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THELIFEBOAT

Spring 1977

s~~\ -f/2kv>-f o Notes of the Quarter, by Patrick Howarth 255

Lifeboat Services .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 257

_ _ i VT T\ T Revision of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea:V OlUrFie -/V-Ll V an introduction to an introduction, by Leslie J. Vipond, Inspector, Mobile

._ Training Unit .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 264Number 459

Head Protection for Lifeboat Crews, by Stuart Welford, BTBCH MIMCCHE MRINA,Research and Development Officer, RNLI .. .. .. .. .. 265

Outboard: Watertight 266Chairman:MAJOR-GENERAL R. H. FARRANT, CB ^ ̂ fey ̂ ̂ ^ ^

Director and Secretary: Some Ways of Raising Money 271CAPTAIN NIGEL DIXON, RN

International Boat Show, by Ray Kipling, Deputy Public Relations Officer,RNLI 274

Here and There 275

Shoreline 276Managing Editor:PATRICK HOWARTH Building a Rother Class Lifeboat: Part III—In frame 277

Editor: Book Revjews 279JOAN DAVIES

Letters 281

Headquarters: Awards to Coxswains, Crews and Shore Helpers .. .. .. .. 282Royal National Life-boat Institution,m?ShRo«"po*7iSrBH'5 "»-"»* *>. , __. Offshore Lifeboat Services, September, October and November 1976 .. 285London Office:Royal National Life-boat Institution, 21 T 1 T . , , _ . _ . „ . . ,., , „„ ,Ebury Street, London SW1W OLD Inshore Lifeboat Services, September, October and November 1976 .. 286(Telephone Ol'-730 0031).

Index to Advertisers 288

COVER PICTURE

Return from exercise: Portrush's 46' 9"Watson lifeboat Lady Scott (CivilService No. 4) returns to harbour. Ahoused slipway boat built in 1949, shehas, since going on station, launched onservice 127 times and rescued 69 lives.The photograph was taken by ColinWatson.

Editorial: All material submitted forconsideration with a view to publicationin the journal should be addressed to theeditor, THE LIFEBOAT, Royal NationalLife-boat Institution, West Quay Road,Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ (TelephonePoole 71133). Photographs intended forreturn should be accompanied by astamped and addressed envelope.

Next Issues: The Summer issue of THELIFEBOAT will appear in July and newsitems should be sent by the end ofApril. News items for the Autumn issueshould be sent in by the end of July.

Advertisements: All advertising en-quiries should be addressed to DysonAdvertising Services, PO Box 9, Godal-ming, Surrey (Telephone Godalming(04868) 23675).

Subscription: A year's subscription offour issues costs £1.40, includingpostage, but those who are entitled toreceive THE LIFEBOAT free of charge willcontinue to do so. Overseas subscrip-tions depend on the cost of postage tothe country concerned.

253

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NOTES OFTHE QUARTER

by Patrick Howarth

A LIFEBOAT DISASTER may have beennarrowly averted last December. Soonafter the Padstow lifeboat had launchedlate in the evening of December 7, shewas struck by three exceptionally heavyseas. A considerable weight of waterdropped almost vertically on to thecanopy forward of the wheelhousesmashing the windscreen glass. Thecoxswain, Anthony Warnock, was con-cussed and temporarily blinded from ahead wound, but the second coxswain,

Trevor England, was able to take con-trol and bring the lifeboat safely back.

In his official report on the incidentCommander Bruce Cairns, Chief ofOperations, wrote: 'By the grace ofGod no one was lost overboardalthough all the circumstances werepresent for this to happen'. He addedthat the incident emphasized againthat 'lifeboat work is a very dangerousoccupation, regardless of moderndevelopment in lifeboat construction'.The conclusion he reached was that inlifeboat design and construction anytendency 'to subordinate strength tospeed, and perhaps economy in somecases' must be avoided.

From the description of the serviceon page 259 it will be seen that the crew,with great faith in their boat, wouldhave launched again before repairs hadbeen made, and that in fact temporaryrepairs and extra strengthening werecompleted on the slipway in less than24 hours. A full and urgent investigationis in progress into the possible need forfurther strengthening.

Further success of the Arun lifeboatThat the RNLI has succeeded in

combining greater speed both with thestrength and stability which are required,was effectively shown in a servicecarried out nearly two months earlier.

After an intense cyclone with winds of.hurricane force had been movingsteadily up the south coast of Englandthe night before, the Arun class lifeboatstationed at Weymouth had launchedon the afternoon of October 14. SecondCoxswain Victor Pitman, who was incommand, later described the seas as

37' Oakley lifeboat Jamesand Catherine Macfarlane,back in Padstow after herservice of December 7. (I.to r.) Second CoxswainTrevor England, Dl (SW)Lt.-Cdr. R. S. Portclunouth,Coxswain Anthony War-nock and Honorary Sec-retary Harry Lobb inspectdamaged windscreen centralstiffener; it was replacedby two upright strengtheningbars spaced either side ofthe centreline.photograph by courtesy of

Robert Roskrow

On January 25 (I. to r.),Major-General Ralph Far-rant, Chairman of theCommittee of Management,received on behalf of theInstitution from Mr StavrosC. Roussos, the GreekAmbassador, a gold medaland certificate to com-memorate the 150th anni-versary of the RNLI in1974. Also present at thereception were CoxswainArthur Liddon from Doverand Coxswain PeterBurwoodfrom Harwich.

the worst in his 28 years of experienceas a lifeboatman. Force 12 winds wereencountered and more than once thelifeboat rolled heavily over almost on toher beam ends. An estimate of the worstroll experienced was that it reached 70degrees. Nevertheless the lifeboatsucceeded in taking a yacht in tow andthus rescuing eight people, one of themthe daughter of the well-known actressMoira Lister.

Some of the Weymouth crew had feltapprehensive about the possible be-haviour of the Arun lifeboat in theconditions which prevailed. Theyreturned, in the words of the inspectorwho investigated the service, Lieut.-Commander Roy Portchmouth, with'the conviction on the part of everyWeymouth crew member that the Arunhas proved herself completely'.

Detailed descriptions of the Wey-mouth service appear on page 258.

Queen's Silver JubileeIn the Silver Jubilee year HM The

Queen will honour the RNLI by namingthe new Hartlepool lifeboat on July 14.This is the Waveney lifeboat which theScout Association provided through'Operation Lifeboat' which was launchedin 1974 to mark the RNLI's 150thanniversary.

HM The Queen, who is Patron of theCivil Service and Post Office LifeboatFund, has graciously agreed that, tocelebrate her 25 years on the throne,the new Rother class lifeboat beingdonated to the RNLI by the Fund shallbe named Silver Jubilee. This lifeboat isCivil Service No. 38 and will be stationedat Margate; she was on the RNLIstand at the recent Boat Show, where shewas visited by a large number of people.

The RNLI has itself decided to cele-brate the Queen's Silver Jubilee bynaming a lifeboat in honour of itsPresident, the Duke of Kent. In reachingthis decision the RNLI's Committeeof Management have expressed the wishthat this lifeboat 'should be a symbolof their appreciation for the work oflifeboat crews and for the voluntarysupport given to them by station andfinancial branches and by ladies' life-boat guilds.' A number of branches havealready planned special events this yearto raise additional funds to help payfor the new lifeboat.

Among the national celebrations ofthe Queen's Jubilee in which the RNLIwill participate, will be the RiverThames Pageant on June 9 and theFleet Review at Spithead on June 28.New lifeboats will take part in boththese events.

American viewSpeaking at the Mansion House in

London on December 1 last year at areception held to launch the American/British Lifeboat Appeal, Mrs AnneArmstrong, the United States Am-bassador, said:

'The appeal which we observe andhonour this evening has the official

255

Mrs Anne Armstrong, United States Am-bassador, was guest of honour at the receptionat the Mansion House in the City of Londonon December I which launched the American!British lifeboat appeal. With her are seen(r. to I.) the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoressof London, Sir Robin and Lady Gillett,Alderman Alan Lanboll, a Sheriff'of London,Miss P. Awbery and John Atterton, DeputyDirector of the RNLI.

blessings of the US Bicentennial Com-mission. That's nice, but just as im-portant, even more important, is that ithas the support of an important segmentof the American community here andacross the Atlantic. So it should have.For the Institution doesn't ask a person'snationality when he is in trouble.

'It's too early to say yet whether thedrive for the new Waveney lifeboat willgo over the top. But if I know myAmericans, if I know what touches them(and opens their pockets and purses) it isa voluntary cause and a good cause.

'Britain has many friends and well-wishers in America—more, I think, thanyou realise. And with this appeal, itgives us an opportunity to demonstrateour friendship and support in a ratherdifferent fashion.'

The growing support which the RNLIis receiving from American citizens bothin this country and in the United States

encourages us to believe that theAmbassador's hope, so happilyexpressed, will be fulfilled.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The AGMof the Institution will be on Tuesday,May 17, at the Royal Festival Hall,London. Principal speaker at thePresentation of Awards in the afternoonwill be Lord Inchcape, President ofthe General Council of British Shipping.

* * *Raymond Pope, district organising

secretary (City of London), has beenappointed a Deputy Lieutenant ofGreater London.

* * *Portpatrick lifeboat station has been

awarded a centenary vellum on theoccasion of the 100th anniversary of itsestablishment in 1877. North Sunder-land has been awarded a vellum on the150th anniversary of the establishmentof this station in 1827.

When Major-General and Mrs Farrant visited South Wales at the end of November, MrsFarrant presented a ship''s bell to Coxswain Edward Powell and the crew of the Barry 52' lifeboatArun. It was to commemorate the first visit she made to this lifeboat after performing the namingceremony in 1972. The committees of Barry branch and ladies'1 guild were also present. Onextreme right, Glyn Williams, district organising secretary (Wales).

Pangbourne branch is affiliated to Weymouth lifeboat station, and aframed colour photograph of the 54' Arun Tony Vandervell, presentedby Weymouth crew, was unveiled at the Swan Inn, Pangbourne, onDecember 8 by Chantal d'Orthez, daughter of Moira Lister. WithMiss d'Orthez are (I. to r.) Lieut.-Colonel Godfrey Pease, Pangbournechairman, Emergency Mechanic Eric Pavey and Coxswain AlfredPavey of Weymouth, and Lord Alastair Gordon, Pangbourne president.

Four Elder Brethren of Trinity House visited RNLI HQ and Poolelifeboat on December 6. With members of Poole crew are (I. to r.)Lieut.-Commander K. S. Pattisson, honorary secretary, Major-General Farrant, Captain 1. R. C. Sounders, Captain David Smith,Captain D. J. Cloke, Captain J. A. Bezant, and Mr William Bishop, amember of the Committee of Management.

photograph by courtesy of Bournemouth Evening Echo

256

North Western Division

StormA YACHT IN DISTRESS 23 nautical milessouth west of Skerries Lighthouse wasreported to the honorary secretary ofHolyhead lifeboat station by HM Coast-guard at 1310 on Saturday, September11, 1976. The bulk carrier SugarProducer was standing by.

Maroons were fired and the 52'Barnett lifeboat St Cybi (Civil ServiceNo. 9) launched at 1329. The wind wasblowing force 9 to 10 from the northeast and the sea was very rough. Thesky was overcast with heavy rain, thevisibility about two miles. It was almostone hour after high water and the tidalstream was beginning to set southward.

At full speed St Cybi set course togive North Stack a good offing; onclearing it, course was altered towardsthe casualty. Very high and confusedseas were encountered off South Stackbut, once clear, they assumed a moreregular pattern with the lifeboat runningbefore a very heavy swell from the northeast.

At about 1500 a radar contact,assumed to be Sugar Producer standingby the casualty, was picked up at adistance of 10 miles. Shortly after 1530VHF radio contact was made with SugarProducer. The merchant ship said thatshe had tried to get a line aboard theyacht without success, had made twoattempts to take the people off but hadbeen prevented from doing so by thesevere seas. She had succeeded in float-ing an inflatable liferaft down to theyacht, and it was secured to her star-board quarter, but the master thoughtthe casualty's crew were exhausted.

Sugar Producer was eventually sightedat 1545. The casualty, Pastime, a 28'Nobby Class sailing yacht, was sightedat about 1600 when one mile off; shecould be seen lying beam on to the seawith bows south east. Her sails wereblown out, she was without power andbattened down; the liferaft was madefast to her starboard quarter. Themerchant ship was half a mile to hersouth east.

The wind, still from the north east,was storm force 10 gusting force 11, theseas were estimated to be in excess of30' at times. Visibility was about twomiles, with low scudding clouds and

St Cybi (Civil Service No. 9), Holyhead, launches in storm force winds on Saturday, SeptemberI I , 1976 photograph by courtesy of J. Cave

heavy rain. The ebbing tidal stream wasflowing south at about 2 knots.

Coxswain William Jones made adownwind approach to the yacht, hove-to 10 yards off and used the hooter andloudhailer to attract attention; it was1605. After about five minutes someoneappeared from the cabin and shouted .'Give me five minutes'. This was takento mean that that was the time needed toprepare for abandoning the yacht.

St Cybi was being manoeuvred up-wind clear of the casualty when the portengine stopped. It was discovered thatthe port propeller had become fouledby a line, out of sight below the sea'ssurface, streamed from the stern of theyacht, which was now being towed sternfirst by the lifeboat. The yacht was askedto cut the rope, but by the time this hadbeen done she had been turned through180° and was lying bows northwest.

By now four people wearing lifejacketscould be seen on deck. Coxswain Jones,seeing that, the cabin hatch being open,the yacht was in danger of being over-whelmed by the heavy seas and sinking,decided that he must take off her crew assoon as possible and prepared to make adownwind approach on to the casualty'sstarboard side. Instructions were passedto the yacht to clear the liferaft; it wascut adrift.

Some of the lifeboat's crew were work-ing through the port propeller scuttle,still trying to clear the line from thefouled propeller, so Coxswain Jonesbegan his approach with only thestarboard engine in use and a line trailingfrom the port propeller. Oil was pumpedinto the sea in an effort to reduce theamount of breaking water around theyacht.

With fenders rigged on the port side,the lifeboat was laid alongside thecasualty and the crew, holding on to theyacht's rigging and guardrails, kepttogether the two boats, ranging heavily

alongside each other, while the two menand two women were lifted on boardthe lifeboat and taken into the aftercabin. They were wrapped in blanketsand given food and drink.

It was decided conditions were toobad to tow the yacht, so Sugar Producerwas asked to relay to Holyhead Coast-guard that the survivors were safely onboard the lifeboat and the yachtabandoned. The liferaft was recovered,partially deflated and lashed on deck.Then the return passage to Holyheadwas begun at slow speed with the lifeboatheading into the storm.

By 1630 the crew had managed toclear the port propeller, but on startingthe port engine the port throttle cablewas found to be broken. Acting MotorMechanic Graham Drinkwater, who wasin charge of machinery, made a tem-porary repair by securing a piece ofboat lacing from the throttle arm to theengine room hatch. The port engine wasbrought into use, but the boat couldonly make slow speed because of theweather.

Sugar Producer, having made surethat she could be of no further assistance,continued on her passage to Liverpoolbut maintained radio communicationwith the lifeboat.

At about 1800 the flood tidal streambegan to flow to the north, aggravatingthe already very rough seas. At 2045,when about three miles south west ofSouth Stack, a red flare was sighted tothe east. Holyhead Coastguard wasinformed and Coxswain Jones alteredcourse to search close inshore as farsouth as Rhoscolyn Point. The searchwas continued for one and a half hoursbut nothing found. Having satisfiedhimself that the area was clear of furthercasualties and being concerned for thewelfare of the survivors already onboard, the coxswain advised HolyheadCoastguard that he was returning to

257

station and would make a last searchclose inshore from Trearddur Bay toSouth Stack. The search was completedby 2220, and St Cybi returned tostation at 2230, having been at sea fornine hours in storm force winds andhigh seas. The survivors were taken byambulance to Stanley Hospital, Holy-head. The lifeboat was secured in theinner harbour, the weather being toobad for her to be rehoused.

For this service the silver medal forgallantry was awarded to CoxswainWilliam J. Jones. The thanks of theInstitution inscribed on vellum wereaccorded to Second Coxswain FrancisWard, Acting Motor Mechanic DavidGraham Drinkwater, Acting AssistantMechanic Jack Sharpe, and CrewMembers Richard Griffiths, DavidBarry and Gareth Ogwen-Jones.

South Western Division

Hurricane towAT ABOUT 1515 on Thursday, October 14,1976, HM Coastguard informed thehonorary secretary of Weymouth life-boat station that the 52-ton yacht Latifahad requested assistance off PortlandBill. She had damaged sails, a shatteredmain boom, split mast and jammedhalyards. HMS Ariadne, a Leander classfrigate, was in the vicinity and makingfor the yacht's position. The honorarysecretary placed the lifeboat crew onstand-by in the boathouse.

An intense cyclone, with winds ofhurricane force, had been movingsteadily up the coast all night andthroughout the day. All Channel Islandferry sailings had been cancelled and,even at the lifeboat house in Weymouthharbour, in the lee of the south-westwind, it was plain that it was now atleast storm force 10. There was a

delayed but now strong ebb tide runningdirectly against this wind, as the sequelto an unexpectedly high water earlier,and so it was apparent that the seacondition was going to be much worsethan anything to which this first glassfibre 54' Arun lifeboat, Tony Vandervell,had been exposed since she was built.

Eventually the honorary secretarylearned that Ariadne had succeeded inescorting the yacht clear of PortlandRace, and that the casualty was nowmaking steady if slow progress eastwardsunder the power of her own engine. Itwas naturally assumed by all concernedthat she would now turn north for theshelter of the Bill and Weymouth. Thecrew were, therefore, stood down andtwo of them returned to their individualduties elsewhere. It was now about 1630.

Soon after this, the commandingofficer of Ariadne, who was in touchwith Latifa on VHP, received a requestfrom the yacht, which had a crew offour men, to take off the four womenwho were on board as the skipperintended to continue heading downwindfor the Needles. He also asked Ariadneto escort him there. To this the captainreplied that he could not manoeuvreclose enough to take anyone off; hecould not even pass them a tow underthose conditions and he strongly advisedthem to enter Weymouth.

At about 1710, the Coastguardinformed the honorary secretary thatthe yacht had now reported runningshort of fuel and that the escortingfrigate had suggested that Weymouthlifeboat should be asked to attempt totake the yacht in tow for Weymouth;the honorary secretary decided to launchwhile there was still some daylight left.

Second Coxswain Victor Pitman, thecoxswain being away on leave, hurriedlymustered his crew again, this time withtwo local fishermen (not crew members)to replace the two who had had to depart

Second Coxswain Victor Pitman of Weymouth (centre), with the crew who sailed with him onThursday, October 14, 1976: (1. to r.) Emergency Mechanic Eric Pavey, Crew Members BertieLegge and Bernard Wills, Motor Mechanic Derek Sargent, and Crew Members John Kellegherand Lionel Hellier. photograph by courtesy of Dorset Evening Echo

earlier, and to keep his total number upto the seven he was sure he was going toneed. Vic Pitman took the lifeboat awayfrom her moorings at 1728. It was hissecond time in command of her.

Acting Coxswain Pitman knew hewould have no communication with thecrew on the after deck once they wereexposed to the shrieking wind and hehad already made up his mind that theonly possibility would be to tow theyacht to safety. So he put Crew MemberBertie Legge in charge on deck whilehe concentrated his entire attention oncontrolling and manoeuvring the life-boat from the upper conning position.Motor Mechanic Derek Sargent was todo all the navigating by radar andSignalman Lionel Hellier manned theradio, while Emergency Mechanic EricPavey acted as intercom between thecoxswain and the towing party andhelped in all departments. NewcomersJohn Kellegher and Bernard Wills com-pleted Bertie Legg's deck party.

Tony Vandervell headed south towardsan expected rendezvous near WestShambles Buoy. On approaching GrovePoint, however, Ariadne indicated aposition further to the east and requestedrendezvous to be made at the EastShambles Buoy. Acting Coxswain Pit-man now had to alter course south eastwith the prospect of the sea in its worstpotential position, on his quarter. Fullspeed was maintained unt i l , when abouta mile from the rendezvous and no signof the frigate and her charge could beseen, the lifeboat slowed to about 14knots.

The wind was now west south westhurricane force 12, blowing on thelifeboat's starboard quarter, directlyagainst an ebb tide of about 3 knots.The seas were consequently phenomenaland more than once hurled the lifeboatover almost on to her beam ends. Anestimate of the worst roll experiencedwas that it reached 70 degrees. The EastShambles Buoy was sighted lying flat onthe water under the weight of the windand the course was altered southwardsto meet the casualty.

It was at about this time that the metalcover on the compass in the wheelhousewas torn from its pivots by a particularlyviolent pitch, lifted itself clear, thenflew horizontally aft, striking the bulk-head by the doorway, beside a crewmember's head

HMS Ariadne's lights were eventuallysighted, and the casualty was met about1.5 miles south of the East ShamblesBuoy at about 1815. It was now dark.

