queen Victoria was hauled 14 miles across Exmoor from is amazing that they achieved it in that time. It was also carried Lynmouth to Porlock Weir. The Queen Victoria was built in out during the night, with no lighting, and no food or drink. At the exactly the same year as Louisa and was of virtually the same end of that arduous journey, the crew launched the lifeboat and dimensions. She was transported up from the Isle of Wight took it to sea, which just goes to show what incredible characters for the event, and had recently been fully restored back to they were in that era.