Wish you were here...

Sadly, due to having to eke a living working out of town, I now miss more shouts than I like. Truth be told, many of them are not terribly exciting and, ultimately I don't lose much sleep over them. However, every now and then one comes along which I am gutted to have missed. Friday's shout was one such...

Sat at my desk marking books, the first I knew was that I got a text to say the boat had launched. Logging into MarineTraffic.com I was able to watch the track of the lifeboat in (almost) real time. Curiously they seemed to leave the end of the slipway and head directly to Poole from the end of the slip, seemingly without doing anything much on the way...odd.

Later the story unfolded. A story of rescuing one of our own. Of course, nothing gives us greater pleasure that rescuing one of our own...does it Rob?!

The full story can be read here....

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
(Pink Floyd)

March shout

There's nothing worse than sitting down to a Sunday roast only to be called from the table by a buzzing pager. However, needs must and it would seem that most of the crew left half eaten roasts to attend this evening's shout. Once we had assembled, it turned out that we were heading out to a 33ft yacht which had lost nearly all power in a dying breeze and so were unable to start their engine and were drifting pretty much at the mercy of the tide in the tidal race at St Aldhelm's race. Once on scene we put Rob aboard and rigged up a tow prior to towing them back to our mooring in Swanage. After an 8 mile tow we soon had them attached to our mooring and safely ashore.

I'm now sat here typing and enjoying cold crumble!

November rain

So there was me thinking that the rain might have disappeared with November. Fat chance, today, down our way has been as wet as ever, perhaps even more so.

Suffering with a cold I decided to stay ashore and do some training in the boathouse with some of our newer crewmembers.

After both boats had gone their seperate ways it was time to head up to the crewroom to begin the exercise.

The ALB put a float into the water at the start of their exercise and then relayed it's position to us for us to work out an estimated position for them to return to in 1 hour in order to search and then hopefully find the 'casualty'.

We spent about an hour running through some simple chartwork then Rob and I worked through a rapid response search pattern with the lads and came up with our Estimated position. To be honest we are both into this sort of thing and enjoyed the process a great deal. Ultimately we came up with two possible positions, one using the factual information that we had...the other adding our own local knowledge to this. Funnily enough our own 'local knowledge' position was much closer to the actual position in which it was found.

In any case, we were all satisfied that our worked example would have stood a very high chance of finding the casualty (though perhaps the incredibly severe rain might have hindered us), so job done.

And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain, ohhh yeahhh
I know that you can love me
When there's no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness
We still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Even cold November rain
(November Rain - Guns N'Roses)

Race night

Tonight we launched the ALB for the Swanage Sailing Club RNLI pennant race and the Swanage Sea Rowing Club RNLI Gig race. The weather was fair with a pleasant breeze so altogether a great evening.

Dave and Rob were both onboard.

The race got off to a smooth start for once with no dramas.

Our very own Lifeboat Operations Manager was taking part and seemed to be doing reasonably well.

In the rowing Martin was taking part with a team from the Gig club who looked pretty well drilled.

And our very own (and recently victorious) RNLI gig crew were taking part...though sadly less success than they are used to.

Busy exercise (and sorry for the delay!)

Right...I'm feeling a little better now so here are a few more details from the weekend exercise.

In a sense Sunday's exercise was a big one for me. Since becoming one of the Stations Deputy Second Coxswains a number of years ago I have spent a lot of time acting as Second Coxswain for the other three (Martin, Rob and Dave) but very little time taking complete command of the lifeboat as Coxswain. So on Sunday I took the boat out for an exercise with my own crew...the sort of crew I would have is Martin, Rob and Dave were absent.

My intention was to give the engines a run, get Gav doing a little navigating and spend a bit of time running Paul E and Kev through a couple of seamanship evolutions with them acting as my Second Coxswains. Of course it didn't turn out like that. Events and colleagues conspired to scupper my plan.


Midway through out little Navigation exercise I overheard Deasy on the ILB talking to Portland about a kayaker which they had spotted in difficulty. It was agreed that they would take the kayaker onboard and head back towards Swanage along with his Kayak. After a brief discussion it was agreed that we would head off to meet them and take either the kayak or the Kayaker onboard. As it turned out we did both as the fellow was a bit cold from his swim.


