THE LIFE-BOAT The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution VOL. XXXV DECEMBER, 1958 No. 386 Notes of the Quarter FIGURES already available show that the class, the 52-feet Barnett type, in any year 1958 has been similar to the two weather and at any state of tide, and preceding years in the demands made that conditions will normally be favour- on life-boat crews. When a record able for re-housing. The life-boats figure for peacetime of 745 launches on now stationed at Cadgwith and the service was established in 1956, this Lizard are 35-feet 6-inches and 41-feet seemed an exceptional event. Yet the in length respectively, and in certain next two years have produced com- conditions launching from both these parable figures. Whether the life-boat stations can be most hazardous; re- service has simply experienced three housing is also frequently difficult. exceptionally busy years in succession or whether the figure of more than 700 COMPLETION OF V.H.F. PROGRAMME launches a year must now be expected The Institution completed during the as normal can be shown only by future summer its programme of installing results. But the contrast with the very high frequency radio-telephones average figure for the 1930's of less than in life-boats. 126 life-boats of the 300 launches a year is certainly striking. active fleet have been fitted with these Vessels of many kinds were helped means of communication and 12 life- by life-boats during the period under boats of the reserve fleet. The fre- review in this number of the Life-boat, quency at first in use was 138.78 and as is usual during the summer megacycles, but in every case this had months there were a considerable to be changed to the standard search number of services to yachts in distress. and rescue (scene of action) frequency The accounts of services beginning on of 123.1 megacycles, which was adopted page 141 describe how time and again by aircraft of all N.A.T.O. countries on yachts were towed to safety, in some the 1st of September, 1958. cases after they had been abandoned by their crews. Yet during the whole GUATEMALAN LIFE-BOAT SERVICE of July claims for salvage of yachts A life-boat service is being founded were put forward from only one life- in Guatemala which will be under the boat station and in August from only control of the State. Captain I. M. two stations. Munn, a representative of the Guate- PROPOSED NEW LIFE-BOAT STATION malan government and son-in-law of The Institution has applied to the the President, visited the headquarters local authorities concerned for the of the Institution in August, 1958. necessary consents for the construction He has now purchased on behalf of his of a new life-boat station at Kilcobben government the reserve life-boat Cove in Cornwall. The ultimate aim W.R.A., which was formerly stationed is to amalgamate at this point the at North Sunderland. He inspected existing life-boat stations at Cadgwith her at Gorleston, where he went afloat. and the Lizard. Kilcobben Cove lies Negotiations are also in progress for the half way between these two stations sale of other life-boats to the Guate- and is a mile and a quarter east of the malan government. Lizard lighthouse. Careful visual and instrumental ob- LIFE-BOAT AT NATIONAL BOAT SHOW servations made at Kilcobben Cove For the second time the Institution during the past winter and spring have will show a new life-boat at the shown that it will be possible to launch National Boat Show at Olympia, Lon- at this point a life-boat of the largest don, which is sponsored by the Daily 130 THE LIFE-BOAT [DECEMBER, 1958 Express. The Ship and Boatbuilders' Patience Gottwald, which will be sent Federation, the organisers of the show, next year to her station at Aldeburgh. have generously given free space, and She is only the second of the 42-feet the life-boat to be displayed is the beach boats to go into service, the other 42-feet beach life-boat Alfred and being stationed at Dungeness. Rescue from Inside Smugglers' Cave AT 6.35 on the evening of the 9th of bottom, and after the boat had gone August, 1958, the honorary secretary some thirty yards in the cave she was of the St. Ives life-boat station, Captain holed and sank. The four men swam W. H. H. Treloar, learnt from the and waded a further seventy yards to police that four people needed help in the head of the cave, where they found Smugglers' Cave near Hellsmouth. The the injured man and the three young cave lies some five miles east of St. people. The inside of the cave was Ives. very dark, but the members of the life- A party of five people had set out to boat crew could be distinguished by explore the cave. It consisted of two the Scotchlite reflecting material on men. two girls aged eighteen and twelve, their life-jackets. Communication was and a boy of fourteen. They went difficult because of the noise inside the through a tunnel some hundred yards cave. in length and then lowered themselves down a rope thirty-five feet to the floor Hauled Aboard Exhausted of the cave. They stayed there for Signalman Paynter came to the con- about twenty minutes and then decided clusion he must inform Coxswain to return by the way they had come. Roach of the position and decided to In trying to climb up the rope, which swim out to the life-boat. The had become damp and greasy, one of flood tide and ground sea made his the men lost his grip on the rope and task extremely difficult, but once he fell. He injured his head. was clear of the entrance to the cave At 5.45 in the afternoon, an hour he was seen by the coxswain, who before low water, the other man, who manoeuvred the life-boat towards him. was the leader of the party, realizing The coxswain then threw him a line, that exit by the rope was impossible, but Signalman Paynter was too weak to decided to swim out of the cave. He grab it. Motor Mechanic Michael climbed the cliff with great difficulty Peters thereupon jumped overboard, and summoned help. swam to Signalman Paynter and secured the line around him. Signalman Paynter Dinghy Taken in Tow was hauled aboard in an exhausted At 6.56 the 35-feet 6-inches St. Ives state. life-boat Edgar, George, Orlando and Motor Mechanic Peters then volun- Eva Child was launched. A light wind teered to try to reach the seven remain- was blowing from the south-west. It ing people in the cave by swimming was overcast, misty and drizzling. with a line. Two gun lines were joined The life-boat took a dinghy in tow together, one end of which was secured and reached the entrance to the cave to his life-jacket, and he took a breeches at 7.25. A moderate ground sea was buoy and two spare life-jackets with running at the cave's entrance. him. In this way and with great Coxswain Daniel Roach immediately difficulty he reached the stranded sent the dinghy into the cave manned people. by a crew of four. These were : Bowman Thomas Cocking, Assistant Anchored on Rocky Bottom Mechanic Jack Paynter, Signalman Coxswain Roach realised he must Daniel Paynter and Martin Roach, who allow Motor Mechanic Peters as long is a son of the coxswain. a scope of line as possible. He there- Progress in the dinghy was difficult fore anchored the life-boat on a rocky because of the ground sea and the rocky bottom, which was covered with large DECEMBER, 1958] THE LIFE-BOAT 131 shingle, by the mouth of the cave in the rocks at the entrance to the cave. three fathoms of water. To ensure When he was satisfied that all was well, that the bow was heading seawards, he he went ahead along the line in order held the boat in this position both by to help the rest of the people on board manoeuvring with the engines and by the life-boat. All seven were taken rigging a line from the stern and secur- on board successfully ; the life-boat ing it to the cable just above the water weighed anchor at 9.5 and reached St. line. Ives at 9.45. On reaching the cave Motor Mech- For this service the Institution made anic Peters immediately assumed the following awards for gallantry :— charge. With the use of the gun line The silver medal to Motor Mechanic he hauled the end of a heavier line Michael Peters ; from the life-boat, and the seven people The bronze medal to Coxswain Daniel were attached to this, one behind the Roach; other. The injured man was put into The bronze medal to Signalman the breeches buoy, the two girls were Daniel Paynter. given the life-jackets, and the boy was The thanks of the Institution inscribed secured to Martin Roach. on vellum were accorded to Bowman Thomas Cocking, Assistant Mechanic All Seven Taken on Board Jack Paynter, and members of the crew Motor Mechanic Peters then pulled Richard Lander and Martin Roach. himself out along the line to a position Scale rewards to the crew, £9 2s. ; from which he could see the coxswain. rewards to the helpers on shore, From here he gave the order to haul £10 17s.