In days gone past it was common for lifeboats to be crewed by many members of the same family, frequently as many as three generations of the same family. Thankfully here at Swanage we have steered away from this sort of inbred nepotism.
Or perhaps that is not the truth in it's entirety?
We do have our own version of a classic lifeboat clan..........the Steedens. Martin Steeden, our Coxswain, is the Patriarch of this family and has been the guiding light of our crew for 6 years. His eldest son Gavin is a helmsman on our ILB, the 'Jack Cleare'. Matt, the baby of the family is also a crewmember. Not forgetting James Chadwick (Chad), cousin to Matt and Gav, who has joined the crew and is serving his time as a probationer. So in a way I guess we do have our very own 'lifeboat family'! And in a way it makes sense, for them it is more than just a calling, it's in the blood and for that we thank them.
To get down to business-I'd just like to state
The wind's hard a beam and rising force eight.
Don't tell me-I know it-you've just run aground,
And aren't you lucky to have me around!
(Edward Carpenter)
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