Roving fender

As a rule we try not to damage casualty vessels when we come alongside them.

It's not the top priority you understand; we are, after all, there to save lives and folk should understand that when they call for us. However, if at all possible we take a great amount of care to prevent damage. Routinely this means that in addition to the 'D' fendering on the side of the Mersey we also attach a line of extra inflatable fenders. We carry six so we tie five and use the last one as a 'Roving Fender'. On almost every shout I have been on this (and the skilled driving of Martin of course) has been enough to mean both vessel return unscathed.

There are of course occasions where this kind of nicety is so far down the list of priorities as to be irrelevant!