On the southerly course, the lifeboatrolled heavily as the crew began thehazardous job of preparing the towline.It had to be brought up from its stowagein the tiller flat and flaked out in theafter cabin as it would have beenimpossible to work along the side decksand the ropes would have been washedoverboard.

The yacht's skipper once more askedfor the women passengers to be taken

258

off and for the lifeboat to escort him tothe Needles. The coxswain replied thatthis was not possible and Ariadne'scaptain explained that he could noteven manoeuvre enough to give a leefor such an operation. The lifeboat'ssignalman then informed the yacht'smaster that his only hope was to accepta tow to Weymouth.

The lifeboat's dinghy, on the afterdeck, although under lashings, wasblown out of her chocks by the force ofthe wind, unt i l It pressed against thetowing bollard. Lionel Hellier bracedhimself to fire a rocket line as ActingCoxswain Pitman made his firstapproach into the wind, the yacht'sskipper having altered course for thepurpose. As he glimpsed the yacht'slights between the waves and squeezedthe trigger, a sudden lurch sent himsprawling across the dinghy, the rocketline tumbling out of its canister andthe rocket away from its target. Hedecided to make the next shot lyingacross the dinghy and the second linewas prepared while the lifeboat wasturned through 360 degrees for anotherapproach. Aim was difficult, the yacht'slights only being briefly visible betweenwaves. Even Acting Coxswain Pitmanon the upper conning position lost sightof her several times, although she had a90' mast and her masthead light wasburning.

A consensus of wave height estimatesat this point places them between 40and 50 feet and the captain of Ariadnesays they were as steep as anything hehas seen.

The second shot fell right across therigging of the yacht, but her crew wereunable to reach it.

Once more a line was prepared andonce more Vic Pitman took the lifeboatin a complete circle for yet anotherapproach. The crew were full of praisefor his handling of the boat, especiallyduring this most difficult phase.

For his third shot, Lionel Hellierdecided to get maximum visibility bystanding again. It was impossible, how-ever, to stand without support on thatdeck and so John Kellegher pinned himagainst the after guardrail, with hisarms around both sides of him, whilehe fired. Both men were in a veryhazardous situation by the after board-ing position at that moment, with thelifeboat pitching heavily. The shot wasa bull's eye, straight between the yacht'srigging and into the crew's hands.

About 60 fathoms of nylon tow linewas veered out as Acting CoxswainPitman, with a masterly display of sea-manship, manoeuvred his lifeboat totake the strain gently and begin the towwith a turn to starboard towardsWeymouth. About 4 knots was madegood.

Derek Sargent had been manning theradio during Lionel Hellier's absence,and he now returned to his navigatingduties. No buoys could be sighted onthe return passage due to the seas and

the driving rain and spray and his blindpilotage was all-important.

The lifeboat safely entered harbourwith her tow at 2055.

The leadership and determination ofActing Coxswain Vic Pitman on onlyhis second time in command of thislifeboat, and under such dauntingcircumstances, were inspiring andcourageous to a very high degree. He alsoaccomplished a great feat of seamanship.

His crew, their average age 50, wereno less praiseworthy in their respectiveroles including the two who are notnormally crew members but whosepresence and seamanship on thisoccasion were invaluable.

The results were the rescuing of eightlives under the worst conditions any ofthe participants can remember, and aconviction on the part of every Wey-mouth crew member that the Arun hadproved herself completely.

For this service the silver medal forgallantry has been awarded to ActingCoxswain Victor J. Pitman. The thanksof the Institution inscribed on vellumhave been accorded to Motor MechanicDerek J. Sargent, Emergency MechanicEric L. Pavey and Crew Members BertieA. C. Legge, Lionel F. Hellier, BernardWills and John Kellegher.

Eastern Division

Capsized tugPILOT CUTTER COXSWAIN Michael Knottwas in Lowestoft Bridge Control stationwhen, at 0825 on Monday, August 16,1976, a radio message was heard onChannel 16 VHP that the harbour tugBarkis had overturned.

Knowing that the tug had left harbourto attend the cargo vessel Jupiter,Michael Knott ran across the harbourbridge to his cutter; on the south quay,by the lifeboat crew room, he passed hisfather, Thomas Knott, Lowestoft life-boat station coxswain/mechanic. Al-though Thomas Knott did not hear thefull message shouted by his son, herealised that there was an emergencyand joined him as crew member aboardthe cutter. He had spoken with hissecond coxswain and two lifeboat crewmembers only minutes earlier and knewthat if the maroons were fired enoughmen were available to crew the lifeboat;the immediate and most urgent task wasto get the 16 knot pilot cutter to sea andtry to effect a rescue.

Clearing the moorings at about 0830Michael Knott called Jupiter and wastold that she was near Ness Buoy, onemile north east of the harbour, and thatthe four members of the tug's crew werein the water.

The wind was north east, force 2 to 3,with a slight sea and swell; it was thelast hour of the ebb.

At about 0840 the pilot cutter reachedthe first survivor (a member of the life-boat crew) and he was hauled aboardin an exhausted state. Within a minute a

second survivor was sighted, face downin the water and, as Michael Knottmanoeuvred the cutter alongside, hisfather entered the water, turned theman over and supported him to thecutter's port side. Never having been tosea in this particular boat before,Thomas Knott's knowledge of gearstowage was limited to what was readilyin view; consequently he had been un-able to find a lifejacket or even a pieceof line with which to attach himself tothe boat before going over the side.

After one unsuccessful attempt to liftthe second survivor over the three footfreeboard of the cutter, Michael Knottpassed a line to his father but, lying onthe side deck, was unable to reach lowenough to help secure it, and his fathercould only partly lift the survivor.

Another attempt was made butThomas Knott was weakening and thesurvivor was covered in oil; after a thirdattempt he slipped from Thomas Knott'sgrasp and sank under the cutter'squarter. Michael Knott then realised hisfather's condition and heaved himaboard, where he lay on deck regainingstrength.

A third survivor, in a stronger condi-tion, was then approached and takenaboard before the cutter moved towardsthe upturned tug hull where a fourthman was clinging. Thomas Knott cast aline to him with a lifejacket secured toit, and though the man slipped from thehull as he grasped it, he managed to puton the lifejacket in a manner whichallowed him to be dragged to the cutterand brought aboard.

The three survivors were adjudged tobe recovering sufficiently to allow thepilot cutter to resume her search for themissing man. Twenty minutes later, atabout 0920, the cutter returned toharbour as Lowestoft lifeboat, GreatYarmouth and Gorleston Atlantic 21and an RAF helicopter arrived on thescene. The survivors were landed at theharbour wall and Thomas Knottremained on shore until the lifeboatreturned at 1230. He then took her tosea again, continuing the search until1830, but no trace of the missing manwas found.

For this service a bar to his bronzemedal for gallantry has been awarded toCoxswain/Mechanic Thomas V. Knottand a framed letter of thanks signed bythe Chairman of the Institution, MajorGeneral Ralph Farrant, has beenpresented to Michael Knott.

South Western Division

Damage on servicePADSTOW LIFEBOAT, a 48' 6" Oakley,with midship steering, James andCatherine Macfarlane, launched onservice at 2256 on Tuesday, December 7,to investigate a report of red flares.

The wind was west north west neargale force 7 gusting to force 8, with avery rough, steep, breaking sea over a

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Scarborough lifeboat, the 37' Oakley J. G. Graves of Sheffield, launched at 1945 on September21, 1976, with a pump and three firemen on board, to help trawler Anmara (with crew of three)under tow of trawler Carolanne and in danger of sinking. Having transferred pump and firemen,the lifeboat stood by until all was under control, then escorted both boats into ScarboroughHarbour, arriving at 0030. photograph by courtesy of Scarborough Evening News

heavy onshore swell; it was 5 hours ebb,so that the tide was setting against thewind at a rate of about 0.2 knots.Visibility was good.

Shortly after launching, while on awest south west course towards TrevoseHead, the lifeboat encountered twoparticularly heavy seas fine on thestarboard bow. Coxswain AnthonyWarnock reduced speed and the nextsea, estimated to be 25' high, brokeheavily on the starboard bow falling onto an almost stationary boat. A con-siderable weight of water droppedalmost vertically on to the canopyforward of the wheelhouse smashingthe windscreen and damaging thewheelhouse.

The coxswain, second coxswain andthree crew members sustained injuries.Four of them suffered cuts from thebroken glass to the head, face and hands,two requiring stitches. The fifth manhad damage to the ribs and the othercrew members were unhurt.

Coxswain Warnock received a badcut over his right eye which temporarilyblinded him, and some concussion. Hewas moved to the after cabin for firstaid treatment and Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Trevor Englandtook over command. By good judge-ment and seamanship he brought theboat back to station at 2335 andsuccessfully rehoused her at 0002 onDecember 8 in order to land theinjured men.

Although it was unnecessary for thelifeboat to launch again, Second Cox-swain England said that he could havemustered a crew who would have beenprepared to take the boat to sea beforethe repairs were completed, should anurgent call have come, and the honorarysecretary wrote, 'All the crew have great

faith in their lifeboat and were preparedto go to sea again without windscreenor wheelhouse doors'.

With the help of Mashford's Yard,Cremyll, and the RNLI depot, repairswere immediately put in hand andcarried out on the slipway. JamesCatherine Macfarlane was available forservice throughout, if an urgent call hadcome, and was back on full service, withrepairs completed, late on the sameevening, Wednesday, December 8.

A framed certificate inscribed onvellum has been presented to CoxswainAnthony Warnock, Second CoxswainTrevor England, Acting MotorMechanic A. Prosser, Acting AssistantMechanic A. May and Crew MembersR. Tummon, A. House and R. Norfolk.

Western Division

Trapped on cliffFOLLOWING A 999 CALL, HM Coastguardinformed Coxswain Griffith Jones ofPorthdinllaen lifeboat station at 2253 onTuesday, August 31, 1976, that a boywas trapped under a rock at Porth-y-Nant. The coxswain informed hishonorary secretary and the maroonswere fired. At 2315 the 46' 9" Watsonlifeboat, Charles Henry Ashley launched.She took in tow the 14' clinker builtboarding boat, which is fitted with a20 hp Johnson outboard engine.

The wind was northerly force 2, withsea calm at launch. The tide was juststarting to flood towards the east.Visibility was good.

Charles Henry Ashley set off on aneasterly course and, on arrival at theposition of the reported casualty, firedflares. Under the command of SecondCoxswain John Scott and Crew Member

Glyn Roberts, the boarding boat wasdespatched inshore through an 8' groundswell raised by the young flood settingeasterly at 1 \ to 2 knots. The shore waspeppered with medium sized rocks.

Going inshore, Second CoxswainScott saw a flashlight on the beach. Hefound a channel between the rocks andheld the boat while Glyn Roberts jumpedashore. On the beach were two police-men, a camper and a boy, who had gotthere by climbing round the base of thecliff. The policemen told Glyn Robertsthat another boy was trapped up thecliff; the camper had tried to climb thecliff but he had found it impossible.

While Second Coxswain Scott tookthe boarding boat back to the lifeboatto keep Coxswain Jones up to date withwhat was happening ashore, GlynRoberts took off his boots and socks andstarted to climb. The cliff is about 170'high, vertical in places, sloping to 10degrees off the vertical in others. As,until 1958, it was used as a tip forunwanted granite from a nearby quarry,its face is covered in loose granite ofvarying size and shape. The boy was in acleft about 80' up.

It was not possible to anchor thelifeboat because of foul ground, so,stemming the flood, Coxswain Joneskept the searchlight trained on the boy;in its glare Glyn Roberts could be seenclimbing. The boarding boat remainedlying off to help with illumination.

Upon reaching the boy, Glyn Robertsfound him rigid with fear and tremblingviolently. After climbing higher hedecided that the only way to rescue theboy was to descend, and after muchcoaxing, the boy agreed to follow himdown the cliff. When about 30' from thebottom, Glyn Roberts fell to the beach,but he climbed up again and successfullybrought the boy down. It had taken him,in all, three quarters of an hour.

Second Coxswain Scott took theboarding boat back in shore to pick upGlyn Roberts and the two boys. Hisoriginal channel was now covered andhe used the ground swell to 'rock hop'on to the beach. Both boys had to bedressed in lifejackets and carried to theboarding boat; they were not fit toattempt a climb along the foreshoreaccompanied by the police.

Now Second Coxswain Scott had totry to use the swell to 'rock hop' intoclear water with the added responsibilityof having two exhausted 14-year-oldboys in his care. A mistake, and theboat would have crashed back on to therocks. However, the lifeboat was reachedsuccessfully, the boys got aboard, takendown into the after cabin and given hotsoup.

At 0214 on September 1, CharlesHenry Ashley returned to station, wherethe two boys and Glyn Roberts, whohad sustained many bruises and cuts,were treated by Dr D. G. Hughes-Thomas, honorary medical adviser.

For this service the bronze medal forgallantry was awarded to Crew Member

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Glyn Roberts and the thanks of theInstitution inscribed on vellum accordedto Second Coxswain John E. Scott.Medal service certificates were presentedto Coxswain Griffith J. Jones, MotorMechanic Kenneth Fitzpatrick, Assis-tant Mechanic Ifor H. Griffiths andCrew Members Owen Roberts, JamesP. Bentley and John I. Griffiths.

South Western Division

Stranded under cliffsBRIXHAM COASTGUARD informed thedeputy launching authority of Torbaylifeboat station at 1431 on Monday,August 23, 1976, that survivors from awrecked speedboat were stranded on abeach at Forest Cove under overhang-ing cliffs.

The 52' Barnett class lifeboat, PrincessAlexandra of Kent, on temporary duty atTorbay, was launched ten minutes laterwith Second Coxswain Keith Bower incommand and headed for Forest Cove,some ten miles south towards thenorthern end of Start Bay.

Princess Alexandra of Kent arrivedoff the beach at 1600. High water wouldbe at about 1730, but it was little morethan a neap tide and the survivors werein no immediate danger; the upperreaches of the beach would obviouslybe above high water level. However,there were children among them and itwas probable that they would be suffer-ing from shock and some degree ofexposure.

There was a moderate to fresh breeze,force 4 to 5, blowing into the cove fromthe east, accompanied by a moderateswell, producing rough seas and surf ofabout 4 to 5 feet. The lifeboat wasanchored and veered down to withinabout 50 yards of the beach but couldnot get closer because of surroundingrocks. In the prevailing drought it wasconsidered unwise to fire a rocket lineashore because of the danger of startinga cliff fire, nor did there appear to beanywhere for those on shore to securethe tail block.

John Dew, a professional diver whoacts as a crew member whenever he ishome on leave from Nigeria, volunteeredto swim ashore with a veering line.Removing his seaboots and protectivetrousers, but wearing his protectivejacket and lifejacket, he did so and thenhauled the breeches buoy ashore as itwas veered out from the lifeboat on theother veering line.

Lifejackets were sent inshore with thebreeches buoy, and John Dew put themon survivors before lifting them into thebreeches buoy. There were six adults,eight children and an Alsatian dog to bebrought off. John Dew paired one adultwith one child in the breeches buoy, asfar as possible, and then swam alongsideto escort them to the lifeboat, makingseven round trips in all; the veering lineashore was tended by the strongest manof the survivors' party.

It was 1710 before the rescue from thebeach was completed and, although thetemperature was reasonably warm, JohnDew was obviously working hard for anhour under very difficult conditions; theprotective jacket kept him warm butmade swimming harder and every timehe tried to wade ashore the pockets,heavy with water, made it more difficultto get through the surf. By the time thelast survivor (and the dog) were safelyaboard the lifeboat, John Dew, a bigman of strong physique, was exhausted.

The survivors were landed at Dart-mouth and taken to hospital and thelifeboat returned to her moorings at2010.

Crew Member John Dew, Torbay.photograph by courtesy of Torbay Herald

Express

For this service the bronze medal forgallantry has been awarded to CrewMember John Dew. Medal servicecertificates have been presented toActing Coxswain Keith W. Bower,Deputy Coxswain Arthur L. V. Curnow,Motor Mechanic Stephen J. Bower,Emergency Mechanic Brian W. Gaunterand Crew Members Michael Kingston,Richard R. Brown and Michael B.Smith.

Ireland Division

Open fishing boaton rocksFISHING IN AN OPEN BOAT at about 0200on Friday, July 9, 1976, Paul Power sawan 18' open boat go on the rocks nearFalskirt Rock, 52° 08'N 7° 02'W, but,the area being filled with lobster pots andnets, was unable to approach the casualtyin the dark. Instead he went roundFalskirt Rock to seek help from theMFV Lone Ranger, fishing to the east ofthe rock.

Lone Ranger passed the informationto Dunmore East Pilot Station by VHPat about 0245. The message was passedby telephone to Coxswain/MechanicStephen Whittle of Dunmore East life-boat station, who immediately informedthe deputy launching authority. Maroonswere fired and the 44' Waveney lifeboatSt Patrick cleared the harbour at 0305.

Two extra crew were carried asCoxswain Whittle knew that extra look-outs and a strong party for hauling

survivors from the water very quicklywould be needed.

The station informed the MarineRescue Co-oidination Centre, Shannon,of the situation at 0300 and HM Coast-guard, Fishguard, at 0323.

The weather had been fair but with aheavy swell from the south south west.At about 0200 the wind increased toforce 5 from the south veering southwest and moderating to force 3 at about0400. It was very dark with frequentheavy rain squalls.

Falskirt Rock lies about 2 cables southof Swines Head. Running about northeast from the rock is a reef extendingabout one cable. Immediately north ofthis reef is a channel one third to a halfcable wide, while north of the channelthere are other rocks very near the cliffsof Swines Head. This channel, knownas the Sound, can be used by small boatsat any state of the tide. Inside the rocksnear Swines Head is another very narrowchannel which can only be used by smallboats in good weather at high water, andthis is known as the Inner Channel. Thecliffs are over 100' high and there is nopossible landing place within reach.

At Falskirt Rock at 0315 a freshbreeze, force 5, was blowing from thesouth; there were frequent heavy rainsqualls and a heavy swell from the southwest giving heavy surf on shore andsuction on to the rock. High water atDunmore East was 0352 and it wasslack water at Falskirt Rock.

After discussion with the crew ofLone Ranger, which could not approachthe Sound in the prevailing conditionsbecause of the shallow water and thelarge number of nets and lobster pots,St Patrick approached from the east,illuminating the area with parachuteflares, searchlight and Aldis lamp.Finding the Sound blocked by salmonnets and after consideration of the stateof the tide and wind, Coxswain Whittledecided that the casualty had not hitFalskirt Rock but one of the rocks northof the Sound. The whole area wasinfested with salmon nets and lobster potbuoys but their positions were unknown.

As the Sound was blocked St Patrickwent south of Falskirt Rock andapproached Swines Head from the southwest, illuminating as before. At thistime the survivor could see the lifeboatand was shouting, but he could not beseen or heard from the lifeboat. How-ever, a crowd gathered at the top of thecliffs managed to make themselves heardin St Patrick. The message was thatthe casualty was ahead.

Coxswain Whittle brought his boatslowly into the entrance of the InnerChannel, when he could see the casualty.The depth of water at this position couldnot be more than 15 to 20 feet with thebottom covered with large boulders.The survivor was thrown a buoy on aline and managed to swim to it. He washauled alongside and pulled quickly intothe lifeboat, which then had to go asternvery fast as she was only about 20' from

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the rocks at the foot of Swines Head onwhich a heavy swell was breaking.

Having recovered the survivor StPatrick's crew lost sight of the wreckedboat, which had been washed clear whenthe lifeboat went astern; but CoxswainWhittle had the position fixed (there wasa buoy for a lobster pot within half aboat's length at that spot) and once StPatrick was clearof the rocks he returnedto search for another man who hadbeen in the boat's crew.There was, how-ever, no sign of boat or man. The lifeboatagain backed off and the search wascontinued, with a break to land thesurvivor at 0500, until 1140, when it wasabandoned.

This was a service which could onlyhave been carried out by a man with athorough knowledge of the area, out-standing seamanship and great courage.

For this service a bar to his bronzemedal for gallantry has been awarded toCoxswain/Mechanic Stephen Whittle.Medal service certificates have beenpresented to Second Coxswain JohnWalsh, Motor Mechanic JosephMurphy, Assistant Mechanic BrendanGlody and Crew Members StanleyPower, Jnr., Kieran O'Dwyer and LouisO'Dwyer.

Eastern Division

Tidal alertDURING THE AFTERNOON of Saturday,September 25, 1976, tidal alerts wereissued for the east coast of England,forecasting danger levels on the pmtide; this was three days after the heightof spring tides.