Having practised this sort of thing last year the recovery of the kayak went smoothly and it was soon emptied of water. In short order it was stowed on the side deck and we returned to the slipway to land both the vessel and the casualty.


We then headed out to continue our exercise. And it was a busy day for kayakers in the bay. This bunch seemed well organised and had the added benefit of safety in numbers.


No sooner had we resumed our planned exercise than we had a 'For Exercise' shout from Portland Coastguard. They had had a report of an explosion on a fishing vessel 1/2 a mile SE of Peveril point. Of course we made best speed towards the casualty and dealt with what we found (burnt crewman, one crewman missing presumed overboard and a disabled boat). Kev and James boarded the boat to administer first aid. We did a quick search and found the casualty in the water, we then brought the casualty onboard the ALB before rigging up a tow to bring the casualty vessel home.

And it mostly went well and smoothly. So...a big thanks to Rob and Dave for arranging that little beauty for us!

Questions, questions...

Here's another recent question:

Hi John
I was just wondering if all Lifeboat Coxswains can drive all classes of Boat or whether they are only allowed to drive there own class. You sometimes say that one of the crew brought a different class from Poole for exercise are all crews able to do this is they are based near a Lifeboat 'Depot'?

The answer is pretty simple really. No, Coxswains are not 'qualified' to drive all classes of lifeboat (though I have no doubt that they are capable of doing so). To be qualified to Cox a particular lifeboat it is necessary to go to sea in that class with an Inspector and be 'passed out' on that class (at least that is how my memory serves me....correct me if I am wrong someone).

So, are other crews able to borrow lifeboats and other craft from their local depot? Well, yes and no. Ultimately, if they can show a need, either training or PR, and have someone qualified to cox it, then the request would be looked on favourably I'm sure.

So how do we manage it? Well, our second Cox'n Rob works at HQ Poole. He is the Fleet Operations Manager (Lifeboat test-pilot to you and me) and as such is qualified to Cox every class of lifeboat in fleet. It is his job to take these boats to sea and use them on a daily basis. So when it fits in with our training or fundraising activities it is not uncommon for him to bring boats over from Poole.

Of course Odin, which we used in a recent exercise, is not a lifeboat at all but a test-bed for a variety of pieces of kit. As such it really is Rob's responsibility.

Blown apart

Last night's exercise was a medical exercise created and run by Gav. He'd put a tremendous amount of effort into it and produced a very realistic scenario using some excellent casualties, a fishing boat and 'Dead Fred'.



The situation which greeted us as we arrived on-scene was of a fishing boat that had blown up. The skipper was distressed but not visibly injured. There were two obvious casualties; Kim above was burnt to the neck and face, while Emma below seemed to have a rather nasty wound to her arm (bit of it had fallen off)!



Being honest we were all rather rusty. Assessments of the casualties were made but a few bits were missed out and, sadly for Emma, immediate steps to stem her blood loss weren't taken at the assessment stage. However, that's how it goes, scenarios aren't the real thing and I'm darned sure we'd have done the right thing in a real situation!



It was generally our more recent crewmembers who did the first aiding last night and one real benefit was that we discovered that we truly have an impressive depth of skill across the whole crew.



We then had a very thorough and skillful wash-up conducted by Gav and John in the crewroom. Everyone had their say and I think the consensus was that we'd done alright on balance.

Rob also made us sit a multiple choice theory paper to assess our level of 'Skill Fade'. I'm happy to report that no one dropped more than one mark. All good...

Newbies

So I've been away. Not just travelling the country but also heaving bit of a break from routine here at home. Hence no posts of late.

That's not to say that we've not been busy of course. Since returning from my sailing trip we've had an exercise and a couple of shouts.



Last night on the ALB we took our 3 'newbies' to sea for a taster of what we do. From left to right are Sam, Ty and Darren. All three keen as mustard and will no doubt prove their worth with time. Luckily for them we got a shout half way through the exercise so they got a bit of a buzz from that no doubt.

The ILB was out on exercise too and had Rob onboard so, for the second time in a week he got a shout on the ILB (not something he normally does).

