Breasting

So the next question was; What are Breasting lines?

Well, breasting lines are ropes which we use to help us re-house the lifeboat when the wind and waves are from such a direction that the lifeboat is difficult to hold in position. I'm hoping that this little diagram makes this clear. In this example the wind direction is from the East and along with some waves from the same direction could make re-housing tricky. To help we have two buoys permanently laid, one to the East and one to the West. These are called 'Breasting Buoys'. By attaching a rope to the Easterly one of these we can prevent the bow of the lifeboat being pushed off to the West as the Coxswain manoeuvres to locate the keel in the keel-way on the slipway. This is done by keeping just the right amount of tension on the breasting line. Of course, that's the really tricky part...knowing what constitutes just the right amount of tension! Ultimately, this knowledge can only be gained with experience.