Two men, father and son, from theinland village of Walsingham decidedto spend the evening duck shooting onthe marshes north of the village ofStiff key. They had verified the predictedhigh water times, but no check had beenmade of possible adverse local weatheror tidal conditions. High water for theStiff key area was predicted at 2057; windeast south east, strong force 6.

At 1800 father and son arrived bycar at the seaward end of GreenwayLane, walked down the shingle trackacross the marshes to the footbridgespanning a deep creek and crossed theopen marsh northwards. The area isdivided by innumerable creek tributaries

Fire at sea: Both StHelier and St Peter Portlifeboats, the 44'Waveney Thomas JamesKing and the 52' A runSir William Arnold,launched on service onSeptember 77, 7976, togo to the help of fishingvessel Mako, on fire 16miles west of La CorbiercLight, Jersey. The soleoccupant of Mako had,however, been picked upby the hydrofoil Condor5.

varying from one to ten feet deep andrunning irregularly over the wholelength of the marshes.

The two men walked towards the seadefence mound, reaching it just beforedarkness fell. A comfortable hide wasfound to await the appearance of duck,but at about 1900 visibility deterioratedto some 25 yards in drifting fog and thefather decided they should retrace theirsteps towards the land. With no refer-ences visible, sense of direction was soonlost and as they tried to find their waythe men fell into creeks and found lessand less 'dry' ground above the risingtide, which was soon to overflow thecreek banks.

Eventually they decided to stay wherethey were, and as the fog lifted clear ofthe water, began flashing SOS on theirtorch and firing their shotgun to attractattention. The water was at chest levelwhere they stood.

At about 1945, holidaymakers, parkedin their car in Greenway Lane, saw andheard the signals and drove to thevillage for help; they were directed tothe house of Joseph Jordan, a wardenon the Nature Reserve section of themarshes.

Mr Jordan had lived all his life inStiffkey and has an intimate knowledgeof the marshes, spending much of hisworking life there as a fisherman. Wear-ing oilskins and waders and carrying astaff, torch, oars and rowlocks, heimmediately walked to the car park andsaw other cars shining their lights northby east towards a small flashing light.He was aware of the tidal alert, andobserving that the water level wasalready some two feet above the shinglepath, he 'felt' his way to the footbridgewith his staff and located a small dinghymoored on the edge of the large 12' deepcreek; to board it from land alreadysubmerged to a depth of four feet wasextremely dangerous for an elderly non-swimmer.

By about 2030 Mr Jordan reached the11' dinghy, awash in the bottom boards,and cutting the moorings he boardedand began pulling across the top of themarsh toward the flashing light. Shoutswere exchanged between Mr Jordanand the survivors and at about 2055 hereached them—only realising there weretwo men when within 20 yards of their

position. While the son held the dinghyhis father was helped aboard in a stateof extreme cold and near exhaustionand Mr Jordan ordered him to startbailing to force him to use his limbs;the son then acted as lookout with thetorch. With some difficulty, after about25 minutes rowing, Mr Jordan foundthe footbridge again.

It was now about 2140, the springtide had begun to ebb from a height of5' above prediction, and Mr Jordandecided not to risk grounding thedinghy; he abandoned the boat at thebridge and waded back along the shingleroad with the two men, having to usehis staff in the same way as on the out-ward trip as water still covered the trackto a depth of 2' and deep gullies borderthe track.

On arrival at the car park at 2155coffee was brought to the men by aholidaymaker from the nearby caravansite, and they soon recovered enoughfor the father to drive his son home,taking Mr Jordan for further refresh-ment and returning him later to Stiffkey.

For this service, Joseph RobertJordan has been awarded the bronzemedal for gallantry.

Ireland Division

Yacht agroundWHILE A RACE FROM ABERSOCH Was beingtimed into Howth Harbour at about2330 on Saturday, August 28, 1976, theyacht Sulabassana of Holyhead, a 32'Nicholson, attempted to pass inside thebuoys marking the rocks off the end ofHowth East Pier and grounded heavily.

Mr Boyle at the lighthouse immedi-ately informed Frank Hendy, who is theboatman of Howth Yacht Club andretired motor mechanic of the Howthlifeboat. The honorary secretary of thelifeboat station was also informed.

Frank Hendy, who was in bed, dressedimmediately, and taking Tony Brownwho was on the pier and who, as hisfather owns a 32' Nicholson, is familiarwith the design and her gear, went out inHowth YC 18' clinker-built launch tohelp.

The weather was fine with goodvisibility but a strong breeze, force 6,was blowing from the east giving a veryheavy and confused sea on the rocks atthe end of the east pier. It was two hoursbefore high water.

Frank Hendy took the launch closein along the east pier, turning tostarboard as soon as he was clear of therocks at its end. He went alongside thestarboard side of Sulabassana, starboardside to, and Tony Brown jumped aboardthe yacht. Frank Hendy then told TonyBrown to hoist the sails, which the crewhad got in, and bring the sheets right aftto lay the boat over and reduce herdraught. The yacht was bumping badlyon the rocks and the launch touchedthe rocks hard two or three times withboth her hull and outboard.

The launch then took a line from the

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yacht to try to tow her clear. Once hersails were hoisted and sheeted in, theyacht, lifted by seas which were increas-ing as the east-going tide started, beganto move. Towed by the launch she finallycame clear. Tony Brown immediatelylowered the sails and Frank Hendytowed the yacht into the harbour and upto shallow water at its head; he thoughtthe yacht would probably have beendamaged and might sink. In fact practi-cally no damage was done.

During the few minutes this servicetook, the lifeboat crew were beingassembled, but by the time they reachedthe boathouse the yacht was off therocks and in harbour.

For this service the bronze medal forgallantry was awarded to Frank Hendyand the thanks of the Institutioninscribed on vellum were accorded toTony Brown.

Western Division

Weather deterioratedON THE EVENING of Wednesday,September 8, 1976, the yacht Up Spiritsanchored in New Quay Bay. Her ownerand one member of the crew remained onboard while the other slept ashore.During the night the weather deterior-ated and on the morning of September 9the wind was north east by north galeforce 8, sea state 5, with the ebb acrossthe wind. The sky was overcast anddriving rain, at times, reduced visibilityto poor.

The Coastguard, who describedconditions in the bay as the worst thathe had seen during his eight years at thestation, went to the house of New Quaylifeboat station honorary secretary at1050 and told him that Up Spirits wasrolling and pitching heavily with noshelter at her anchorage. The honorarysecretary went to the beach and decidedto launch the D class ILB, choosing herrather than the lifeboat because hethought her more suitable to work inthe shallow water on a lee shore.

The crew were already assembled atthe boathouse and the ILB was launchedat 1100 with four men in the crew togive additional weight. Mervyn Thomas,the most experienced ILB helmsmanat the station, was in command, withWinston Evans, Richard Davies andMorlais Davies as crew.

On a north-easterly course, the ILBmade her way slowly through the roughsea to Up Spirits, and advised her crew

to beach her in a sheltered part of theharbour. Instead, while the ILB stoodby to give help, they started up theengine and weighed anchor intending topick up a mooring in the harbour. Thisthey tried to do, but without success,by anchoring up wind of the mooringand allowing themselves to be blowndown on to the mooring.

At about 1200 the crew of the yachtindicated that their anchor was draggingand that they were abandoning UpSpirits. As she was rolling heavily, hermast frequently lying flat on the sea, itwas too dangerous to attempt an along-side rescue. Mervyn Thomas thereforetold the two men to jump into the seaone at a time while he waited astern ofthe yacht to pick them up.

The ILB returned to station, landedthe two men, and was rehoused andready for service at 1300.

Up Spirits was blown on to the beachat 1300, and was eventually recoveredand taken to Pembroke for repair. Herowner subsequently made a donation tothe Institution through New Quay'shonorary secretary.

For this service the thanks of theInstitution inscribed on vellum havebeen accorded to Helmsman Mervyn L.Thomas. Vellum service certificates havebeen presented to Coxswain DavidWinston Evans and Crew MembersRichard L. Davies and Morlais H.Davies.

South Western Division

Eleven rescuedON THE MORNING OF Monday, November1, 1976, the uss Sellers, a guided missiledestroyer, arrived in Jersey waters topay a courtesy visit. It was originallyintended that she should anchor in StAubin's Bay but as the wind wasfreshening from the south west she wasdiverted to Bouley Bay on the northcoast of the island. Sellers had only oneserviceable ship's boat, a 25' whaleboat,so the States of Jersey fast launch, the40' Duchess of Normandy, was charteredto help ferry libertymen to and from thejetty at Bouley Bay during her visit.

On the evening of Tuesday, November2, Duchess of Normandy crewed byGraeme Mercier, her coxswain, GraemeMarett and Jean Rivoallen, beganferrying libertymen back to the ship at2300. There was a moderate to freshwesterly breeze and a swell.

On the second trip the wind had

veered to west by north and strengthenedto force 6 to 7, near gale. The coxswaintherefore decided that this would be hislast trip, as he considered that it wasdangerous to try to put libertymen onthe ship in these conditions. He returnedto the shelter of the jetty at Bouley Bayand picked up a mooring, intending togo ashore.

In the meanwhile the ship's whaleboatwas continuing to ferry the libertymenback to the ship, so Graeme Mercierdecided he and his crew had betterremain aboard; he was not happy aboutthe conditions in which the whaleboatwas working. He also took into con-sideration the safety of Duchess ofNormandy; it was not unknown formoorings to part in Bouley Bay.

At 0204, November 3, uss Sellersradioed Duchess of Normandy askingfor help as her whaleboat had beenswamped close to the ship and a numberof men were in the water. GraemeMercier immediately called Jersey radioand asked for the lifeboat and any otherpossible assistance to go to the ship inBouley Bay. At the same time he castoff and went back to Sellers.

When he reached the ship he foundseveral men holding on to ropeshanging from the stern. He got oneaboard, but was assured by Sellers thatthey could look after the remaining menon the ropes and he was asked to go tothe rescue of more men who were withthe whaleboat, which was drifting fastto leeward.

Graeme Mercier set off to search forthe whaleboat and, on his way, found alone man clutching a lifejacket. He wasgot on board the Duchess in a state ofexhaustion. After further search thewhaleboat was spotted; she was com-pletely waterlogged but upright. Ninemen were standing in the well. All wereembarked in Duchess of Normandy butin the process one man was injured.

Graeme Mercier subsequently learntthat eight men had scrambled up theside of the destroyer and there were thusa total of 19 survivors. However, thecoxswain of the whaleboat thought therehad been 20 men aboard in all.

By 0218 Duchess of Normandy hadreturned to the jetty at Bouley Bay andlanded the 11 survivors, several ofwhom needed medical treatment; anambulance had been called.

A few minutes later, having cast offfrom the jetty, Graeme Mercier located

(continued on page 285)

SERVICES AND LIVES SAVED BY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE LIFEBOATSJanuary 1, 1976 to December 31, 1976: Services 2,813; lives saved 1,027

THE STATION FLEET

132 offshore lifeboats(as at 31/12/76)

123 inshore lifeboats operating in the summer48 inshore lifeboats operating in the winter

LIVES RESCUED 102,047

from the Institution's foundation in 1824 to December 31,1976

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Revision of the International Regulations forPreventing Collisions at Sea

Coming into force 1200 zone time, July 15, 1977

AN INTRODUCTION TO AN INTRODUCTION

by Leslie J. VipondInspector, Mobile Training Unit

AS A YOUNG MAN, determined to follow the sea as a career, Igrew up to fear the 'Articles'. The International Regulationsfor Preventing Collisions at Sea were the cross borne byevery aspiring second mate's examination candidate. Longerthan anyone could be expected to learn word perfect, theywere more daunting than the mate, even less compromisingthan the bosun and, if the third mate was to be believed, thebarrier thrown up the, then, Board of Trade (now Departmentof Trade and Industry) examiners which only a very selectfew were ever allowed to penetrate to achieve that exaltedstate: a 'ticket' holder.

Only later, having come to terms with EOT examiners andother hazards, and faced with the prospect of training otherseamen in the interpretation of these great mysteries, was Iable to take a calm look at the Regulations.

These Regulations must be truly international, and in-dependent of language problems. Apart from a system oflights and sound signals, there is usually no communicationbetween two vessels involved in a potential collision situation.Only by knowing and obeying the Regulations will collisionsbe avoided. Only by possessing a deep knowledge of theRegulations can any seaman deal with a situation involvingseveral vessels, possibly in poor visibility, and perhaps evenwith areas of shallow water close at hand.

When a lifeboat goes to sea on service the coxswain andcrew may have to deal with just such situations, probablyin extreme weather, and, in addition, conduct a search andrescue. How well they need to know the 'Articles'!

The 'Articles' have been revised again as the result of aninternational conference held in October 1972. On publica-tion, great interest was shown by everyone involved in thepractical application of the Regulations, but as time passedand a starting date stretched into the future, interest wained.By agreement, the new Regulations were to come into forceone year from the date upon which a specified majority ofmaritime nations became signatories to the conference. Thishas now taken place and the appointed time for the revisedRegulations to come into force is 1200 on July 15, 1977.

I have some words of comfort for those who, like myself,may consider themselves rather long in the seaboot to startlearning new tricks. No radical changes are at hand, but theRules have been modified to deal with the evolution takingplace at sea in, for instance, the increase in speed of manyships—including lifeboats—and increase in draught.

The Regulations have been rearranged, but they now have amore logical sequence. Technical material has been movedinto annexes and it is hoped that even if the requirementscontained in these annexes may have to be adjusted from timeto time, the application of the Rules themselves will be withus for the foreseeable future.

Certain aspects of good basic seamanship, like the im-portance of keeping a good lookout, have been emphasized,and the Rules contain points to be considered when choosinga 'safe' speed.

The old maxims upon which the Rules have always beenbased still hold true. Vessels in trouble can expect the assistanceof every other vessel to hand, and vessels best able tomanoeuvre will continue to keep clear of those less advan-tageously placed. In taking action we must act early andsignificantly.

Merchant Shipping Notice No. M.761, which follows,

points out the changes being made, but it is up to all seamento get hold of a copy of the International Regulations forPreventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (they can be found, bythe way, in 'Reed's Nautical Almanac') and study themcarefully, in full.

In becoming lifeboatmen, we are following our humaneinstincts. Being lifeboatmen, we must follow certain rules,so from the beginning: These Rules shall apply to all vesselsupon the high seas. . . .

MERCHANT SHIPPING NOTICE No. M.761

Notice to Owners, Masters, Skippers and Seamen of MerchantShips, Fishing Vessels and Yachts

(Crown copyright. Reproduced with thepermission of the Controller of Her

Majesty's Stationery Office)

An International Conference was held in London from 4October to 20 October 1972 for the purpose of revising theInternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea1960. The Conference determined revised regulations whichwill come into force internationally at 1200 hours zone timeon 15 July 1977. In the United Kingdom it is intended that theCollision Regulations (Ships and Seaplanes on the Water)and Signals of Distress (Ships) Order 1965 should then berevoked and it is expected that a new Order in Council willbe made.

The Final Act of the International Conference on Revisionof the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions atSea, 1972 has been published in a White Paper (Cmnd 5471,November 1973, HMSO, 50p net).

It is considered desirable that at this stage the attention ofall concerned should be drawn to the main differences betweenthe current Regulations and the Regulations agreed in 1972.The revised Collision Regulations comprise 38 Rules and 4Annexes; as compared with the current Regulations they havebeen extensively rewritten, extended in scope and completelyrearranged. The essentials behind the detailed requirementsremain as in the present (and indeed previous) Regulationsbut there are a number of ways in which the new Rulesdevelop those now in force, and there are therefore manydifferences of detail. Their appearance is also quite different,for the Rules have now been arranged so that the Steering andSailing Rules immediately follow the Introductory sectionwhile extensive Annexes have been introduced which containand greatly expand much of the detail as to lights and soundsignals. Distress signals also previously in the Rules have nowbeen moved to an Annex. The use of these Annexes meansthat the Rules themselves are appreciably more concise thanthe current Regulations.

Because of the rearrangement direct comparison with theexisting regulations rule by rule is not possible; instead con-sideration of the changes which have been brought in canbest be made by looking at each Part of the new Rules in turn.

Part A (Rules 1-3) covers application, responsibility ofowner, master and crew and general definitions. (Otherdefinitions are in Rules 21 and 32 and Annex 1, paragraph 1.)Broadly this part replaces Rules 1,13, 27, 29 and 30 of thepresent Rules.

(continued on page 280)

264

Head ProtectionFOR LIFEBOAT CREWS

by Stuart Welford, BTech MiMechE MRINA

Research and Development Officer, RNLI

IMAGINE A JANUARY AFTERNOON. Notmuch wind, but a cold front forecast;the light will fade in a couple of hours;wind and sea will be getting up and thetemperature is dropping all the time.Not ideal conditions for a winter inshorelifeboat service, but there's no time tothink about that: the maroons have justgone up. A boat is reported in troubleclose inshore about eight miles downthe coast. So, on with the waterproofgear, and lifejackets, and off goesAtlantic 21 and crew; but with wind andspray, faces and eyes are going to takea lot of punishment.

Lifejackets have been a symbol oflifeboat crews for well over a hundredyears. The present lifejackets are theresult of an intensive developmentprogramme in the 1960s (see 'MedicalArrangements in the RNLI' by GeoffreyHale, THE LIFEBOAT, volume XLIV,number 454) and are now capable ofself righting an unconscious wearer.Protective clothing has changed con-siderably from the original stiff oilskinsand sou-wester, although with modernmaterials and design the choice is sowide that finding a single off-the-shelfproduct which suits all ILB crews hasnot so far been possible.

Thigh boots and waterproof glovesare available to crew members, butagain personal tastes vary considerably,so not all are satisfied. Since most water-proof suits have hoods, the face is theonly part of the body not provided for;this was a problem which had to betackled because, apart from any otherconsideration, one fifth of total bodyheat loss is via the head.

A recent programme of initialresearch, followed by tests and develop-ment trials, has resulted in the adoptionof a special RNLI visor mounted on amotorcycle type helmet. Armed withthis headgear it is intended that thewearer will be able to see better, keepwarmer and remain drier in the sort ofconditions likely in the hypotheticalservice referred to above. Bonuses ofhead protection when working along-side the casualty or in a capsize amongrocks, and ease of being seen, are alsointended.

In an actual service under such con-ditions the first problem would havebeen the cold, with occasional bursts ofspray aggravated by a chill factor due

to the speed of air over the face. Iftravelling at 30 knots boat speed intogale force winds this would result in arelative wind speed of over 60 knots.While some might be able to take thistreatment for half an hour or possiblymore, most would have frozen facesand running eyes and it might beessential, for safe and efficient naviga-tion, to ease the speed. Balaclavas, hoodsor lower face masks help but are not thetotal solution.

If, in the hypothetical service, it wasthen to start raining, the droplets wouldsting the face and especially the eyes.Rain is generally reckoned to be moreaggravating to crew than spray, pre-sumably because, being sporadic, spraycan be seen coming and the head can .be ducked. The worst treatment the bareface can receive in an ILB is drivinghail; the crew just cannot see ahead andspeed has to be reduced, for safety, to afew knots.

Soon after the ILB was an establishedpart of the lifeboat scene, faster offshorelifeboats were introduced, the first beingthe 44' Waveney self righting class, toan initial US Coast Guard design. Withtheir greater power and speed comparedwith conventional boats it was soonfound that, at speed in rough water, thecrew had to be aware of the livelymotions due to wave impact if injurywas to be avoided. Fairly soon asuggestion that helmets be issued foruse in these boats was accepted; theUSCG already used helmets in theirown 44' boats. A one size helmet withan adjustable headband and chin bridleincorporating cut-outs to enable crewsto hear one another was eventuallyselected. These helmets were madeavailable for all other self-righting life-boats since it was felt that the violenceof capsize and self righting in enclosedcabins and wheelhouses could result insevere injury to the head. When usedwith the optional press-studded peak,this helmet also gave slight face pro-tection to inshore lifeboatmen who hadno windscreen or wheelhouse forshelter.

In 1974 the National Research andDevelopment Corporation (NRDC)offered help to the RNLI in the blanketform of 'encouraging technical innova-tion'. No specific field of aid had beensuggested but, during the following

The author wearing RNLI visor and helmetin the working section of the wind tunnel.During these tests, with wind and spraytravelling at 50 knots and the ambienttemperature down near freezing, conditionswere unpleasant even with the best protection.They were intolerable after a minute or twowith a bare head.

year, a wide range of possible subjectswas narrowed down to 'clear vision inadverse conditions'. By the end of 1975a good deal of preliminary work hadbeen completed and an agreementdrawn up between NRDC, the RNLIand the Marine Technology SupportUnit (MATSU) at Harwell, specifically'to develop improved goggles or visorsfor use in lifeboats'.