Bizarrely the shout was to look for a young man suspected of trying to harm himself. Despite searching from the 'Western Mile Markers' to 'Chapman's Pool' we found nothing......not surprising really as it turned out he was in an altogether different part of the country (he was traced using his mobile phone signal I understand).

So, not sure how that one ended but we got to the pub in time for a pint.

You've changed

Charles Bowley, a reader of this blog, mailed this week to say that he had a few photos of the day the Robert Charles Brown arrived on station. The pictures are superb and I will use some more this week. However, this one really caught my eye. This was the crew at the time. How things change! Only three remain as crew now (Martin, Robert and Jon Dear). Of the rest, some remain but in other roles (Dave Corben - DLA) while the rest are enjoying a gentle retirement. They all have significantly less hair and what there is is a more distinguished colour.

Of those who remain; Martin has now lost the slug-like appendage which was hanging on his upper lip in those days and Robert has now passed puberty and become a man!

Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can dream of the old days
Life was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
(Babara Streisand)

SOS

Last Saturday was the RNLI SOS day at Harman's Cross. It was a small affair but well set up and well attended. Rob was there holding fort with an old 'D' class lifeboat (interestingly the firstone ever to be produced in orange rather than grey fabric).The guild ladies were out in force with there mobile shop selling all the usual goodies.And of course the great and the good, our Lifeboat Operations Manager Neil Hardy and Chairman Robin Tiller (and there better halves).My two girls enjoyed the whole thing. Sadly I don't think it was the attraction of the lifeboats but rather the combined pleasure of seeing Sarah and Becky.Ultimately these things are about raising funds but also raising awareness of what we do. So £1200ish was a welcome addition to the coffers and the event certainly helped raise awareness. A good show.

CoBT

The pressure is now on. We are fully back into the exercise cycle and the crew are working hard towards their Competency Based Training Scheme (CoBT).

Each crewmember gets a training scheme which varies depending on what their position is onboard the boat (mechanic, coxswain, navigator, crewmember, 1st aider or probationer). Each key skill or bit of knowledge is set down in the training manual and every once in a while an assessor will visit and judge whether the standard has been met by each individual.

Rob, our second Coxswain and Training Co-ordinator has now deemed that everyone who has been on the crew for 2 or more years must have completed all assessments by Christmas. This seems reasonable. Nick pictured here has made good progress so far but must now get the last few parts signed off so that he can fully demonstrate his proficiency. Go for it!

Last night's shout..........

............didn't go exactly to plan. Some time before 10 o'clock, Portland Coastguard had received a report of two men cut off by the tide on Broadbench at Kimmeridge. As it turned out, when the Coastguard 'Cliffman' got to the bottom and spoke to them they were fine......however, by that time we were on scene with the ILB and prepared to take the men off by sea if need be. That said, it was fairly lumpy and there was no way we were going to risk the ILB unless it was absolutely the only way of getting the 'casualties' off. The Coastguard 'Cliffman' had a lengthy conversation with the men and, though they were happy to stay where they were until the tide went out, they also (clearly being sporting types), were happy to be hauled up the cliff on the end of a piece of string by the Coastguard! In many ways this was a text book job on behalf of the Coasties. Seemingly in no time the winch was rigged and the two men were hauled up. A great job, well done. Perhaps the defining aspect of the evening was the incredible spirit of co-operation between the various assets. There were two lifeboats, two Coastguard mobile teams and the Coastguard in Portland involved...........all of whom were outwardly appreciative and understanding of each others efforts.The problems started when Skid, our weekend mechanic, noticed something on the floor of the engine room.On closer examination this turned out to be oil. Apparently leaking from one of the engines.A closer examination by Rob, Paul and Skid revealed that in fact the leak was from both engines and there was possibly also a small diesel leak as well!Luckily this was a job that could be rectified on station by our mechanics so, on returning to the boathouse at 0015, Paul, Skid and Rob began to replace the rocker cover gaskets. they were finished and in bed by about 0230! Well done lads, a job well done. They were however slightly intrigued by the discovery of this bolt and washer. They found them on the Starboard engine just sat there..........How and why they got there no one knows!

