Lifeboat Lobster....

It seems like every year we manage to add more to our already busy lifeboat week. One fantastic addition to our event this year was a raffle for a lovely big lobster. Swanage Bay Fish proprietors Julia and Terry very kindly donated the prize and I believe arranged the raffle. In total their customers raised £145 for the RNLI. The lucky winner being a local lady, Mrs Cotterell. Well done Mrs Cotterell (and if you need anyhelp eating it just let me know!)

Many thanks to Swanage Bay Fish for their support.

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Who?

Ollie's better half, Kate, has been busy this spring making this awesome chap. He's doing his bit for raising funds during lifeboat week due to having a mystery name...can you guess it?

I for one really want to win him as he is certainly  the most detailed knitted lifeboating I've ever seen.

Thanks Kate...

In days of Yore

Men wore tweed jackets, Oilskins, Kapok (whatever that is) Lifejackets and Sowesters.

I love the detail of old photos...spot the head launcher with the hammer, one dangerous looking chap with a pistol (varey pistol?) and another rather lucky chap with a couple of flags! Somehow these guys look rather heroic and stoical...compare this to our motley crew who turned up to the shout on Saturday wearing board-shorts and flip-flops!

I wonder, would anyone care to date this photo or name the boat? Indeed, does anyone out there know the name of any of the crew?

Interestingly, the building here still forms part of our building and the cobble slipway still exists underneath ours...built to last!

41 pob

And I forgot the dog!

Full up...

just as the Red Arrows finished their routine over the bay our pagers went off once more. This time to a local pqssenger ferry had run aground while scattering ashes.

Once on scene near old harry we began taking all 34 passengers onboard and transferring them on to another passenger boat.  The tally included on old fella in a wheelchair and a babe in arms!

Anyway, they all ended up safely onto one of the Belles and happily on their way. 

Good job...

Chain of events...

So, we are sat in the crew room drying off and warming up after a quick shout to a yacht in difficulty off Anvil point.  Doing so we are reflecting on the unfortunate chain of events which led to this shout.  Sometimes the difference between happy sailing and crisis is nothing more than a broken shackle and some dirt in the fuel...

More pulling...

Tonight is the pub gig rowing regatta In the carnival.  The crew has entered 3 teams and thing are going well so far.  A good bit of healthy competition can't be bad!

And, a quick update...I'm delighted to report that we won...(well, sort of, one of the RNLI boats won, my boat came second and the WAGS came sixth. Good result.

Red devils

Tonight men fell from the sky. As part of the Carnival we were asked to provide as many boats as possible to act as rescue boats for the Red Devils parachute display team. Dave, JFL, Matt and myself had the privilege of being there on the water in the landing zone ready to pick the guys up as they landed on the water. Just one of the great joys of living here...

Today is the day

So, here we are on the carnival start line ready to go. The boat is looking fab and she generating a huge amount of interest.

She's here...

So, after a considerable journey and no small number of emails and phone calls, the 'William Riley of Birmingham and Leamington' is finally here. Now we've just got to work out how to pull her around town and row her! In any case, for the moment she looks wonderful parked up at the Middle School....

Hatrick!

And they just keep coming...towards the bottom of the M3 we passed the 'William Riley" on a Low-loader heading for HQ in Poole. Hopefully Deasy will then tow her over to Swanage tonight ready for the Carnival procession on Sunday.

They're everywhere!

So we are heading home on the M3 and pass yet another lifeboat.  This time it is Margate's Mersey 12-20.  Our own, 12-23 was out again last night, this time for a shorter trip. Looking forward to getting home...

No getting away from it...

so, I'm in London with the family for a mini cultural break but of course there is no getting away from lifeboating...I might have missed last nights shout but I still got to witness a bit of action here!

Quick bit of assistance...

The ILB has just launched for a quick job in the bay...not sure what it is, yet but probably not terribly epic.   Keep you posted.

I'll shout.

The ILB has just launched to assist three swimmers in the water.

Cameron's Christening

This Afternoon we've all been busy at the Christening of Chad and Jane's son Cameron.  The weather held and there were loads of folk dressed up for the occasion.  Even the pagers managed to stay quiet!

Drogue

So, we're out on exercise training Daz and Barren how to use the Drogue.  All good fun and they're doing very well!

Secret weapon

So tonight was the final of the lifeboat darts competition.  We had three crew teams entered and Sam and Charlotte were the secret weapon of the C team! 

John F Gilmour
via HTC legend

Semi-submerged....

Here's a shot of last nights casualty taken from the ILB helmet camera.  Luckily for the occupants some of it seem to have remained afloat.