Initially it was thought that wind-screen wipers and clear vision screensshould also be investigated, but afterdiscussion it was agreed that if researchwere limited to the individual visor/goggle problem, less hardware andexperimental testing would be involved,making for economy. Any knowledgegained about materials, coatings andpossibly shapes might well be of use,later, to help in solving the through-windscreen visibility problem. In addi-tion it was hoped that if the visor/gogglevision was improved, a potential marketmight be opened up in the powerboatfield, high-speed yachting, motor cyclingand in the Services.

Once it was established that visorswere to be developed the work wentahead in three broad stages:

1. Initial investigations and trialsInshore lifeboatmen who had obtained

their own headgear were consulted andan assessment made of their selectionsand of other commercially availablehelmets and visors. MATSU undertooka literature survey of materials, water-repellent coatings and water-sheddingdevices. NRDC investigated patents andreviewed the potential market. Trialswere arranged in an Atlantic 21 forMATSU staff accompanied by RNLItechnical and operational staff. About adozen combinations of commercial pro-ducts and a number of specially developedRNLI-produced visors were tried out.

2. Tests, reports and patentsMATSU arranged for a series of

studies and some laboratory tests,(continued on page 267)

265

OUTBOARD

WatertightKeeping the sea out of Atlantic 21

engines when inverted

SINCE HER INTRODUCTION to the RNLIfleet in 1971, the Atlantic 21 inshorelifeboat has not only proved her worthon service, but has also shown herselfto be a thoroughbred among boats.With her speed, range, manoeuvrabilityand seaworthiness she has opened up awhole new line of thought on small boatdesign.

Being a thoroughbred, she must behandled like one. Crew training isessential if the Atlantic 21 is to giveof her best, and one of the first thingsthe crew have to learn is that whereasthe natural reaction in the face of dangeris to slow down, which indeed may be theseamanlike action to take, in theAtlantic 21 there are occasions when abetter answer is to use the boat's powerand manoeuvrability to get out oftrouble. For one thing, the Atlantic 21'sstability is, to a certain extent, increasedwith increased speed.

In bad weather the Atlantic 21 isextremely safe running, because shehas enough speed (30 knots) to getaway from unstable seas in shallowwater. Similarly, going to windward,she has the speed to be steered roundbreaking crests; or, when necessary,getting off the beach, she can turn herbow directly into the breaking waveand use her power to drive through.The boat can continue at a good speedin a beam sea; if in danger from abreaking top, she can turn her quarterto the sea and run clear.

However, although unlikely, a capsizecould happen. In that event the crew,in the water, would attach themselves

to the boat, which cannot blow awaywhile upside-down; the sea anchorstreams automatically when she goesover. When everyone is accounted for,the crew pull the activating cord whichreleases gas to fill the buoyancy baghoused on the roll bar aft, and withinseconds the boat rights herself. Butthere is far more to it than just rightingthe boat if the objective—the completionof the service, not the creation of asecond casualty—is to be achieved. Theboat must right and the crew re-boardher; the engines must start; and shemust be able to complete the rescue withall equipment, including the radio, inworking order.

Quite a challenge to the RNLItechnical departments.

First and foremost, the engines mustbe in good shape to re-start on righting;so they must have remained water-

tight during the time the boat wascapsized.

Watertighting, when the engines areinverted, has been achieved by theintroduction of three gravity valves,with minimum mechanical movement,designed at the RNLI depot, Cowes(patents have been applied for), used inconjunction with flexible sealants.

1. Air intake valve: Housed in a casingon top of the motor cover is a hori-zontal tubular valve attached to ahooded air intake scoop in such a waythat both are free to pivot togetherthrough 360°. The scoop slopes downaft to the motor cover and acts as apendulum. In normal running, air issucked up through the scoop into theend of the tubular valve and out againthrough a port in its top, to make itsway to the engine. Should the boatcapsize, the pendulum hoods swingsthrough 180°, turning the valve so thatits port is closed and water cannot pene-trate. A secondary function of the valve,but still important, is the protection ofthe air intake from spray, should theboat come upright stern to breakingseas.

If excessive swing of the air intakescoop were to build up while the boat isunderway, the valve might, inter-mittently, be partially closed, thus in-terrupting the normal, and necessary,flow of air to the engine. To preventthis happening, a second pendulumhas been added inside the scoop. It israther like a bell clapper (though neo-prene bushes on the scoop sides preventit from sounding like one!), and itsweight and independent movementdampen down swing and discourageany over-liveliness.

2. Exhaust capsize valve: Normallyexhaust gases are discharged throughthe propeller, but when the motor is

,Air IntakeCapsize Valve.

Positions of the threegravity valves designedat the RNLI depot,East Cowes; when theengine is inverted, theywill keep it watertight.

Lower-motorcover N.R. Valve

Drain.

Exhaust CapsizeValve.

Photograph above was taken during capsizeand righting exercise. The crew, clear of theAtlantic 21 but attached to her by lifeline,have pulled the activating cord, gas has beenreleased into buoyancy bag and the boat isrighting. Note motor cover non-return valvesand also the hooded scoops of air intakevalves (swung through 180°) on after end ofoutboard engines.

266

idling the exhaust gases cannot over-come the water pressure and so idlingholes are drilled at the top of the exhausthousing by the motor manufacturer.The exhaust then leaves the exhausthousing through these holes and escapesthrough two slots in the motor casing.In the event of a capsize, water wouldreach the cylinders via these holes. Thisproblem has been overcome by blankingoff the normal holes and replacing themwith holes of equal area leading into ahorizontal manifold on the side of theexhaust housing inside the casing. Theexhaust then goes into an exhaustvalve: a perpendicular tube round thetop of which are five outlet holes.

Resting at the base of the tube, beneaththese holes, is a ball valve. As the engineis inverted in a capsize, the ball im-mediately falls into the seat, thus pre-venting water inside the casing fromentering the cylinders, while a weightedsleeve on a spindle falls down outsidethe tube to complete the seal.

3. Motor cover non-return valve drain:The motor cover drain at the afterend of the engine has been modifiedwith the addition of a simple gravityball valve which falls to close theapertures when the engine is inverted.An extension contains a buoyant ballvalve: if the water builds up when

going astern, this ball will float up andclose the valve.

All joints in the engine casing aremeticulously sealed with flexible sealantsand vibration reduced to the minimumby stiffening resilient mountings. Tocomplete the picture, there are non-return valves in fuel vents; engines arecut out on capsize by a mercury switchin the control panel; batteries are non-spill. All motor instruments and wiringmust, of course, be 100 per cent water-tight.

After coming upright from capsize,it is only a matter of minutes before theengines will be running again—J.D.

Head Protection (continued from page 265)

including wind tunnel work; as a resultan RNLI designed wrap around visor(see photograph, page 265) was found tooffer the best combination of desirableoptical properties and protection. NRDChas applied for patents for this visorand also for a separate optical system forobtaining clear vision. The RNLI has a25 per cent stake in any royalties on boththese patents.

3. Production and supply to ILB stationsThe RNLI visor has been licensed and

is now being made by the PsychiatricRehabilitation Association (PRA), there-by providing them with satisfying workand the RNLI with a reasonably pricedarticle. NRDC and MATSU meanwhileare offering production rights on theoptical patent to appropriate manu-facturers.

The production visor consists of ashape punched out of a sheet of 1 mmunbreakable clear plastic, with twoadjustable position fixing studs at thelower outboard ends, and locating lugswhich tuck under the peak. The sideprofile of the visor presents a downwardrearward slope from peak-tip to thenose. This means that the deflected airflow acts in the same direction as gravityto clear most of the water impinging onit. Any droplets remaining are, due tothe visor shape, well inside the eye's focallength and one can thus see quite easilythrough them. Most commercial visors,due to their forward slope in way of theeyes, do not so easily clear dropletssince gravity and air flow oppose eachother.

The lower edge of the visor is about10° below horizontal (the eye's normalline of vision in relaxed posture) andthis enables the wearer to see withtotally unobstructed vision simply bytilting the head up about 10°, or to seethrough rain, spray and hail, by tiltingthe head down.

Extending the visor downward to pro-tect the lower part of the face andincluding slots had also been in-vestigated, but other problems such asthe concentration of liquid, turbulent

air or misting terminated those lines ofdevelopment.

To guide NRDC, MATSU and theRNLI in the various stages of progress,a steering committee was set up byMr K. Grossfield of NRDC which wasfortunate in having as members, inaddition to representatives of the threeorganisations concerned, three expertsin their own fields: Surgeon CaptainJ. D. Walters, Institute of NavalMedicine; Mr J. D. Booker, RoyalAircraft Establishment; and Mr P.Davison, Transport and Road ResearchLaboratory.

The advice and experience of thesemen were most welcome, and it isgratifying that both Captain Walters,on behalf of the Navy, and Mr Davisonfor road users, are still pursuing theirown investigations on the helmet/visorcombination which the RNLI hasselected. One particular bonus broughtout by Mr Davison's investigations isthat glare caused by wet visors whenlights are shone at them can straightwaybe eliminated simply by tilting the head;conventional visors would need to beretracted or removed.

So, after initial use by the RNLI atsea, perhaps the visor will becomepopular with motorcyclists. Our manu-facturers, PRA, hope to place it on themotorcyle market and since it isdesigned to fit all sizes of four of themajor types of helmet, it is hoped it willsuit most others.

While not a first aim of the project,it has always been the RNLI's intentionto select a helmet finished in a bright,clear colour. The finish of the originalone-size helmet selected some yearsago was Dayglo orange, but it hasbecome faded due to exposure to ultraviolet light and chipped with age. Anumber of firms have co-operated inproducing fluorescent painted helmetsamples, but after six months of use, oreven non-use, deficiencies in paintedversions have emerged. Gloss finishedpainted surfaces seem to chip away fromthe plastic shell easily and matt sur-

faced coatings pick up dirt, althoughproviding a better night target in a beamof light. The latest British Standard formotorcyling helmets (BS 5361) hashighlighted our problem by specifyingthat 'the shell should have a finishthat affords good conspicuity'.

The Institution is currently faced withthe option of: (a) re-painting helmetsabout every two years; (b) awaiting thedevelopment of suitable durable brightpaints; or (c) turning to self-adhesivefluorescent/reflective panels to be addedto the crown of the helmet.

In the short term, a number ofpainted Dayglo helmets are still beingevaluated and as an interim measure, toget the visors in service, white helmetshave been purchased and issued. Thesewere found to be more easily seen atdusk and in a beam of light at night atseveral hundred yards than any otherstandard colour available. The Dayglo-fluorescent and retro-reflective finisheswere, of course, better in all visualrespects, but until they can withstandthe rigours of use and abuse for, say,two to three years, they will continueto be experimental only.

The RNLI hopes to offer lightweight,bright and comfortable helmets andvisors first to Atlantic 21 and eventuallyto all ILB crews. The helmet withoutvisor will also be of use for offshorelifeboat crews. In some Waveney classboats they have been found to filterout the noise in the wheelhouse and yetpermit the spoken word to be heard.

In the future, with the developmentof radio equipment capable of workingin a very wet environment, the incor-poration of earphones and a microphoneattached to a lightweight personal radiomay be feasible.

To sum up, the basis now exists forhead protection from damage, cold, wetand, to a limited extent, fire. The mainobjective of the project, ease of visionin adverse conditions, has been achieved.Further, crew now have a better chanceof being seen—and there may be stillfurther improvement in this field—andfinally there is the possibility of a newmode of communication. All thesefeatures have already emerged from aninteresting and continuing project.

267

Sea BeatPOLICEMEN AND THE LIFEBOAT SERVICE

by Joan Davies

'COME ON, BEN,' and as Bridlington life-boat prepares to launch on servicePolice Constable Usher quickly boardsas seventh man; 'I'll come with you,'and at Douglas Chief Inspector RobinCorrin (later Deputy Chief Constable)helps make up a scratch crew—themaroons had gone up while the fishingfleet, and so most of the crew, were atsea; or at Blyth Superintendent Glad-stone, now of Whitley Bay, goes outwith the lifeboat as signaller—the crewwas short. . . Dramatic pierhead jumps,maybe, but they illustrate how close arethe bonds in many coastal areas betweenthe police force and lifeboat service.

It is not surprising that the policeshould be there, on the spot, in anemergency. The police station may wellhave been the first to hear that someoneis in difficulty at sea. On one occasionat Blyth, when a call came through, thepolice officer on the desk immediatelyhanded over to a colleague and withinminutes was chest-deep in the surf help-ing to launch the ILB. It is far fromunusual for a service report to start likethis one:

'Torquay Police informed BrixhamCoastguard at 1537 on October 5,1973, that a girl was in the water offMeadfoot Beach and asked for thehelp of the ILB

For that service, Motor MechanicBarry Pike, an ex-policeman, wasawarded the Institution's silver medalfor gallantry, as well as the Ralph

Barry Pike, an ex-policeman, was MotorMechanic at Torbay when he was awardedthe silver medal for gallantry and the RalphGlister award for a service on October 5,1973.

Glister Award for the most meritoriousservice of the year performed by thecrew of an inshore lifeboat. He hadleapt from the ILB in a dangerouslyrocky area among masses of loose sea-weed in an attempt to save the girl and,although washed ashore exhausted, haddoggedly gone back into the sea againand again. It had been a police constableon top of the sea wall who had directedthe boat to the position of the casualty,and who managed to grab Barry Pikeand pull him out, barely conscious as,after being thrown on the shore by thewaves, he was sucked back by the under-tow. He opened his eyes to see the silverbraid of a superintendent leaning overhim, asking if he was all right.

Hartlepool ILB crew remember a callthat came from the police station onChristmas Eve, 1974. It was 2330. 'Wewant your boat—Merry Christmas . . .'

On stationThe police force is well represented in

lifeboat crews, particularly for inshorework; about a quarter of the ILBstations have a police officer or two ontheir crew lists, although, as one man isposted elsewhere or another volunteercomes forward, the names may change;•Aberdeen and Sunderland have aparticularly good representation. Andit is not really surprising, either, thatpolicemen should make good lifeboat-men. The characteristics demanded bythe one way of life are, after all, thosewhich would be looked for in the other;perhaps most important, the ability totake initiative combined with that senseof discipline which makes a man areliable member of a team. Policemenwould also, automatically be trained infirst aid and swimming—and, of course,having radio communication, they areeasy to alert when a call comes.

It goes even deeper than that, for inmany parts of the country policeofficers have positive encouragement toparticipate in lifeboat work: it starts atthe top. Nowhere is this more true thanon the north east coast of England. Inthat area, when the maroons go up, itis more than likely that panda cars willbe out helping to rush crews to thelifeboat-house; or, where a carriage boathas to be hauled by her tractor across theroad for a beach launch, as at Redcar,the police will be there to control traffic.Policemen may well be used as spotters,particularly when there are bathers introuble: from a cliff, or any vantagepoint giving a little height, they willprobably have a better view over the seathan the ILB crew low down on the

water in an inflatable boat, searchingthrough a swell; with their radios, theycan quickly pass directions to be relayedby the Coastguard to the boat.

In most areas of the north east, ayoung police officer volunteering to joina lifeboat crew has the active backing ofhis senior officers, as he would havewere he to choose to take part in anyother community service in his free time.He will get practical help; if, for instance,a change is needed in his duty rota tofree him at a certain time for lifeboatwork, his request will receive sym-pathetic consideration. That makes agreat deal of difference. And then, thesenior officers themselves may well beserving on station branch committees.

Chief Superintendent GeorgeCameron, following in the footsteps ofChief Superintendent Frank Burge as amember of Hartlepool station branchcommittee, himself comes from aBoulmer and Alnmouth lifeboat family.His grandfather and uncle, William andRobert Stephenson, were both cox-swains, spanning the years 1898 to 1929between them. William Stephenson wasawarded the silver medal for gallantryin 1913 for the rescue of 25 Frenchfishermen from the trawler Tadorne,wrecked in fog while outward boundfrom Boulogne to the Iceland fishinggrounds. Chief SuperintendentCameron's father, John, was motormechanic at Boulmer from 1931 to1952, and tractor driver before that.He knows from first hand the concernwhich will take a lifeboatman down tothe boathouse every night of the winterto trim paraffin lamps and make surethe engines will be ready if needed; as aboy he used to walk down with hisfather.

Fund raising? There are sure to bemembers of the force joining in, too.There is PC Arthur Sykes, for instance(now a sergeant back at Bridlington),who, while at Flamborough, gavetremendous support in every way tothe branch and guild—social activities,fund raising, flag days. Last autumn,even though, several years ago, he hadbeen transferred to an inland town, heset off with PC John Myhill on asponsored walk from Fleetwood toFlamborough in aid of the RNLI. Theywalked 152 miles in five days, raising£1,260—and what a welcome awaitedthem in Flamborough! Then the NorthHumberside Police Military Band andMale Voice Choir have given twoconcerts at Withernsea in aid of theRNLI, the first organised by the LionsClub. Crew members at Hartlepool,

268

To commemorate Tynemouth lifeboatstation's centenary, in 1962, a stained glasswindow was dedicated in Christ Church,North Shields. It depicts the Original, 1789,Constance, on station in 1862, a«rfTynesider.

photograph by courtesy of R. W. Ridley

including several policemen, are sturdyfund raisers, and, in that town, WPCDodd has her own 'beat' in guild work.

Going, just for a moment, furthersouth down the east coast, the firstwoman all-round Chief Inspector inthe Essex police force, Lorna Brooks,appointed last October at Basildon, is akeen and hard working member ofCanvey Island branch.

Throughout the north east, a threadof constabulary blue runs through thecloth, but let us see how the patternappears at just two of the stations:Tynemouth and Withernsea.

TynemouthWatching over the approaches to a

port, on the north bank of the Tyne,close by the fish quay, Tynemouth life-boat station is part of a busy shippingriver; part of its present life and of itshistory. If was the Tyne, back in thelate eighteenth century, that saw muchof the earliest pioneering of lifeboatdesign, when from despair at the help-lessness of those on shore to save drown-ing seamen within their sight thereemerged determination to find somesolution. The Gentlemen of the La weHouse' and the prize they offered forthe best design for a boat to save life atsea; William Wouldhave of SouthShields and his model of a boat whichwould right herself; the Original, builtby Greathead and launched at SouthShields in 1789 which, manned by Tynepilots, rescued hundreds of peoplewithout the loss of one of her own crew.Thirty more boats were built to thesame design and sent to different partsof the country.

Pioneering again, it was at Tyne-mouth, established as an RNLI lifeboatstation in 1862, that the first motorpowered lifeboat, /. McConnell Hussey,was placed in 1905, under the supervisionof Lieutenant (later Major) H. E. Burton,a Royal Engineer member of the New-castle and Tynemouth branch. As localseamen, used to sail and oar, werereluctant at first to accept the petrolengine, Lieut. Burton manned the boatwith his own sappers until, eight monthslater, a crew of local men was built up.

Lieut. Burton, at their request, re-mained as honorary superintendent ofTynemouth lifeboat, and, with CoxswainRobert Smith, was in the crew of HenryVernon (which replaced the first experi-mental motor boat in 1911) on theservice to ss Dunelm in 1913 and theservice to HM hospital ship Rohilla in1914; Henry Vernon took off the last 50survivors from Rohilla after steaming45 miles by night along an unlit coastagainst the gale—and then had tostruggle back into Whitby Harbourthrough terrific seas. For the formerservice both men were awarded thesilver medal for gallantry, for the latterthe gold. Those were days of closeassociation between army and lifeboatservice.

The pioneering tradition hascontinued, for, in the 1960s, Tynemouthwas one of the places chosen by ProfessorPask and his working party for seatrials of available lifejackets (watched,Dr Geoffrey Hale who served on theworking party remembers, by inquisitiveseals). As a result of these and othertrials and much experimental work, thepresent RNLI lifejacket was evolved.That was in the days when RobertBrunton, DSM, was coxswain.

Robert 'Bobbie' Brunton took over ascoxswain in 1963 from P. DenhamChristie, vice-chairman of the branchand coxswain for 9| years, during which

time Bobbie Brunton had served assecond coxswain; he had joined thecrew in 1949, just two years after Tyne-sider, Tynemouth's present 46' 9" housedslipway Watson lifeboat, first went onstation. Mr Denham Christie, who wasmanaging director of the Swan HunterGroup and is now their adviser ontraining and safety, has been a memberof the Committee of Managementsince 1962 and, not counting Sir WilliamHillary, is only the second coxswain toserve on that committee. He is nowchairman of Tynemouth branch.

When Bobbie Brunton reached thetime for retirement last November, hewas succeeded as coxswain by CaptainJohn Hogg, master mariner and a TyneRiver pilot. There are 19 in the Tyne-mouth crew, eight of whom are eligible,by age, to form the crew of the D classILB which came on station in 1965.Some of the crew are seamen; foyboat-men, like Assistant Mechanic FrederickArkley (who, with Trevor Fryer, a joinerby trade, won the bronze medal in 1974for an ILB service to the tug Northsider,driven ashore in a gale while trying tohelp a grounded oil exploration vessel)and master mariner H. L. Park. Otherways of life are also represented, andthat includes the police.