Anyway, once again I am off next week. A school trip to France this time. Jo has once more agreed to stand in in my absence so, here's looking at you girl.........

Operations meeting

Every few months the operations committee of the station come together to discuss operational matters. I am not present at these meetings, so cannot tell you what happens in the inner sanctum, however, we as a crew soon know the outcome as there is generally a crew meeting some time in the following week.Tonight God has called his men together. And they will be locked in heated discussion about what's going right and what isn't. Neil, Martin, Rob, Dave, Kev and Steve will spend a not inconsiderable amount of time putting our lifeboating world to rights..................tomorrow night, at the next crew meeting, no doubt we will be told not to speed through the car park.

The great and the good

Well, the great and the good of the Wareham branch of the RNLI came to the boathouse last night. Very enjoyable it was too, quite an experience for me as a teacher to find such a willing and well behaved audience. Indeed, seldom have I had such an enthusiastic audience prepared to suffer me talking about my passion for so long and in such detail. It was real 'pull up a bollard and lets talk about me' sort stuff. Of course, I was keen to pass on my detailed technical knowledge (stop laughing Dave) of the boat...........all they wanted was the gory details of our most heroic shouts. I did my best to enliven the stories and make them live up to their expectations. I can't help but think that perhaps I was faintly disappointing in my lack of heroics!?

Still, they were very generous and had provided a buffet supper for after the talks. I like to think that Gav, Rob and I displayed some true heroism in the way we tackled the mountain of food. Never let it be said that we ever fail to rise to a culinary challenge! To those who came, thanks for your interest and support and please come again.

Not Under Command

Last night was the last of the shore based exercises. It was the final chance for Jo, Becky, Ollie, Nick and Mark to swot up on their IRPCS before their assessment in a weeks time. To be honest it is a tough nut to crack, particularly when you get to lights, shapes and sound signals. Even with Rob's impressive teaching style and some input from me I thought I detected the odd glazed look by the end? Still, the carrot was there..........Stuart, landlord of the Anchor, has agreed to lay on Chips and Sandwiches after evening exercises. What a gent. Sadly this does then require us to sample some of his fine ale (try the broadside)!

It had to be you.......

Martin as you know is our Coxswain. Rob is our principle Second Coxswain, Martin's right hand man if you like. In their absence it falls to Dave (Mechanic)and I to take the boat to sea. On Monday night Martin was out walking his dogs and Rob was out of town so Dave acted as Coxswain and I as his second Cox.

The majority of the responsibility is fairly easy to deal with. However, without doubt, the hardest part is picking which crew are going to fill the vacant spaces on the boat. On Monday night with Martin and Rob away we had 3 gaps and Dave (he was pretending to be busy with the engines) asked me to pick from the assembled crew at the bottom of the stairs. Now I made the fatal error of looking at them.........8 pairs of puppy dog eyes staring up at me, each set pleading 'pick me, pick me'! In a flash I realised that this is an almost impossible decision to make. In the end I made the choice of a mix of experience (Ron) and youth (Matt). The others unfortunately had to be content to work on the slipway and do whatever needed doing in the boathouse. Thankless but necessary.

Of our casualty nothing has yet been heard. No reports have come back to us of her being found but equally no reports have been received of any missing persons. Our thoughts remain with her and we pray that this will have a happy outcome.

It had to be you
It had to be you
I wandered around and finally found
The somebody who
(Gus Kahn and Isham Jones)

Man in a rubber suit

Once a crewmember reaches the ripe old age of 45 they are no longer eligible to go to sea on the ILB (because it places a lot of strain on your body). However, there are some crewmembers (Nos. 1-6) who are the core of the ALB crew and therefor, regardless of their age only train on the ALB. Nevertheless, some of them, myself included, are in fact young enough to go out on the ILB. Occasionally, very occasionally, they go out and train on the ILB to keep their hands in just in case the situation arises where they have to make up numbers (this happens just a couple of times a year). On Wednesday Robert, our Second Coxswain, donned a drysuit and put to sea in the 'Jack Cleare'. Now this is momentous, not only because there are many on the crew who have never seen Rob in the ILB but also because he borrowed Jon Deas' drysuit..........and it fitted, with room to spare!