'Close by the fish quay' . . . those areperhaps the relevant words. ChiefInspector Robert Rutherford has beenin the crew now for nearly 25 years; butwhen he became a crew member he wasPC33, his beat on the fish quay. He wasat hand to get to know the lifeboat, getto know lifeboat people, to help them—then to join them. Sergeant John Norris,who has served as assistant winchmanand is a 'founder member' of the ILBcrew, came by the same route—a beaton the fish quay.

The first time PC Robert Rutherford,as he then was, went out in Tynesider itwas on the longest service the Tyne-

Night launch for Tynesider, Tynemouth's 46' 9" Watson lifeboat.photograph by courtesy of Newcastle Journal

269

mouth lifeboat has ever done. She wentout to a German motor vessel, HansHoth, listing and in difficulties some88 miles north north east of the Tyne,and stood by until a tug arrived andtook over. Tynesider was at sea for 33hours; when she got back to station,her crew remember well, she had threegallons of diesel fuel in one tank: theother was empty.

PC Rutherford was awarded theRoyal Humane Society's testimonial onparchment for his part in the rescue of a73-year-old man in January, 1959. Whileon his beat, he was told that a man wasin the water near the jetty's edge. Heimmediately jumped in and for 27minutes supported the elderly man untila boat came to the rescue. It was thatsame year, 1959, that he became assistantmotor mechanic of Tynemouth station,an appointment he held until 1969 when,his own responsibilities increasing, hebecame emergency motor mechanic. Heis never troubled by seasickness, so, on along service, it is always he who makesthe soup! Now his son, another Robert,has joined the ILB crew.

John Richardson, a police sergeantand later a court official, is head launcherfor Tynesider, and has served in thatcapacity and as a launcher for a dozenyears or so. He is also a member of StJohn Ambulance Association andBrigade and helps with first aid training.

WithernseaIf Tynemouth is old in lifeboat work,

Withernsea, at least in its present life,is young. A former station, dating from1862, was closed in 1913.

When Withernsea was re-opened asan ILB station in 1974, the maininitiative for its formation came, in fact,from a policeman: PC Ben Usher. Hehad come to the town with experienceout of the common run. He was aswimmer, holding a formidable arrayof lifesaving awards; he had sailedwhile in the army in Hong Kong; whenhe joined the police in 1966 he wasposted to Bridlington where he becamean ILB crew member and occasionallywent out as seventh man in the lifeboat—he was in the crew for the serviceon the night of September 13, 1970, forwhich Crew Member Fred Walkington,now coxswain of Bridlington lifeboat,was accorded the thanks of the Institu-tion on vellum . . . 'It was a rough night.That was when Fred jumped off the life-boat on to the foredeck of a little glassfibre boat. He was lying on the foredeckholding the rope on to the cleat whichwas simply bolted to the glass fibre deck—we expected it to splinter and come adriftat any time. But he did a good job thatnight, jumping on to that foredeck. . . .'

One thing leads to another . . . In thewinter of 1970 a BBC film team, withRichard Robinson as producer and PaulBerriff as cameraman, came to make afilm of Bridlington lifeboat. When, thenext spring, this same team was prepar-ing to make a documentary film of an

expedition through almost unknownwaterways in western Canada, led byCaptain Sir Ranulph Twistleton-Wyke-ham-Fiennes, Ben was invited to gowith them in charge of their boat: aninflatable of the type used by the RNLI.

With four months leave of absence,Ben joined the Headless Valley expedi-tion: from Fort Nelson against thecurrent up the Fort Nelson River, theLower Liard and South Nahani Riversto the Virginia Falls—twice the heightof Niagara. Back by the same way toFort Nelson, then across land to theYukon border, to take to the riversagain; down Hyland River, the UpperLiard, the Kechika, along Williston—a man-made lake—Parsnip River,Crooked River to a series of lakes—Kerry, Tudyah, Macleod and Summit, aportage across to the mighty FraserRiver, down to Vancouver, out into theGeorgia Straits and across to PointRoberts in the United States. About2,000 miles, the length of BritishColumbia, through the Rocky Moun-tains. Fast-flowing waters, rapids to beshot, whirlpools, shallows: quite aneducation in boat handling.

Back in England, Ben Usher wasposted to Withernsea, essentially aholiday resort with a population that in-creases ten fold in the summer months—or even more if caravan and chaletsites down the coast, empty in winter,are taken into account. And the peopletake to the sea. There is a boat club,well organised and well disciplined, butother than that there are bathers, smallboats, fishing cobles, tiny rubberdinghies, children on inflatable beds.Feeling that if help were needed by thiscommunity there would not be time forone of the flanking lifeboats to get there,Ben Usher called an open meeting with aview to applying for an ILB at Withern-sea. The idea had already been mootedby other people and the meeting waswell attended. A steering committeewas formed and the RNLI approached.

After a great deal of backgroundwork on the part of the divisional

inspector of lifeboats, first Bob Waltonand later Lieut.-Commander HarryTeare, an ILB station was establishedin 1974. Among other members of thebranch committee was Chief Super-intendent Dennis Harper, later to befollowed by Chief SuperintendentDuffill. From the first Ben Usher hasbeen concerned with crew training, andhe has usually had one or two police-men among other volunteers to join thecrew.

There is terrific local pride in the ILB.As soon as the maroons go off peoplecome down and line the sea wall towatch—and one or two interestingthings are happening, as Ben explains:'It is always a fairly spectacular launchoff that beach. The sea rolls in in a prettynasty fashion. People watch the boat goingand perhaps begin to realise that the seaisn't quite such a placid lake as theythought it was.' By watching, people arelearning a lot about boat handling, too,and it is noticeable that they are puttinginto practice what they have learnedwhen they themselves put to sea.Standards are rising, and that in itselfis a very useful spin-off.

The first award for bravery for thenew ILB station at Withernsea was fora service on August 30, 1974. PC Usherwas just signing off duty on that after-noon when a call came through to thedesk from the owner of a cafe by theshore to say that two children had comerunning in, in great distress. They hadbeen bathing when, with the wind andwaves, they had begun to get intodifficulties. They had managed tostruggle back to the beach but their twofriends were drifting out to sea.

Ben Usher went immediately to theboathouse and, realising that thesituation was critical, asked a colleagueto inform the Coastguard and thehonorary secretary that he and TerryDawson, who was also at the boathouse,were launching the boat. So rough wasthe sea that eye witnesses were convincedthat the ILB would not be able to get

(continued on page 287)

Senior Crew Member PC Ben Usher at Withernsea ILB station, in the establishment of whichhe played an important part. photograph by courtesy of Humberside Police

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Some

Bodmin Lower School (Compre-hensive), which is particularly interestedin Padstow lifeboat, arranged a spon-sored tables contest—the 2 x 2 = 4kind—in aid of the RNLI just beforeChristmas. Younger children had tolearn tables up to 10 x 12 and olderchildren up to 12 x 12, plus the squareof numbers 13 to 20. Each pupil wassponsored for correct answers up to25 questions, selected by the headmaster,A. J. Harbinson. Lifeboat films wereshown and questions about the serviceanswered by two members of Bodminand District branch. A splendid, pro-gressive idea which increased knowledgeof arithmetic and lifeboats—and RNLIfunds by £75.08.

Fund-raisers in the Republic ofIreland improved their total by 29 percent in 1976. Of Dublin's £24,250(£1,650 more than in 1975), £10,000resulted from the annual sale of workorganised by Mrs Montague Kavanaghand her helpers together with theachievements of the Lifeboat Shop inBaggot Street. The cup for the bestDublin flag seller was won by CoxswainG. McLoughlin of Howth.

More than £30,000 has already beendonated to Yarmouth lifeboat appeal,the money coming from far and near.Through the good offices of E. Lennie,landlord of the White Hart Inn, Haven-street, Isle of Wight, the Rotary Club ofChateau du Loir, France, has donatedFr.65; branches in North West Wiltshirejoined together for an Elizabethan Festeand Revels at Lacock Abbey on June 18,raising £700.59; North West Bourne-mouth branch's Christmas draw broughtin another £159 . . . and so the storygoes on. ...

Burry Port ladies' guild put on a memorable performance of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfslast Christmas, produced by Janet Cross with a large cast of youngsters. With only a one-nightstand, tickets were sold out weeks in advance and a profit of £.270 was made for RNLI funds.So high was the standard of production that the public are already asking for more.

Mrs N. Richards, flag day organiserat Dolgellau and a member of Barmouthladies' guild, starting with a float of£100 early in 1976, visited many salespurchasing job lots of bric-a-brac; shealso obtained gifts of small antiquesfrom her friends. In June she opened ashop in Dolgellau to sell these goods,and, as a result, was able to hand over a •net profit of £460 to the guild.

Winchester branch has received£37.45 from a former committee mem-ber, Mrs Martineau. It was collected ina box by her private swimming pool.

At a commemorative dinner anddance which followed the presentationof the 150th anniversary vellum toBlyth lifeboat station by P. DenhamChristie, a member of the Committeeof Management, on September 16,1976, the dance floor was cleared, abottle of whisky placed upon it andguests invited to slide lOp pieces asclose to the bottle as possible from a setmark, the nearest being the winner.£15 was raised in ten minutes.

Lymington took just one monthto raise £760 to pay for a pairof propellers for the new Arunlifeboat being built for Yar-mouth, Isle of Wight. OnDecember 14, two cheques,each for £380, one from thebranch and one from theladies' guild, were taken toYarmouth in the yacht AnahitaIII, owned by Derek Hobson,chairman of Lymington branch(extreme left). With him as hiscrew sailed officers of branchand guild (I. to r.) Wing-Commander Alan Roxburgh,Mrs Helen Tew, BernardFoxen, Mrs Joan Fradd, RexReddrop, Mrs Sheila Veal,Mrs Ann Hornsby and HugoWalford.

Marjorie is one of three Thamesbarges owned by Albert Groom, a vice-president of Canvey Island branch.Built in 1902 at Ipswich, in her workingyears she crossed regularly to thecontinent with cargoes of grain andflour. In 1965 she won the Blackwaterbarge match and, with members ofCanvey Island branch on board, won herclass in the barge match at the 1975Port of London Authority CentenaryClipper Regatta. Between August andOctober 1976, Mr Groom welcomed3,500 people aboard Marjorie and,helped by Bernard Griffith, branchhonorary secretary, and committeemember Sam Jeffries, showed them overthe barge. A voluntary collection raised£320 for the RNLI.

With about 60 members, the socialclub of Lion Packing Works, Woking,has collected £250 in its RNLI box inless than three years. Its 1976 target,£100, was passed in ten months. Allhalfpenny change at the bar and allsmall change emptied out of pockets atthe end of the evening are put into the

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(Above) Of the £6,000 raised by Salcombeand Hope branch, no less than £2,066resulted from the efforts of the lifeboat crewand their wives. Money was raised bydances and other functions, but a large pro-portion came from donations placed in a boxoutside Edward Hannaford's boatshed inIsland Street. Throughout the season,Edward (centre), who is motor mechanic ofSalcombe lifeboat, his wife Sheila, and theircolleague, Crew Member Frank Smith (r.)maintain a supply of shells and magazinesavailable to passing visitors in return fordonations.

(Right) White Rock Bowls Club raised £45for Hastings lifeboat in a new annual pairscompetition for the Walden and Weeks cupslast autumn. The two cups were presented byCoxswain Joe Martin (centre) to MrCompary (I.) and Mr Abbott (r.). TheWalden Cup was given by Joyce and BettyWalden in memory of their mother, who wasa founder member of Hastings ladies' guildin 1921; Joyce Walden is the present honorarysecretary. photograph by courtesy of

Hastings Observer

A cheese and wine partyorganised by South LondonDistrict Office together withEltham ladies' guild at theRoyal Naval College, Green-wich, last November, made aprofit of £905. The photographshows part of the abundantraffle and auction table, in-cluding a framed print of theBen Maile lifeboat paintingwhich raised £125.

Mrs Topsy Levan, honorarysecretary of Kew branch, cladin oilskins and armed with aloudhailer, collects for theRNLI at the foot of Kew Pier,where countless holiday makersdisembark after trips up theThames. Last summer sheraised more than £1,000.

(Above) Children from Coxheath InfantsSchool raised £200 for Sheerness lifeboatstation with a sponsored walk around theirschool field. When they visited the stationthey brought with them a painting of alifeboat by six-year-old Matthew Wright topresent to Coxswain Charles Bowry.photograph by courtesy of Kent Messenger

(Upper left) Mrs Winifred Waring, honorarysecretary of Castleford ladies' guild andpresident of Castleford and NormantonInternational Soroptimist Club, togetherwith Miss Betty Moisly, Divisional UnionPresident for Yorkshire Soroptimists, pre-sents a cheque for £250 to Kenneth Thirlwell,then DOS (North East). The money wasraised by the Soroptimists for the RNLI by anumber of social occasions in the homes ofMrs Waring and other members.

photograph by courtesy ofThe Yorkshire Post

box. Jack Grant, son of a lifeboatman,heads a small group of enthusiastswhich fines all who are not wearing theirclub badges lOp. Raffles and sweepsare organised as well as a darts com-petition at lOp a throw.

Before Christmas, in just over amonth, £71.05 was raised by WintonJunior School for lifeboat funds bymeans of a mechanical collecting box,selling souvenirs and the results of 30school projects.

The Scout Association of Ireland(Cub Scout Section) celebrated itsdiamond jubilee by raising £2,000 tooffset the cost of a new ILB. Thecheque was presented to Philip Mahony,RNLI assistant national organiser,Ireland, by 10-year-old Hugh Butler ata dinner to mark the culmination of theCub Scouts' jubilee year on November27 in Dublin Sport Hotel.

Jim Mead, whose father and grand-father had both served on Appledorebranch committee, wanted to carry onthe family tradition in his own area ofMolesey. With the help of Mrs Griffiths,flag day organiser, and other Moleseypeople a branch was formed and, witha wide variety of events and a vigorousShoreline recruiting campaign, over£1,500 was raised in the first year.

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Between 1963 and 1975, the lateCommander J. H. Bowen and his wiferaised £3,265.24 for the lifeboat serviceby collecting coins in the well of'Fleursec' at Corfe Castle in the Isle ofPurbeck. Sadly, Cdr Bowen died inJuly 1975, but Mrs Bowen has continuedthe good work, and in 1976 handed over£301.15 to Swanage branch.

Michael Moore and Lawrence Deakinorganised a marathon disco whichlasted 34 hours. The profit, £126.83,was given to Newhaven lifeboat station.

Stars of a 'Going for aSong' evening arranged byAshtead and Leatherheadbranches last Novemberwere (I. to r.) RichardBaker as chairman withcontestants Mollie Sugdenand Bill Pertwee. Twoexperts, Brian Clarke andAlastair Dickenson, helpedwith true valuations, and aninformative, amusing even-ing resulted in £.500 for theRNLI.Photograph by courtesy of

Leatherhead Advertiser

IMSTITSt Marylebone branch raised S.280 with a most enjoyable 'Any Questions ?' evening at SeymourHall last November. The distinguished panellists were (I. to r.) Raymond Baxter, Mrs MattiePritchard, Brian Johnston, Dr Richard Gordon and Ed Stewart.

(Left) Four dogs, including the Newfound-land in this photograph, helped BristolCentral branch on their flag day last October.Between them they collected H20.

At Reigate, Blackie (below, I.) races aftercoins thrown in the long bar at The MarketHotel and takes them to James Ware for thelifeboat box. Bobbie (r.) delivers papers tohandicapped readers and earns Ip per headper day which his owner, Mrs Tribe, collectsfor Reigate and Redhill branch. Togethertheir contributions are substantial.

Stafford branch receives welcomehelp from the local Association ofWrens; as well as making an annualdonation of £25, a good number of theassociation's members collect regularlyfor the RNLI on flag days. Stafford hasalso raised £30 from unwanted foreigncoins collected in banks and travelagencies.

Mrs Lucy L. Jack, wife of ex-Coxswain James Jack of Anstruther,has raised £1,173 by dressing dolls forraffles; 60 dolls in all, some of them infull rig as lifeboatmen.

The 350 boys and girls of YarnerHouse, Audley Park School, Torquay,have adopted Torbay lifeboat. Lastterm they raised £50, mostly by sellinghot Cornish pasties and soup at lunchtime to other pupils, and they hope todo even better in the spring term. TheTorquay Hotels Association has pre-sented this lifeboat with a fire pumpcosting £875.

Mrs E. D. M. Harkness of Coat-bridge has a positive approach to for-getfulness. She teaches mathematics andany child who forgets such essentials asbook, pencil or mathematical instru-ments pays Ip fine to borrow from her.When a reasonable amount has beencollected, the money is sent to a charityof the children's choice. Mrs Harknesswas delighted when they decidedrecently to send £8 to the RNLI.

After a procession through Cam-bridge arranged by Oliver Rix Garagesand Cambridge Granta Round Table,Paul Holt, general manager of OliverRix Garages donated a cheque for £200to the Round Table lifeboat appeal.

Three 10-year-old class mates ofWillows Primary School, Timperley,Christopher Morgan, whose parentsare members of the branch committee,Lisa Waterworth and Simon Ennion,raised £2.70 for branch funds carolsinging one December evening.

Longridge and District branch com-bined fund raising with a much enjoyedevening last autumn when they arrangeda dinner, whist and domino drive in thenew village hall at Whitechapel. Afour-course meal (soup, roast beef,country fresh cream trifles made by theladies and, of course, Lancashire cheeseand biscuits) was served to 130 people,who then settled down to play for somevery acceptable prizes. £201 was raisedfor the RNLI.

Birmingham area's contributions tothe RNLI increased by £5,813 in 1976.Readers of Birmingham Evening Mail,through an appeal by its assistanteditor, Clem Lewis, donated £2,091which will fund a new replacement ILBfor Exmouth.

Terry Wiffen, one of the City ofLondon's excellent young helpers, hasraised £235.36 by selling waste paper.It has meant hours of hard work, pickingup bundles all over the City and in hisown home town of Upminster.

Four fishermen of Tottenham andEdmonton, Paul Allsey, Reg Laws andFrank and Martin Drury, raised morethan £300 for the Institution with theirsponsored 'Shark Hunt '76' off Pad-stow. Among their sponsors were BingCrosby, Bruce Forsyth, Leslie Crowther,Jack Parnell and his band and theentire cast of ATV's General Hospital.

University of Bristol Rag Committeepresented the RNLI with £490.86 in1976.

Lochwinnoch ladies' guild held a'Mad Hatter's Hop' last spring atwhich Tony Currie of Radio Clydejudged the 'mad' hats. Ten guild mem-bers had prepared the supper servedduring the evening and just over £700was raised for the RNLI. Prior to that34 guild members, in a 'double yourmoney' project, were each given 50pand asked to make as much money aspossible: the result, a profit of £146.94.

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International Boat ShowEarls Court, London, January 6 to 16

A SHOP WINDOW FOR THE WORK OF THE RNLI

by Ray Kipling

A YEAR OF NATIONAL CELEBRATION forthe 25 years of Her Majesty The Queen'sreign began for lifeboat supporters inJanuary at the 1977 International BoatShow in London. The RNLI's principalexhibit was Margate's new 37' 6" Rotherclass lifeboat, RNLB Silver Jubilee (CivilService No. 38) provided by the CivilService and Post Office Lifeboat Fund.The lifeboat filled most of the standleaving two small corners for voluntaryworkers to sell souvenirs and enrolShoreline members. Two Atlantic 21inshore lifeboats, one on a ramp on thecentre jetty and one in the pool, addeda lifeboat flavour to the show's mainfeature: Brighton Marina.

The full programme of presentationsand visits began on the opening daywhen Dick Hewitt, editor of Motor Boatand Yachting, presented a cheque for£50 to Major-General Ralph Farrant,Chairman of the Committee of Manage-ment, who in turn presented RonnyHargreaves of the Department of Tradewith a plaque to thank him for his co-operation with the RNLI over the years.

Clare Francis, the singlehanded trans-atlantic sailor and a very good friend ofthe lifeboat service, opened the showand met John Chapman, honorarysecretary of the Civil Service and PostOffice Lifeboat Fund, when she visitedthe RNLI stand.

The crowds and the money startedpouring in and the flow became a torrentas branch workers donned lifeboataprons and tee shirts and began sellingin earnest. The Shoreline counter wasbusy, too, and enrolled 761 newmembers—more than ever before at aBoat Show.

Round Tablers arrived in force topresent a giant lifeboat-shaped chequefor £110,000 to Major-General Farrantand Miss Great Britain, Dinah May,was there to add to the gaiety. Acceptingthe cheque General Farrant announcedthat the money would be used forNewhaven's new Waveney lifeboatwhich will bear the name Louis Marches!of Round Table. Len Patten, who will becoxswain of the new lifeboat, wasworking on the stand and joined theRound Tablers and Miss Great Britainto try and pay the cheque into theMidland Bank, which kindly entertainedthe RNLI's guests.

The Manchester Unity of Odd-fellows were the next visitors and theybore a cheque for £25,000, collectedtowards a replacement lifeboat atSheringham when one is needed. Com-mander Ralph Swann accepted the

Deputy Public Relations Officer, RNLI

giant dummy cheque from SusanGeorge, the actress, and SheringhamCoxswain Henry 'Joyful' West andmembers of his crew were there to thankthe Oddfellows.

Protection might be needed with allthis money around, so members of'Dad's Army' cast came along on thefirst Sunday of the show. Arthur Lowe,otherwise Captain Mainwaring, hadbrought his trusty sergeant (John LeMesurier), Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn)and air raid warden Bill Pertwee toreceive a corporate public relationsaward for the outstanding work theyhave performed for the Institution.Lady Norton presented the PublicRelations Awards and the other reci-pients were Mike McGiffen, news editorof the Northern Echo, and WallaceLister Barber representing the Stockportcrew of lifeboat auxiliaries. ClemLewis, assistant editor of the Sir-

One of the first of manyvisitors to be shown overRother class lifeboat SilverJubilee (below) was ClareFrancis (right). On her tourof the show, after perform-ing the opening ceremony,she called at the RNLIstand where Major-GeneralFarrant introduced her toJohn Chapman. With themwere Patrick Howarth, pub-lic relations officer RNLI(I.), and Francis Front (c.),President, Ship and BoatBuilders National Federa-tion, photographs bycourtesy of Peter Hadfield

mingham Evening Mail, received hisaward at a ceremony at the BirminghamBoat Show in February. Lucas Marinepresented a beautifully polished search-light to Clare Francis who accepted iton behalf of the RNLI and the finalpresentation was from Miss Francisherself—over £40 raised by sellingpostcards of her boat Robertson's Golly.

It was a hectic show for the branchworkers and lifeboat men on duty andfinancially it was a record year. Over£8,000 was taken from souvenir andraffle sales helped by the loyal supportof Chelsea Pensioners, Topper and Joe,who collected over £600.

Equally important, old friendshipswere renewed and new friends made.The Boat Show provides a collectionpoint to swell the funds of the RNLIand a shop window for its work. Thisyear both objectives brought recordreturns—a cause for celebration indeed!

RM1

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During the International Boat Show at Earls Court a giant lifeboat-shaped cheque for £110,000, towards Newhaven's future Waveneyclass lifeboat, was presented to the RNLI by the Round Table. (I. to r.)Dinah May, Miss Great Britain, Round Tabler Forbes Simpson,Major-General Farrant and Len Patten, coxswain!mechanic designatefor the new lifeboat, which will be named Louis Marches! of RoundTable.

A giant dummy cheque for £25,000 towards a replacement lifeboatat Sheringham came from the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows. Com-mander Ralph Swann, a member and former Chairman of the Commit-tee of Management (/.). accepted the 'cheque'from Susan George. Withthem, from Sheringham, were (I. to r.) Crew Member Chris Ayers,Coxswain Henry 'Joyful' West, Bowman Jacko West and Motor Mec-hanic Brian Pegg. photograph by courtesy of Eastern Daily Press

Lady Norton, a member of the Committee of Management, presentedthe RNLI 1977 public relations awards on the jetty of the centralfeature—Brighton Marina—on the first Sunday of the show. Onewas to members of that staunch band of lifeboat supporters, the castof 'Dad's Army'. (I. to r.) Arthur Lowe (Captain Mainwaring),John le Mesurier (Sergeant Wilson), Lady Norton, Clive Dunn(Corporal Jones) and Bill Pertwee (Air Raid Warden Hodges).

The advent of the Boat Show means eleven happy days of reunionswith old and introduction to new friends of the lifeboat service whocome to the RNLI stand. Cilia Black was one of many welcomevisitors, and to show her over Silver Jubilee were (I. to r.) CrewMember Colin Sedgewick of Southern!, Coxswain Bruce Brown fromWalmer, Crew Member Pat Kemp of Whitstable and Crew MemberRoger Triggfrom Soiithwold.

Here and ThereBRISTOW HELICOPTERS have given toAberdeen's 54' Arun BP Forties anAM VHP (air band) Pye Westminsterradio, which allows direct communica-tion between lifeboat and aircraft; thecheque for £350 was presented toCoxswain Albert Bird by John Odlin,general manager of Bristow Helicopters,last December. Bristows have close tieswith the RNLI at Aberdeen, where oneor two of their staff are active branchmembers.

* * *A visit to the Grace Darling Museum

at Bamburgh—indeed to Bamburghitself—must surely be in the nature of apilgrimage for all those interested inlifeboat history. The museum, fundedby public subscription, was built in1938 on land provided by Lord Arm-strong. In it is preserved a remarkablecollection of paintings, portraits, books,letters and all kinds of relics of theDarling family, with, as a central

exhibit, their coble. And all this in theshadow of Bamburgh Castle, lookingout over the Fame Islands to theNorth Sea, with all its memories of thetrust created in 1772 on the death ofNathaniel Crewe, Bishop of Durham,of trustee Dr John Sharp and ofLionel Lukin's coble converted forlifesaving in 1786.

The museum is cherished—that is theonly word for it—by Fred Whitton,honorary curator, and his helpers, andsome indication of the number ofpeople who come to see it each year isgiven by the fact that in 1976 it raisedmore than £4,000 for the RNLI.

* * *The Scottish Fisheries Museum at

Anstruther has equipped its tea-roomstaff with RNLI pvc aprons; thedesign is appropriate and also formsan advertisement for the RNLI and forthe souvenirs on sale at Anstrutherlifeboat station, directly opposite.

* * *Drumreagh Presbyterian Church was

packed to capacity on the evening of

Sunday, November 21, for a lifeboatservice organised by Coleraine branchladies committee. Decorations werecentred round a replica lifeboat and thelessons were read by Vice-Admiral SirArthur Hezlet, a member of the Com-mittee of Management, and John Scottof Portrush lifeboat crew.

* * *A new fund-raising branch formed

last November has as its chairman JohnLunch, CBE, VRD, the recently retiredDirector General of Port of LondonAuthority; known as Manhood branch,it covers the area bounded by thevillages of Itchenor, Birdham, East andWest Wittering and Bracklesham, whileSelscy and Siddlesham continue to becovered by Selsey station branch underthe chairmanship of Mrs GrahamDoggart.

Anyone in the area of these fivevillages who would like to help will bewelcome; the honorary secretary isMacleod Wallace, Brevis, Roman Land-ing, West Wittering, Chichester, Sussex(telephone, West Wittering 2173).

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ShorelineSection

ONCE AGAIN the Earls Court Boat Showhas come and gone and what a successstory we can relate! We signed on 761new members: an all-time record. Thisis a fantastic achievement and I shouldlike to thank the following people forall their hard work and support through-out the Boat Show: Jim Mead, honorarysecretary of Molesey branch; David Par-ker; Ewart Myer; Richard Wilson andIan Taylor, both of Twickenham branch;Jeff Needham, honorary secretary ofUpper Thames branch; and Mrs Caller.

The money from these new members,who have boosted our membership toover 37,000, will be put towards ournew Shoreline lifeboat, and I am pleasedto say that the figure reached is now£40,000, so we are well on target.Building is progressing satisfactorily,too, as you can see opposite.

One of the great pleasures of beingon the RNLI stand at a place like EarlsCourt is meeting Shoreline members; itis really brought home to you in justhow high regard people, young and old,hold the lifeboat service.

We have also had support from theRoyal Navy. HMS Rothesay became alife member and governor of theInstitution with the formal presentationto the commanding officer, CommanderNoel James, of the ship's hard-earnedmembership card. The frigate is thefirst naval ship to be granted such

membership under the RNLI Shorelinegroup scheme: she raised £90 throughthe efforts of CK Frankie Vaughn,ROI Robbie Robinson and LWTR FredMilne who together completed asponsored marathon run from BognorRegis to Portsmouth.

Many other clubs have asked aboutgroup membership and I am pleased toannounce that we propose to bring in ascheme to cover firms and clubs.

Individual support for the futureRNLB Shoreline is so lively it wouldneed a whole journal to mentioneveryone who is helping by name. If Ican only pick out one or two, in sodoing let me say here and now that anyevent that our members run to swell ourfunds is greatly appreciated by us all.The other day we received a cheque for£128 from S. Toyer of Torbay, who rana coffee evening and buffet dance atwhich the centrepiece was a beautifulShoreline cake measuring 26" x 18"x3"decorated in blue icing and inscribedRNLB Shoreline. Following the success ofthis event it is proposed to hold anotherdance at Easter. Well done, all con-cerned! From another part of thecountry we hear from Ewan S. Shaw,

mine host of the Kings Head Inn,Orford; in the gentlemen's 'loo'is an RNLI collecting box with a ditty,'Spend a penny, then relax—forgetabout the income tax. But spend athought—and pennies please—for thosein peril on the seas!' To date this hasswelled our funds by well over £300.Again, well done, gentlemen! Now Isuggest, what about the ladies!

However, enough frivolity and to theserious things in hand. To encouragemore people to join Shoreline, Alexan-der Duckhams have offered to supplyour members with such items asanoraks, gloves and sports bags fromtheir motor shop in West Wickham atroughly 20 per cent below list price. Allorders would be dealt with direct byDuckhams, and we hope to be able tosend you full details soon.

We have started the year off with abang, so let us try to keep up themomentum by encouraging our friendsand workmates to join.

To all our members everywhere—thank you for your support.—PETERHOLNESS, membership secretary, RNLI,West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH151HZ (Tel. Poole 71133).

A governor of the Institution, 15-year-old Nigel Rankin, on boardWhitby lifeboat. Nigel came to theRNLI stand at the Boat Show withover £10 he had saved from hispocket money to join Shoreline. HMS Rothesay, first group life governor of the Institution.

Gifford Rosling, ADOS (Southern),presents membershipcard and Shoreline flag to Commander Noel James, hercommanding officer.

To: SHORELINE, RNLI, WEST QUAY ROAD, POOLE, DORSET, BH15 1HZ.I should like to be a part of such a worthwhile voluntary cause by becoming a SHORELINE member of the lifeboat service

and joining the Institution as:

A Life Member and Life Governor: minimum donation £60,including journal

A Member and Governor: minimum annual subscription £10,including journal

An Offshore Member: minimum annual subscription £3,including journal

SHORELINE LIFEBOAT

Total subscription

Below are the variousitems you are entitled towear or fly as a memberof SHORELINE:Members' tie (Terylene) £1.50Lady's brooch £0.50Metal car badge £1.55Pair of cuff-links £ 1.758 "hoist flag £1.2512" hoist flag £2.00Dinghy burgee £1.25

Insignia payment

Shoreline Giro number is 294 7056NAME / enclose P.OI cheque I cash for £.....

ADDRESS Date

Signature

276

IMS

Building a Rother ClassLifeboat

PART III: IN FRAME

so, THE KEEL is LAID. A baulk of teak,shaped to match templates taken off thefull size lines plans drawn out on the loftfloor. It rests on blocks so set that theywill bring the boat up to a convenientheight for building. The keel slopesgently from aft forward at the designeddepths measured down from the hori-zontal datum waterline, the line at whichthe boat is designed to float.

Now the rest of the boat's centrelinestructure can be assembled from thebaulks and laminates, shaped and wait-ing. But first, a building batten is fixedin place in the rafters high above theboat. This is a batten running along thecentreline, above the keel, the full lengthof the boat, on which is marked theexact position of stem and stern, eachstation, each bulkhead, each timber; infact it carries every fore and aft measure-ment which will be needed in building.From it the boatbuilders, using a plumbline, will be able to determine the positionof every transverse member as construc-tion progresses.

Stemhead, stempost, stem apron, foredeadwood, keel (with the hog above it),after deadwood, stern knee and stern-post—all are bolted together, beddeddown, to build up the backbonestructure. Great strain will be placed onkeel and hog during building, so theyare held down from above by threevertical shores and from below bystrainers bolted to the floor.

Next come the moulds round whichthe longitudinal members—stringers,deck shelf and gunwale—will be shaped.The moulds are temporary; after thehull is planked and they have done theirwork, they will be taken out.

There is a mould at each of the tenstations equidistant along the length ofthe boat. The first to be fitted into placeis station 5, halfway down the boat;square to centreline and datum water-line, plumb upright and foursquare.Then the remaining moulds are set up;for those forward of station 5, thestation position, established by plumbline from the building batten, is at theforward side of the mould; for thoseaft of station 5 the station point is atthe aft side of the mould. Thus placedtheir square edges will not impede thecurve of the hull.

This is another crucial stage of build-ing, and measurements will be checkedand counterchecked to make sure thateach mould is accurately placed andsquare in both planes. On them dependsthe fair curve of the hull. Once in placethey are braced with diagonal timbers toa beam in the roof of the building shed.

When building a lifeboat hull, ratherthan that of an ordinary motor vessel,there are the extra complications result-ing from the propeller tunnels; towardsthe stern the planking is not continuousbut is landed on the tunnel cant whichforms the outboard edge of the tunnel.The forward part of the cant, a straightrun, is made of solid mahogany, but atthe after end it has to curve up and in-board to the stern; that part is built upof laminates glued and clamped togetherin position on the underside of theframes.

Notches are now cut out of the mouldsto take the oak longitudinals, whichwill be steamed and bent round them totake up the fore and aft curve of the hull.Then come the oak timbers—the boat's

Bob Silverson (r.), senior boatbuilder, showsRother building at William Osbornes, Little-hampton, to Richard Belchamber, districtsurveyor of lifeboats (South East). Noteslender building batten (arrowed) running thelength of the boat between upper diagonalstruts: on it are marked all fare and aftmeasurements needed in the building of thehull.

Measurements giving the fore and ajtpositions of all transverse members—moulds,bulkheads and timbers—are brought downfrom building batten to hog by plumb line.

The curved after end of the tunnel cant is builtup, in position, of agba laminates scarphedon to solid mahogany for the straight runforward. The building batten can once againbe seen at the top of the picture.

ribs—once again steamed to take up thetransverse curve from hog to stringers,deck shelf and gunwale.

The skeleton of the hull is now readyto take the skin—the planking.

(To be continued)

277

Fitting out of the Institution's second mobile training unit caravanwas undertaken by Peter Fulton (centre), honorary training consultantto the RNLI; while work progressed, the caravan was parked outsidehis home. Helping with the electrical!electronics installation are his13-year-old son, Anthony (/.), and fellow radio enthusiast RonMeredith (r.).

photograph by courtesy of South Wales Echo

School project 1976OUT OF THE MANY ENTRIES W6 have

received the following school projectsfrom 9 to 13 years old were judged thebest:First prize: A trip on one of Her Majesty'swarships:Richard Evans Clevedon Comprehen-

sive School, AvonLaura Brown Stokesley Comprehen-

sive School, NorthYorkshire

Runners Up: Silver propelling pencil:Nathalie Ruta Abbeys Middle School,

Milton KeynesGary Mold Abbeys Middle School,

Milton KeynesJason Tomes Swanage Primary

SchoolJohn Walters BournemouthLydnsey Brelsford BournemouthCaroline Bamber Macclesfield County

High SchoolJayne Fountain Macclesfield County

High SchoolJulie Ventris Macclesfield High

SchoolAndrew Bainbridge Kirby and Great

Broughton CESchool, Cleveland

Deborah Webb St Uny CE PrimarySchool, St Ives,Cornwall

Two entries from pupils below thisage group were so good that we haveacknowledged these by the presentationof two anorak badges:Laurence M. Moses Walhampton School,

Lymington, Hamp-shire

Ian Hiscock Broadstone, Dorset

Crossword competitionWINNER OF THE WINTER journal cross-word competition, compiled by Cox-swain Arthur Liddon of Dover, is S. N.Perkins of Kingston-on-Thames; hiswas the first correct solution (shown onthe right) to be drawn after the closingdate, February 28.

Brixham Secondary School fifth formers (I. to r.) Jimmy Moore,Simon Foot and Steve Edwards, seen with Motor Mechanic SteveBower, last term volunteered, as community work, to help cleanTorbay lifeboat and boathouse every Friday afternoon: now othersqueue to help . . . School groups are encouraged to visit the stationand its 54' Arun lifeboat Edward Bridges.

photograph by courtesy of Herald Express, Torquay

The first D class JLB to be funded from the stamp appeal organised by Barrie Smale, 17 StationRoad, Okehampton, Devon, is stationed at Holyhead. She is seen here with crew members andshore helpers on the day a commemorative plaque was placed on the boathouse wall by DrE. T. Lloyd (r.), branch chairman, and Tudor Roberts (secondfrom r.), honorary secretary.

Foreign coinsrr is ESTIMATED that there are some£20—£30 millions worth of foreigncoins lying around this country. Thebanks are not interested, neither arethe foreign exchange bureaux, in any-thing other than notes.

In 1977 it is proposed to convert asmany of these foreign coins as possible

OlUIBITHs lE A H 0 R St~n1fff-*~Wf~c~\

A S | C | R j l [ B | E a T ^ U | N | D | E | R

• • Ml JjlBlBI[C|K|E |T |E |R|SBO|G| P|U

• !• •!• •i 1 1 I njB MM ii I M l 1 ln| ii I ii l i i

PPPFPF| i | R | E | A [ R•tool|N|C| i |D|E|N|C|EHT|R|

MlS|S|O|R|S

for the funds of the lifeboat service. Themain difficulty has been to handle andsort foreign coin, owing to its bulk andweight. However, we have now foundan outlet which will give us a fair rateof exchange provided the coins are allsorted into their countries of origin.

We are preparing packs of blankmoney envelopes, together with blocksof labels, each one marking a majorforeign currency. These will be availablethrough our district offices and if oursupporters will label their foreign changeappropriately and give it to their localRNLI branch, guild or organisingsecretary as and when a convenientopportunity occurs it is hoped thatthese coins will eventually end up atPoole, ready for encashment. It maytake some time to fill up this pipelineinitially but we believe that the resultswill be well worthwhile.

One of these labels will be marked'miscellaneous' for those unidentifiableodd coins, and who knows what treasuremay be discovered!

278

REVIEWS• The first edition of The Small-BoatSkipper's Safety Book by DennyDesoutter (Hollis and Carter, £1.95)was published in 1972. The revisedsecond edition published this year is inthe light, no doubt, of after thoughts;but it also takes account of statistics ofincidents involving pleasure craft madeavailable from the RNLI computerisedrecords. Generous tribute is made to theRNLI in this respect; and my only, andminor, criticism is that, when so doing,Denny does not say that but forProfessor W. W. Flexner of the USAthe RNLI would not have a com-puterised record.

The coverage is comprehensive bothas to types of craft and of types ofhazard for which to be on the alert,before, during, and even after a trip.Explained in particular is the need notto relax concentration and care whenclosing the land where shallows, barsand tide rips may make for moreturbulent conditions than those pre-vailing whence one has come. Withrespect to Monsarrat, the reviewer hasnever found it sensible to consider thethe sea as either 'cruel' or enemy. Evenso, it is a fact that conditions in theapproaches to a haven lie in wait forthe unwary; vide the concentration ofRNLI services to pleasure craft in suchplaces.

'Safety Book' is not a title such as tomake the average reader reach for it ifin search of interest and excitement.But the average reader would be mis-taken; both are there; and the book isexcellently written, and with a kindlyhumour when pointing out the egregiouslack of forethought that can lead todiscomfort or worse.—P.C.C.

• Yachtsmen who have seen, but havenot been able to obtain, one of the rarecopies of 'The English Channel Hand-book' published in 1943 by the Hydro-graphic Department of the Admiralty,will welcome a new publication beingprepared by R. M. Bowker, The ChannelHandbook. The first volume in the series,Central Section, has recently been pub-lished. It is a loose-leaf book made upof 66 large scale charts showing about100 anchorages within the areasChichester to Portland, the ChannelIslands and the French Coast from StMalo to Barfleur. There is a chart onthe front of each detachable sheet, with

navigational notes and tidal data on itsreverse. Well printed in two colours onthick paper, it is clear and easy to read,with plenty of room for personal notes.

Many of the charts included are notreadily available elsewhere, some beingbased on large scale Admiralty chartsno longer in print and some on Frenchcharts not normally found in thiscountry, and the publishers will main-tain a simple correction service so thatthe book need never go out of date;each year stockists will offer a packagecontaining a list of corrections in theform of a page of the book, or neweditions of charts, should that benecessary.

This first volume, which will surelystep straight into the category of basicnavigational reference books, is avail-able from marine booksellers, price£12, or direct from the publishers (75pextra for postage), Bowker and BertramLtd, Whitewalls, Harbour Way, OldBosham, West Sussex. —J.D.

% For naval historians, PatrickStephens have recently published auseful book of reference, British VesselsLost at Sea 1939-45 (£3.95). Originallypublished by HMSO on behalf of theAdmiralty in 1947 as two books, thesehave now been combined into onevolume. Valuable data and statisticsare given in concise tabular form, well-indexed.—J.D.

0 Although we are apt to describethe British climate as comparativelyequable, it takes no feat of memory torecall that during recent years theweather has on occasions caused muchhardship, destruction and even death.Such dramatic events are the subject ofBritish Weather Disasters, by IngridHolford (David and Charles, £4.95).

The book deals with every type ofextreme weather conditions: storms overland and sea, floods, snow and ice,tidal surges, fog and even drought. Theexamples are mainly twentieth centuryones, which are well documented, butsome earlier disasters are examined,such as the Fire of London in 1666, andthe Royal Charter storm of 1859.

It seems that some weather disastersare bound to visit us in the future. Forexample, much of eastern England isbelow sea level, and under constantthreat from the North Sea. Defences

have been improved since the floods of1953, but there is no guarantee thatthere will be no repetition; weatherconditions in 1953 were actually not asbad as they might have been, and it is adisconcerting thought that the southeast of England is s inking at about onefoot per century.

Ingrid Holford has many words ofsympathy for the forecasters of theMeteorological Office, who have oftenbeen blamed for not giving sufficientwarning of trouble. There is a very thindividing line between weather that isbad, and weather that is positivelydangerous. The worst effects of a stormmay be caused by tornadoes, which arequite unpredictable and highly localised.Flood water may pour off high ground,but damage will only result if rivers anddrains become blocked by debris, thusbuilding up a battering ram of thousandsof tons of water, which is what hap-pened at Lynmouth in 1952.

The book is well illustrated withphotographs and weather maps, and theexplanations of how the weather worksto produce such unfortunate results arepositively dramatic.—A.H.G.

• Why do they do i t? What is it thatcalls people from the land and sendsthem off, alone, on long ocean voyagesunder sail? There are, of course, asmany answers to that question as thereare ocean voyagers; that is part of thefascination of the stories they have totell. In Adventure in Depth (NauticalPublishing Co., £4.65), a book difficultto put down, Bill King tells of his single-handed circumnavigation in CalwayBlazer II. Rounding all five capes—Good Hope of South Africa, Leeuwinof Western Australia, South Cape ofTasmania, South-East of Stewart Islandoff New Zealand, and the Horn—heallowed 'the absolute freedom, theviolent beauty of battling above, notunder the waves' to release springswound tight by submarine warfare andstill not really loosened after 23 yearsof peace.—J.D.

0 In the introduction to Famous Rescuesat Sea (Arthur Barker, £3.95) the author,Richard Garrett, speaks of his 'amaze-ment that human beings could endure somuch and still live; awe that the combinedforces of wind and sea can create suchexcesses of violence.''

His selection includes the stories,among others, of Grace Darling andForfarshire, of Captain Carlsen of theFlying Enterprise and the recovery of anUS Air Force H-bomb lost in theMediterranean. The final chapter is atribute to old lifeboats, giving the earlyhistory of lifesaving round our coasts.

One chapter records the first occasionon which a vessel in distress sought helpwith the aid of Marconi's discovery,wireless—in 1899. And there is areminder, early in the book, that thefirst official weather forecasts were notproduced until 1861.—J.D.

279

Revision of the International Regulations(continued from page 264)

Part B (Rules 4-19 — the Steering and Sailing Rules) replacesthe present Rules 16-26 and the Annex. It will be seen that theimportance of keeping a lookout is emphasized by being givena Rule (Rule 5) to itself, it being required that a properlookout be kept by all appropriate means at all times. Rule 6— Safe speed — incorporates the principles in the old ModerateSpeed Rule and the old Radar Annex; it spells out in moredetail factors to be taken into account which were previouslyimplied "by the ordinary practice of seamen" in old Rules27 and 29. The two main changes are:

(i) that it applies at all times, ie it is not confined torestricted visibility, and

(ii) with a large number of variables to be taken into accountit follows that a safe speed will vary as conditions change,viz, any change of any of the factors will require a freshassessment.

Another new Rule (Rule 10) regulates the behaviour of vesselsusing traffic separation schemes.

In Rule 17 (Action by stand-on vessels — replacing Rule 21)an important point is laid down, that the stand-on vessel may"take action to avoid collision by her manoeuvre alone assoon as it becomes apparent to her that the vessel required tokeep out of the way is not taking appropriate action in com-pliance with these Rules". In taking such action she shouldnot, if possible, alter course to port for a vessel on her ownport side. This permissive rule has been introduced to resolvedifficulties which have been caused by the more restrictivepresent rule. (This does not preclude the prior use of at least5 short and rapid blasts permitted by Rule 34(d).) However itwas felt necessary to include a more definite clause to caterfor cases where such early action is not taken and so therequirement in the present rule that if the stand-on vessel"finds herself so close that collision cannot be avoided by theaction of the give-way vessel alone, she (also) shall take suchaction as will best aid to avoid collision", is still incorporatedin the new rule as a further sub-paragraph.

Other important points in the Steering and Sailing Rulesinclude more detailed requirements on fairway navigation(Rule 9) and elucidation of responsibilities between differenttypes of vessels (Rule 18). One point covered in Rule 18 is theposition of a vessel constrained by her draught; such a vesselis given a degree of privilege provided she shows the propersignals laid down later in the Rules (Rule 28).

Part C (Lights and Shapes — Rules 20-31) replaces Rules2-12 and 14 of the present Rules, except that details ofpositioning of the lights have been placed in an Annex. Byand large lights are required to be rather more powerful —eg the masthead light for a large or moderate sized ship mustnow show for at least 6 miles; and an additional colour,yellow, has been introduced and is used for the flashing lightfor air cushioned vessels operating in the non-displacementmode (Rule 23) and for the new light to be shown above thestern light by vessels towing (Rule 24). Other changes include:

(a) Two red lights or black balls and two green lights orblack diamonds one above the other in each case toindicate dangerous and safe sides respectively of avessel engaged in dredging or underwater operations(Rule 27(d)).

(b) Three red lights in a vertical line or a cylinder toindicate a vessel constrained by her draught (Rule 28).

(c) A sailing vessel of less than 12 metres in length mayshow her side lights and stern light in one combinedlantern at the masthead (Rule 25(6)).

(d) Minesweepers now show three black balls or greenlights in a triangle indicating general warning (Rule

(g) A power-driven boat of less than 7 metres in lengthand with a maximum speed of less than 7 knots mayuse an all-round white light instead of separate mast-head and stern lights but she should still show sidelights unless it is impracticable to do so (Rule 23(c)).

(h) All shapes are to be black (Rule 20 and Annex I).Part D (Sound and Light Signalling—Rules 32-37) replaces

Rules 15 and 28. In Rule 33, which specifies equipment forsound signals, the fog horn is no longer included. Rule 34expands the signals for the use of vessels in sight of oneanother by including signals for vessels overtaking or beingovertaken in a narrow channel. Flashing light signals toaugment the whistle signal are described in sub-paragraphs(b) and (d) of this Rule; these remain optional, but it is nolonger required that they only be used simultaneously withthe whistle, ie these light signals may be repeated whilst themanoeuvre is being carried out. Rule 35 lays down the signalsto be used in restricted visibility; there are no fundamentalchanges from the present Rule 15 (except that vessels undersail are to make the same signal as vessels not under commandor otherwise hampered) but some periods are altered.

Part E (Exemption) consists of one Rule (Rule 38) whichlays down conditions under which existing ships may beexempted from compliance with certain of the detailed pro-visions of the new rules.

Annexes. The Rules are followed by four Annexes. Annex 1gives positioning and technical details of lights and shapes.The requirements are much more comprehensive than thosein the present Regulations. They include a formula from whichthe luminous intensity of lights needed to give the requiredranges may be derived, specification for the colour of lightsand details as to the sectors of lights. The relative position ofthe two masthead lights and the side lights are laid down ingreater detail than before and there is a requirement that in allnormal conditions of trim the main mast light will be seenover the foremast light at a distance of 1000 metres from thevessel's stern when viewed from sea level.

Annex 2 contains optional additional signals for vesselsfishing in company.

Annex 3 gives technical details of frequency, intensity anddirectional properties of sound signals.

Annex 4 lists the distress signals (thus replacing Rule 31)and also contains a reference to MERSAR.

(e) A vessel towing if so encumbered that she cannotdeviate from her course shows the signals for a ham-pered vessel as well as her towing signals (Rule 27(c)).

(/) If it is not possible to light a tow with side lights andstern light all possible measures must be taken to lightit or at least indicate its presence (Rule 24(^)).

It is stressed that these notes do no more than draw attentionto some points of comparison between the existing Regulationsand those which will supersede them. It is emphasized thatthe full significance of the new Rules can only be obtained bystudying their content and these notes are not intended toprovide a substitute for such study; nor are they in any wayan interpretation of the Rules.

The Coastguard AssociationA VOLUNTARY national organisation to look after the interestsof Coastguards is now in process of formation. Entitled 'TheCoastguard Association', it will be open to all serving andretired regular and auxiliary Coastguards and to all 'who havethe interest of Coastguards at heart'. Its objects will be topromote, foster and retain the comradeship which existsamong Coastguards, and to provide material assistance forany member suffering from haidship. Social events will beorganised to keep in touch with retired Coastguards.

The first local branch of the Coastguard Association wasformed in the Isle of Man in 1972 and other branches havebeen formed at Rhyl, Fleetwood, Spurn Point, Gorleston,Walton and Clacton, Formby and Bridlington. Others arebeing formed and it is hoped that more will follow in otherparts of the country.

A national organisation with an executive committee hasbeen elected to co-ordinate the activities of local branches on anational scale. The first national chairman is John Douglas,Chief Inspector, HM Coastguard, and the honorary secretaryis Alan Scoltock, District Officer, Formby.

280

Letters...Re-count. . .

The letter from the honorary secretaryof Bodmin and District branch, pub-lished in the autumn 1976 issue of THELIFEBOAT, amused us all here in Trow-bridge because the report closelyfollowed our own flag day when ourorganising secretary, Mrs SheenaBurnan, raised £6.46J in box no. 10 inthe town centre streets during themorning. In the afternoon her husband,Commander Gerald C. Burnan, alsocollected from the very same streets.Yes, you've guessed it—his box con-tained £6.46|, no more, no less: threere-counts!

So we believe it here right enough—without a doubt.—JOHN HORNBY, chair-man, Trowbridge Branch, Ashbrook, 17Blind Lane, Southwick, Trowbridge, Wilt-shire.

ScrapbookI am compiling a scrapbook entitled

'Lifeboats of Britain' in which 1 collectphotographs of lifeboats taken underany circumstances. I have lent the bookto various fund-raising schemes for theInstitution.

It is my ambition to have a photo-graph of every lifeboat stationed aroundthe British coast. May I, therefore,appeal to readers of THE LIFEBOAT,should they have photographs of theirlocal lifeboats which I could add to mycollection, to forward them to me at theaddress given below? I can assure themthat they will be put to good use.—D. EVANS, 1A Maes Brith, Dolgellau,Gwynedd.

First lifejacket?We came across the following quota-

tion from a book on the life of Leonardoda Vinci: it would appear probablyto be the first description of a lifejacket:

'/( Way of Saving Oneself in a Tempest orShipwreck at Sea'It is necessary to have a coat made ofleather with a double hem over the breastof the width of a finger, and double alsofrom the girdle to the knee, and let theleather of which it is made to be air-tight. And when you are obliged to jumpinto the sea, blow out the lappets of thecoat through the hems of the breast, andthen jump into the sea. And let yourselfbe carried by the waves, if there is noshore near at hand and you do not knowthe sea. And always keep in your mouththe end of the tube through which the airpasses into the garment; and if once ortwice it should become necessary foryou to take a breath when the foamprevents you, draw it through the mouthof the tube from the air within the coat.'

A. R. 'BOB' DICKINSON, Rose Cottage,33 Sion Hill, Bath, Avon.

New anchor for oldPlease find enclosed a cheque for

lifeboat funds to the value of £5—andyou may be interested to hear how it wasraised.

Nurse Lee of Dreadnought Seamen'sHospital, Greenwich, is also a yachtowner. Early in 1976, when on passage,she was forced by deteriorating weatherto anchor off Dymchurch. While atanchor, despite efforts to warn anapproaching fishing vessel of her posi-tion by handlamp, she was struck. Inthe turmoil that followed, her anchorand warp became entangled with th;fishing boat, her warp being cut, and thefishing boat sailing on leaving NurseLee in her yacht, adrift.

Upon reaching a safe berth, NurseLee wrote to the port master, Folke-stone, Reg Wood, asking if he could gether anchor returned by the boat. Thishe tried to do but without success.

Now Reg Wood is a personal friendof Captain Stratford, master, andmyself, chief engineer officer, of theSealink vessel Horsa, and, in conversa:

tion, he told us of the incident. CaptainStratford had undergone major eyesurgery at Dreadnought, and hesuggested we present Nurse Lee with areplacement anchor. Frank Marklew,berthing master at Folkestone, was alsoconsulted as he, too, had been atDreadnought.

By chance, I had a CQR anchor of theright size I did not need, so I 'sold' it toCaptain Stratford, Reg Wood andFrank Marklew, giving the money Ireceived, £5, to the RNLI. I am aShoreline member.

Nurse Lee visited Folkestone, wasshown round the harbour and MV Horsa,and given her anchor. It was, she said,'just right'.—p. D. PHILPOTT, 9 CastleAvenue, Dover, Kent.

Lifeboat wivesTwo women sat on the sea wall in the

heat of the afternoon sun, watchinglifeboat and ILB, and deploring thefact that the men had all the excitementwhile all the wives could do was sit athome and wait. But we could have a bitof fun . . . how about a group of lifeboatwives entering a float in the local car-nival? That was the forerunner of ourfund-raising group.

The lifeboat wives were enthusiasticand, with only two weeks before thecarnival, we really had to throw our-selves into the swing of it. We took asour theme the name of each lifeboatthat had been stationed in Selsey overthe past 100 years, and dressed a wife orchild to suit the name and the year ol

the boat. And we won first prize: £5!What should we do with it? It would

only be a drop in the ocean of RNLIfunds. Someone suggested starting abank account and forming a fund-raising group. That was over a year ago.There are 18 of us, all crew wives, girlfriends or committee wives and, withthe blessing of the RNLI, we are havingthe time of our lives. We have calledourselves (he Selsey Lifeboat CrewAssociation and although we work hard,we are now feeling we belong!

Our first deposit of £5 grew over thefirst year to nearly £400. We have hadlaughs, and nearly tears sometimes,raising the money. Hidden talents havecome to light and we discover we havemembers who can make beautifulmodels in wood, professional-lookingtoys and delectable things to eat. Weorganise dances, pottery parties, spon-sored slims, pantomime parties forlifeboat children—you name it, we do it.Our most spectacular successes havebeen to raise £100 on our 'home-made'stall on carnival day and nearly £100 onbirdman rally day, selling teas from theinshore lifeboathouse.

So it really is all worth while. Apartfrom feeling we are aiding our menfolk,and they really do encourage us, thestation is better off by having flood-lighting along the slipway and a newblock and winch rope for the ILB.Branch funds are nearly £200 better offso far, and we have made many friends.—JEAN BRYANT, honorary secretarySelsey Lifeboat Crew Association, 118Kingsway, Selsey, Sussex.

Clyde CC Sailing DirectionsThank you once again for giving space

to review our Sailing Directions. Largescale Admiralty charts usually givelinear scales of both sea miles (andcables) and metres—and feet meanwhile.As there is not room for both scales onour small plans I felt the use of eitherwas permissible—that is cables or metres—one must be familiar with both.

Your reviewer is, however, incorrectin his definitions. Firstly the UK nauticalmile was abandoned in 1970 in favourof the International nautical mile of1852m. Secondly the cable is defined asone tenth of a sea mile which is thelength of one minute of arc measuredalong the meridian in the latitude of theposition and its length of course varieswith the latitude due to the shape of theearth. Anyway anyone who can judgedistance from the deck of a small boatwithin 10 per cent is a genius!GODFREY VINYCOMB, Church Field, Colin-traive, Argyll.

When you have finished withyour copy of THE LIFEBOATPLEASE PASS IT ON...

to a friend, library, club . . .

281

Awards J. P. McDonoughN. Pendlebury

Galway BayC. Hernon

to Coxswains, Crews

and Shore Helpers

The following coxswains, members of lifeboat crews andshore helpers were awarded certificates of service on theirretirement and, in addition, those entitled to them by theInstitution's regulations, were awarded an annuity,gratuity or pension.

Crew Member 20 years.Crew Member 10 years.

Coxswain 15 yearsSecond Coxswain 9 yearsBowman 1 yearBronze Medal 1962.

AnstrutherA. B. Hughes

BallycottonW. Sliney

BeaumarisJ. Williams

BembridgeS. Gould

Berwick upon TweedH. Crombie

A. Ferguson

S. Thompson

J. Patterson

R. J. BellG. Wood

Clacton on SeaC. Marshall

CromerH. T. Davies

DonaghadeeJ. S. Armstrong

DouglasJ. E. Griffiths

W. P. Stowell

ExmouthD. C. Were

FleetwoodR. S. Mitchinson

R. N. Bird

Tractor Driver 9 yearsTractor Driver Helper 21 years.

Motor Mechanic 27 yearsAssistant Mechanic 134 yearsCrew Member 5 yearsBronze Medal 1936Bar to Bronze Medal 1943.

Head Launcher 2 yearsShore Helper 8 yearsCrew Member 1 year.

Second Coxswain 19|- yearsBowman li yearsCrew Member 10 years.

Coxswain 8 yearsSecond Coxswain 10 yearsBowman 7 yearsCrew Member 5 years.Second Coxswain 3^ yearsCrew Member 12 years.Coxswain 4 monthsCrew Member 12 years.Second Coxswain 4 monthsCrew Member 30 years.Crew Member 20 years.Shore Helper 13 yearsWinchman 30 years.

Motor Mechanic 10i yearsAssistant Mechanic 12j yearsCrew Member 10 years.

Coxswain 29 yearsBowman 3 yearsCrew Member 13 yearsBronze Medal 1941.

Motor Mechanic 241 years.

Coxswain 2 yearsSecond Coxswain 2:j yearsCrew Member 24 years.Crew Member 27 years.

Assistant Mechanic 4 yearsCrew Member 11 years.

Coxswain 6| yearsAssistant Mechanic If yearsCrew Member 1 year.Second Coxswain 10 yearsBowman 3 yearsCrew Member 7 years.

Great Yarmouth and GorlestonJ. Bryan Coxswain/Mechanic 9 years

Motor Mechanic 6 yearsReserve Mechanic 4i yearsBronze Medal 1970Bar to Bronze Medal 1974.

HowthF. Hendy

E. McLoughlin

IslayW. McEachern

Lizard-CadgwithM. C. Legg

PenleeE. F. Wallis

PeterheadJ. Buyers

Port ErinJ. Crebbin

PorthdinllaenD. Williams

RamsgateR. N. Cannon

H. W. Goldfinch

T. A. Pettit

Runswick1. Clark

St IvesM. Peters

J. D. Hosking

St Peter PortW. J. Savident

W. Ogier

Sea hamA. Farrington

Motor Mechanic 12| yearsCrew Member 14 years.

Bowman 16J yearsCrew Member 18 years.

Motor Mechanic 251 yearsCrew Member 15 years.

Coxswain 9 yearsSecond Coxswain 6 yearsSecond Coxswain (The Lizard) 9 yearsCrew Member (The Lizard) 19 years.

Second Coxswain 6 yearsCrew Member 20 years.

Second Coxswain 2J yearsCrew Member 10 years.

Crew Member 13 yearsHead Launcher 8 yearsShore Helper 30 years.

Winchman 15 years.

Motor Mechanic 17i yearsAssistant Motor Mechanic 5 yearsCrew Member 3 years.Coxswain li yearsSecond Coxswain 7J yearsCrew Member 18 years.Assistant Motor Mechanic 17i yearsCrew Member 13 years.

Winchman 34 yearsShore Helper 5 yearsCrew Member 20 years.

Second Coxswain 8J yearsMotor Mechanic 5 yearsTractor Driver 3i yearsCrew Member 4 yearsSilver Medal 1958.Motor Mechanic 15 years.

Second Coxswain 27 J yearsCrew Member 2 years.Crew Member 19 years.

Coxswain 7 yearsSecond Coxswain 4 yearsAssistant Mechanic 7 yearsCrew Member 2 yearsBronze Medal 1973.

(Continued on next page)

282

Shoreham HarbourJ. A. Fox(Posthumous)

A. Sharman

SkegnessF. Miller

Southend-on-SeaP. G. Gilson

T. G. Thornton

A. F. Martin

ThursoS. S. Sinclair

Coxswain 7J yearsSecond Coxswain 4i yearsCrew Member 17 yearsBronze Medal 1971Bar to Bronze Medal 1973.Crew Member 17 yearsWinchman 13 yearsShore Helper 9 years.

Shore Helper 25 years.

Coxswain 20 yearsSecond Coxswain 1 yearBowman 2 yearsCrew Member 7 years.Second Coxswain 8| yearsCrew Member 30 years.Bowman 21 i years.

Second Coxswain 9 yearsCrew Member 22 years.

TorbayK. E. Gibbs

TynemouthR. Brunton

J. Brunton

Walton and FrintonB. Ward

WickA. Murray

WicklowC. Byrne

Coxswain and Coxswain/Mechanic 4 yearsSecond Coxswain 2 yearsCrew Member 9 yearsBronze Medal 1973.

Coxswain 14 yearsSecond Coxswain 10 yearsCrew Member 5 years.Winchman 22 yearsShore Helper 4 years.

Motor Mechanic 1J yearsCrew Member 8 years.

Motor Mechanic 16 years.

Coxswain 8 yearsSecond Coxswain 15 yearsAssistant Mechanic 3 yearsCrew Member 21 years.

To mark the retirement of Willie McEachern,motor mechanic at Islay for 25 years and alifeboatman of 40 years service, he and hiswife were guests of honour at a carnivaldance in December—a gathering of friendsand colleagues. During the interval, BranchChairman A. C. Macrae (I.) presented MrMcEachern with a pair of binoculars.photograph by courtesy of Fraser McArthur

(Below) To celebrate his 65th birthday and50 years of lifeboat service, a special cakeand presentations for Alfred Payne, Weston-super-Mare's coxswain from 1948 to 1970.Mr Payne had been second coxswain beforethat and since retirement has helped train theILB crew. With him are Councillor and MrsHorler, Mayor and Mayoress of Weston-super-Mare, and Crew Member JulianMorris. photograph by courtesy of

Bristol Evening Post

Lifeboat peopleDewi Rowlands, a launcher at St

David's from 1942 and head launchersince 1963, is the third generation of hisfamily to serve this lifeboat station.When he retired in January, they had,between them, spanned the 97 yearssince 1880. His great uncle, HenryRowland, and father, Francis Rowland,were both crew members, and both werein the pulling lifeboat Gem when, in1910, she was wrecked on service.Francis survived but Henry was oneof the three crew members lost; threeseamen were rescued from the Democrat.

It is with deep regret that we announcethe following deaths:January 1977

Mrs Dorris Hall, hard-working andefficient honorary secretary of Streetbranch. It was typical that mournerswere asked, instead of flowers, to send

Coxswain Albert Bird (r.), Aberdeen, enter-tains Skipper John Thomas, former assistantmechanic at Dungeness and the man whosaved his life when Dungeness lifeboatrescued six men from Teeswood in the greatChannel gale of 1956; a service for whichCoxswain George Tart was awarded thebronze medal. Mr Thomas's son, Peter, isnow assistant mechanic at Dungeness andwas awarded the bronze medal for his part inthe service to Merc Texco in 1974.

photograph by courtesy ofAberdeen News and PR Services

donations to the RNLI. Over £100 wasreceived.

Horace James Lawrence, a memberof Selsey lifeboat crew from 1928 to1966. He was bowman from 1952 to1960 and second coxswain from 1961to 1966.

When Isabel Morison, north region co-ordinator, retired last December she waspresented with a Coalport plate by CliffordM. Kershaw (I.) chairman of Bradfordbranch on behalf of lifeboat people ofBradford. Councillor Tom Hall, president ofthe branch and a former Lord Mayor, waswith them. Miss Morison had served with theRNLI for 26 years.

photograph by courtesy ofBradford Telegraph and Argus

(Below) Ex-Coxswain Robert 'Bobbie'Brunton retired in 1976 after 29 years as amember of Tynemouth lifeboat crew; he wassecond coxswain from 1953 to 1963, cox-swain from 1963 to 1976. At TynemoutH'sannual Christmas dinner the crew presentedhim with a ship's clock and there was a finebowl of cyclamen for his wife, Florence.

photograph by courtesy of W. Burlison

283

Backbone ofthe FishingTrade.

This was one that didn't getaway. One of a thousand million.

A thousand million of thereasons why every day and nightmen put out to sea in all weathersto earn their living.

A thousand million reasonswhy lifeboatmen are needed asmuch as they are.

We at Birds Eye would like tovoice our appreciation of thelifeboatmen. We are proud of ourlong association with them.

284

Lifeboat Services(from page 263)

the whaleboat which had drifted furtherto leeward to within about 100' fromthe cliffs near the Cote du Nord hotel.His crew managed to get a grapnel intothe whaleboat and they towed her clearof the cliffs and back to the shelter ofBouley Bay to check inside the hull forthe possible missing American sailor:there was no one on board, so Duchessof Normandy continued to search alongthe cliff face.

As some of the libertymen had beengiven leave until 0630 it was not possibleto check the entire ship's complementuntil the muster at 0700. By 0730 it wasconfirmed that there was no missingman.

During the night both the Jersey andGuernsey lifeboats, the St CatherinesILB, the States of Jersey Fire Serviceinshore boat and two privately ownedboats had been searching for themissing man. The search was called offat 0735.

In addition to the search and rescueoperations, Graeme Mercier also actedas a radio link between uss Sellers andJersey radio.

For this service the thanks of theInstitution inscribed on vellum havebeen accorded to Graeme Mercier andvellum service certificates have beenpresented to Graeme Marett and JeanRivoallen.

North Eastern Division

Cruiser in difficultiesA CABIN CRUISER off Skinningrove whichappeared to be in difficulties and wasbeing kept under observation, wasreported to Redcar lifeboat station byHM Coastguard at 1910 on Sunday,September 26, 1976.

At 1938 the cruiser fired a red flareand at 1950 the 37' Oakley lifeboat SirJames Knott was launched and starteda search for the casualty. Visibility wasdown to 50 yards and deteriorating, butwith the aid of parachute flares, thecruiser, a 25' ex-naval cutter with twopeople on board, was sighted 1| milesnorth of Skinningrove Jetty. At 2103 thelifeboat was alongside and a towlinewas passed. Because of heavy swell, thelifeboat and her tow made for the RiverTees, arriving, with the help of TeesHarbour Radar, at 2306.

At 2405, again helped by TeesHarbour Radar, the lifeboat started onher passage back to station, where shearrived at 0152 and was rehoused at0248.

Scotland North Division

Fishing boat missingA SMALL FISHING BOAT missing, believedto be in the Loch Shell area, was reportedto the honorary secretary of Stornoway

lifeboat station at 0010 on Thursday,September 9, 1976.

The weather was cloudy with poorvisibility. It was blowing a strong galefrom the north north east and the seawas very rough when, at 0055, the 48' 6"Solent lifeboat Hugh William ViscountCough was launched and set off at fullspeed. At 0325 she reported havingsighted a small boat, which proved tobe the missing craft, south of EialanUchard. The sole crew was holding onto a string of lobster creels to keep him-self from being swept on to the island.He was taken aboard the lifeboatwhich, with the fishing boat in tow, madefor Lemreway where another boat waswaiting to take the survivor and his boatashore.

The transfer was made at 0430, afterwhich the lifeboat set course for herstation. Arriving at 0635, she was re-fuelled and rehoused at 0703.

Services by OffshoreLifeboats, September,October and November,1976Aberdeen, GrampianOctober 1.Angle, DyfedNovember 22 and 26.Arklow, Co. WicklowSeptember 11.Arranmore, Co. DonegalSeptember 20 and November 23.Barmouth, GwyneddNovember 1.Barrow, CumbriaSeptember 20, November 14 and 18.Barry Dock, South GlamorganSeptember 26, October 24 and November 5.Bembridge, Isle of WightSeptember 18, 25, October 4 andNovember 19.Bridlington, HumbersideSeptember 3, October 2 (twice), 20, 21and 25.Buckie, GrampianOctober 18, 30 and November 1.Calshot, HampshireSeptember 3, 4, 26, October 18, 19 and 21.Campbeltown, StrathclydeSeptember 9.Clacton-on-Sea, EssexNovember 14.Clogher Head, Co. LouthSeptember 2.Cloughey-Portavogie, Co. DownOctober 22 and November 22.Clovelly, North DevonOctober 19.Courtmacsherry Harbour, Co. CorkSeptember 15.Dover, KentOctober 12, 14, 24, November 7, 17 and 29.Dunbar, ForthSeptember 23.Dungeness, KentSeptember 19, 21 and October 14.Dun Laoghaire, Co. DublinSeptember 4 and 20.Dunmore East, Co. WaterfordSeptember 5, 17 and October 3.Exmouth, South DevonSeptember 10 and October 3.

Eyemouth, BordersSeptember 29.Filey, North YorkshireOctober 25 and November 7.Fishguard, DyfedSeptember 9 and 1 1 .Flamborough, HumbersideSeptember 9 and October 20.Fleetwood, LancashireSeptember 18, October 4 and 9.Fowey, CornwallNovember 14.Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, NorfolkSeptember 5, 19, October 18, 20 andNovember 19.Harwich, EssexSeptember 2, 8, October 24, November7, 9 and 16.Hastings, East SussexSeptember 5.Holyhead, GwyneddSeptember 4, 11 and October 14.Howth, Co. DublinOctober 10, November 25 and 28.Humber, HumbersideSeptember 12, 20, October 1, 10, 21 andNovember 14.Ilfracombe, North DevonOctober 6.Kirkwall, OrkneySeptember 9, October 7 and 22.Lerwick, ShetlandSeptember 4, October 23 and November 1.The Lizard-Cadgwith, CornwallOctober 22 and 30Llandudno, GwyneddSeptember 16 and November 6.Lowestoft, SuffolkSeptember 1, 7 (twice), 9, October 10, 25,November 11 and 17.Mallaig, HighlandSeptember 9 (twice) and 10.Margate, XentSeptember 5 and November 25.Newbiggin, NorthumberlandSeptember 8.Newcastle, Co. DownSeptember 1 and 5.North Sunderland, NorthumberlandOctober 6 and 19.Penlee, CornwallOctober 17, 21, November 8 and 16.Peterhead, GrampianOctober 23.Plymouth, South DevonNovember 6 and 21.Poole, DorsetSeptember 29, October 11, 22, 26 andNovember 4.Port Erin, Isle of ManSeptember 18 and October 17.Porthdinllaen, GwyneddSeptember 2.Portrush, Co. AntrimSeptember 15 and October 11.Port St Mary, Isle of ManSeptember 9 and 10.Pwllheli, GwyneddSeptember 15 and 23.Ramsey, Isle of ManNovember 23.Ramsgate, KentSeptember 24, October 19 and November15.Redcar, ClevelandSeptember 8 and 26.Rosslare Harbour, Co. WexfordSeptember 9.St David's, DyfedSeptembsr 1 and 13 (twice).St Helier, JerseySeptember 17, October 5, 11, 31 andNovember 3.

285

St Ives, CornwallSeptember 2, I I and 17.St Mary's, Isles of ScillySeptember 11, 29, October 12, November15, 20 and 30.St Peter Port, GuernseySeptember 17, October 2, 17, 18, 22,November 1, 3, 23 and 28.Salcombe, South DevonSeptember 4, 7, 9 and 17.Scarborough, North YorkshireSeptember 2, 21, 24, October 13 and 14.Seaham, Co. DurhamSeptember 11, October 22, November 10and 22.Seisey, West SussexOctober 2, 14 and 28.Sennen Cove, CornwallSeptember 12.Sheerness, KentSeptember 9, 14, October 10, 14, 20, 23,25, 30, November 10, 12 and 15.Sheringham, NorfolkSeptember 4, 26 and November 14.Shoreham Harbour, West SussexSeptember 6, October 10 and November 14.Skegness, LincolnshireOctober 14 and 25.Stornoway, Western IslesSeptember 9.Sunderland, Tyne and WearNovember 22.Swanage, DorsetSeptember 5, 9, 15, 24, October 14, 24, 27and November 20.Teesmouth, ClevelandOctober 9.Tenby, DyfedOctober 5.Thurso, HighlandOctober 8.Torbay, South DevonSeptember 15, November 13, 19, 23 and 26.Troon, StrathclydeSeptember 19 and October 15.Tynemouth, Tyne and WearOctober 10, 11 and November 7.Walmer, KentSeptember 1, October 21 and November 20.Walton and Frinton, EssexNovember 14.Wells, NorfolkSeptember 26.Weymouth, DorsetSeptember 3, 8, October 11, 14 andNovember 28.Whitby, North YorkshireSeptember 2, 11, 21 and 30.Wicklow, Co. WicklowSeptember 2 and October 16.Workington, CumbriaSeptember 15, October 3 and November 6.Yarmouth, Isle of WightOctober 5, 14, 21, 27 and November 6.Youghal, Co. CorkOctober 22 and November 12.

Services by InshoreLifeboats, September,October and November,1976Aberdovcy, GwyneddSeptember 12, 27 and November 11.Abersoch, GwyneddSeptember 15 and November 14.Aberystwyth, DyfedSeptember 5 and October 27.Arbroath, TaysideOctober 26.

Atlantic College, South GlamorganSeptember 16.Bangor, Co. DownSeptember 8 and 19.Barmouth, GwyneddSeptember 27 and October 10.Barrow, CumbriaSeptember 28.Beaumaris, GwyneddSeptember 4 and October 23.Bembridge, Isle of WightSeptember 18.Blackpool, LancashireSeptember 5 (twice).Berth, DyfedSeptember 2, 15 and 18.Bridlington, HumbersideSeptember 7 (twice).Broughty Ferry, TaysideSeptember 22, 24, 26, October 14 and 23.Burnham-on-Crouch, EssexSeptember 29.Burry Port, DyfedSeptember 27 and October 5.Clacton-on-Sea, EssexSeptember 3, 6, October 24 andNovember 3.Coverack, CornwallSeptember 2 and 7.Craster, NorthumberlandSeptember 5.Criccieth, GwyneddSeptember 5 and 23.Eastbourne, East SussexSeptember 26 and October 24.Eastney (B.530), HampshireSeptember 4, 16, 25, 26, October 3 andNovember 1.Eastney (D.184), HampshireSeptember 4, 11, 16, 25, October 3 (twice),5, 16, 23, 24, 28 and November 1.Exmouth, South DevonSeptember 11, 12 and 15.Flint, ClwydOctober 23.Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, NorfolkSeptember 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 15, October 28(twice), 29, November 1, 11 (twice), 16 and18.Hartlepool, ClevelandOctober 22, 24, November 13 and 28.Harwich, EssexSeptember 10, October 3, 22, November 7and 24.Hastings, East SussexSeptember 2, 12, 17 and 21.Hayling Island, HampshireSeptember 4, 10, 26, October 9, 21, 23, 14,November 1 and 14.Helensburgh, StrathclydeSeptember 3, 19, October 30, November 6,21 and 25.Horton and Port Eynon, West GlamorganSeptember 11.Howth, Co. DublinSeptember 18.Humbermouth, HumbersideSeptember 12.Kingliorn, ForthSeptember 7.Largs, StrathclydeSeptember 9, 17 and November 7.Littlehampton, West SussexSeptember 2, 19 (twice), 27, October 16 and24 (twice).Littlestone-on-Sea, KentSeptember 1, 26, October 13 and 17.Llandudno, GwyneddSeptember 16.Lyme Regis, DorsetSeptember 5, 27, October 7, 23 and Novem-ber 11.

Lymington, HampshireOctober 21 and November 27.Lytham-St Anne's, LancashireSeptember 26 and October 24.Margate, KentSeptember 8 and 18.Morecambe, LancashireSeptember 24 and November 28.Mudeford, DorsetSeptember 6, 11, 24 (twice), October 22 and23.New Brighton, MerseysideSeptember 21, 28, October 10, 17 and 23.New Quay, DyfedSeptember 8 and 27.Newquay, CornwallSeptember 22.Oban, StrathclydeOctober 6.Peel, Isle of ManSeptember 10.Poole, DorsetSeptember 10 and October 1.Port Isaac, CornwallSeptember 10.Pwllheli, GwyneddSeptember 12.Queensferry, ForthSeptember 3, October 24 and November 14.Ramsgate, KentSeptember 12.Redcar, ClevelandSeptember 5, 8 and 13.Rhyl, ClwydSeptember 2 and 26.Rye Harbour, East SussexSeptember 24 and October 3 (twice).St Abbs, BordersSeptember 9.St Catherines, JerseyNovember 3.St Ives, CornwallSeptember 3 and 12.Sheerness, KentSeptember 7, 26 (twice) and October 24.Shoreham Harbour, West SussexSeptember 5 (twice), 25 and November 7.Skegness, LincolnshireSeptember 12.Southend-on-Sea (D.150), EssexSeptember 3, 26, November 13, 15 and 28.Southend-on-Sea (B.527), EssexSeptember 6, 26, October 10, 12, 25, 29 andNovember 15.Southwold, SuffolkSeptember 26 and October 7.Stranraer, Dumfries and GallowaySeptember 1 and 22.Tenby, DyfedSeptember 2, 5, 22 and October 16.Torbay, South DevonOctober 24.Trearddur Bay, GwyneddSeptember 1 and 7.Tynemouth, Tyne and WearOctober 11, 17, 24 and November 14.Walmer, KentSeptember 1 and October 11.Wells, NorfolkSeptember 5 and 9.West Mersea, EssexSeptember 2 (twice), 17, 25, 30, October 5(twice), 14, November 7 and 12.Weston-Super-Mare, AvonSeptember 19, 20, 25 (twice), October 24(twice) and November 5.Whitby, North YorkshireSeptember 5, 8, 13, 30 and October 10.Whitstable, KentSeptember 16 (twice), October 8, 14, 22 and23.Yarmouth, Isle of WightSeptember 24.

286

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Sea Beat(continued from page 270)

away and, on the first attempt to launchthrough the heavy surf, the boat wasthrown back broadside on to the beach.With perseverance, however, the crewmanaged to get through the surf andthen set course through 8 to 9 footbreaking seas to search the area a miledown the coast to the south.

Handling the ILB with great skill,Ben Usher was conducting a saw-toothsearch, running in with the surf at anangle of 45 degrees and coming away

from the shore directly into the seas,when a police officer on shore sighted achild and indicated that the boat shouldsearch further south and to seaward.After another short search the crewsaw the girl—she was about ten yearsold—rise on the crest of a wave andslide into a trough, but, as theyapproached her the boat was thrownaway by a sea. As she looked in prettypoor shape, Terry Dawson jumpedover the side and supported her whilethe ILB made a second approach. Shewas lifted inboard, given artificialrespiration, Terry Dawson was helpedback and the ILB returned to the shorewith the child safe. The fourth child had

not drifted so far off shore and had beenrecovered by men wading in from thebeach.

For their part in this rescue BenUsher and Terry Dawson were awardedthe thanks of the Institution inscribedon vellum.

But that is not the end of the story.The little girl's grandmother was thechairman of a ladies' guild in Hull, andBen and Terry received wonderfulletters from her. Full circle. The lifeboatservice helping the people who in turngive it their loyal support. It is part ofthe community, as is the police force.No wonder the bonds between the twobodies are close.

ORIGINAL

OIL PAINTINGS£45 post paid

LIFEBOAT PAINTINGS (ALLTYPES) IN ROUGH SEA, ON

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ORIGINAL

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287

Index to Advertisers

Birds Eye Foods ».Henry Browne and Son LtdCentral London CommitteeCogswell and Harrison LtdCrighton Agencies LtdEvett Sailwear LtdFunctional Clothing LtdDavid Jolly (Tiller Master)John LeeMermaid Marine EnginesNeco Marine. LtdProducts and Services GuideRentokilTWA ... , ..V. WebsterC. P. Witter Ltd

.. 284

.. 254Inside Back CoverInside Back CoverInside Back Cover

288Inside Front Cover

.. 287

.. 287

.. 254Inside Back Cover

.. 287

.. 254Outside Back Cover

288288

TEDDY BEARS PICNIC

When your organisation holds its next fund raising effort at acarnival, fete, donkey derby, boat show or similar activity youcan make an additional £200 in a few hours by running aTeddy Bears Picnic. No financial risk as all stock is supplied atwholesale price on full sale or return, nothing to pay untilafter the event, then you pay for what you use, return thebalance. Send for full details giving Club/Guild name andstatus to:

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Classified AdvertisementsFUND RAISING

Advertising pencils, superb ballpens, combs,diaries, each gold stamped Lifeboat name,etc., raise funds, quickly easily. Bran TubToys: samples from Northern Novelties,Bradford BD1 3HE.

TROPHIESRACE SETS—MAINSAILS—DINGHIES—CUPS. W. & E. Astin, 7 Westerly Lane,Shelley, Huddersfield. Kirkburton 2368.

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'ELBIE' the walking talking LifeboatANNOUNCES a

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