Tweet Tweet

Love it or loath it, Twitter is here to stay. What remains to be seen is exactly how people incorporate it into their online lives.

As a matter of fact, I love it and recently used it to good effect during a school sailing expedition which I ran during the Easter holidays. However, for some reason I recently seem to have had no end of problems with mobile twittering and either my phone won't remain registered, or it suddenly stops allowing me to upload, or I get 50 random texts from Twitter in a day. As you can imagine this has become somewhat frustrating though I'm guessing that this is just a result of their infrastructure failing to keep up with a demand for their services which is growing exponentially.

Anyway, the point of telling you this was two fold: Firstly I wanted to let you know that I fully intend to use Twitter again this summer when it is more stable, my plan is to try and maintain some sort of commentary on events as and when shouts unfold. However, if you can't wait that long, Dave has begun using Twitter as an add on to the official station website. Click here and register to follow the updates.

We were only pretending

Unfortunately a few kind readers got the wrong end of the stick yesterday and assumed that Wednesday's excitement was a rather heroic rescue. Fortunately not, it was simply an attempt to try and convey some of the realism of the excellent scenario which we dealt with on exercise that night...just goes to show!

By the way. I've discovered what the problem with photos is. Each time a photo is uploaded to Blogger a copy is sent to a folder in Picasa which is also part of the Google stable of free online software (bear with me I'm not very techy). Apparently this has a limit of 1GB of free storage space and once this is exceeded you are no longer able to upload photos to Blogger. It seems as if I now need to pay $20 to upgrade my storage to 10GB. So, problem solved, normal service should be resumed in the next day or so.

All quiet

around here for a week I'm afraid. Nothing much has been going on in the lifeboating world and I've been away (I forgot to sort out a guest blogger). Any ideas where I was?

Whilst I was away The Telegraph ran an RNLI piece which included photos of the Steedens and our boat, it also had a quote from the blog which was a pleasant surprise. Kayak blogger Wenley was kind enough to give it a mention too......good man!

Sunny Sunday morning

In complete contrast to today's weather, yesterday mornings exercise was a very pleasant affair with a gentle swell, little breeze and clear skies.

With an experienced crew of Martin, myself, Steve, Skid, Gav, Dan, James and Matt onboard we ran straight through the whole sequence of seamanship manoeuvres (anchoring, man-overboard, emergency steering, drogue, coming alongside and salvage pump)at the same time as getting Gav and Steve to spend some time helming and Dan and Skid some time navigating.

All went well and a very profitable 2 hours were spent reassuring ourselves that our kit functions well and we know our stuff.

Disconnected

Something seems to be a-miss at the BT exchange in Swanage. Sadly this means that my broadband connection is no longer as connected as it should be. Normal service will resume at BT's leisure.

Ah ah
Something ain't right
I'm gonna get myself
I'm gonna get myself
I'm gonna get myself connected
I ain't gonna go blind
For the light which is reflected
I see thru you
(Stereo MC's)

Thanks?

Well, I'm not sure whether to thank Dave for his efforts or not. I've certainly enjoyed reading what he has to say, however, can I ever forgive that picture being shown the light of day? I seem to remember Jo did something similar to me in May. Perhaps I should ditch the idea of guest bloggers?

Anyway, I'm back in the hot seat and preparing for a quiet Christmas. I hope. At least I say quiet......of course.......as is the tradition in these matters my Mother-in-Law has landed. Some say she can hear you think. Others believe she can spot a false smile at a thousand paces. All I know is, she's here and she's staying for Christmas.

Wish me luck ;-)

On the blink

Given this year's spate of shouts to climbers, I thought I'd share this photos of my friend Heather climbing earlier this year. It's good to see that she's taken the health and safety notice seriously! Can you guess where she is? There's a free tour of our boathouse for whoever gets the answer correct.

It's funny how you don't give modern appliances a second thought until they cease to work. This morning, as I was writing today's post, my computer screen at home blinked then died (contrary to popular opinion I tend to write my posts at home in the morning, save them, then proof read them during break time at school). This didn't seem good, particularly as there was a very strong burning smell coming out of the top of it. I turned it off and stared blankly at the dead screen. And I'm gutted, it's been a part of my life for 4 years and now it's gone.

Still, looking on the bright side I've just ordered a 19" flat screen thing so it's not all doom and gloom. Let's hope it arrives quickly.

Talking of work, it's now only 3 days until the holidays. Mother has issued her usual summons from Whitby so I will be away next week visiting Yorkshire. This should give me a chance to visit the boathouse there and have a chat with Glen about recent events on Whitby Lifeboat. In my absence Dave, our Mechanic, is going to be a guest blogger for the week. The good news is he knows how to use a computer and take photos. The bad news is I've no idea if, being a mechanic, he can string more than a couple of words together at a time. We'll see!

The weather here is bitter just now, -4 degrees this morning. It should make tonight's exercise a fairly crisp affair. Superb.

An Admiral West

Gosh, well, I now feel a little bit of a fraud. I suppose on reflection yesterday's post now just looks like a vain attempt to garner some praise. It wasn't (though it was all very nice). It's just, I felt that I'd said I'd only do one year so that's what I thought I should do. Of course, it was with a rather heavy heart as I have really do enjoy doing this. I also felt that there is still a lot left to say. So............considering your reaction, what the heck, I'll carry on. Let me know if you are disappointed that I haven't stuck to my word.

In the meantime, how about anyone who has enjoyed the blog for the last year puts a quid or two on the Justgiving page? Don't feel you have to and please don't be put off by me mentioning it, but it would be a nice way to celebrate the end of the year. Cheers.

I'll put something up later on about our final day of the 1st Aid course and the de-brief with Howard Ramm.

(Thanks to Steven Bell of the Guardian for the cartoon)

How time flies..........

A year ago, when I started this blog, I decided I would do it for a year and then leave it. A snapshot in time. A record of one year in our station's life if you like. I wanted to show what lifeboating was like behind the scenes. Not just the Gale force winds, heroic struggles and bearded old hands. But also the training, the fun, the sadness and the rest. I hope I've achieved this?

The first post was on the 6th December 2006. Since then I have posted 320 times and there have been 48,005 visitors. The busiest day was Monday the 11th of June when there were 833 page loads and the busiest month was June when there were 6,975 visitors.

So here it is, our snapshot. I hope you have enjoyed it.

John

And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friend, I'll say it clear,
I'll state my case, of which Im certain.

I've lived a life thats full.
I've traveled each and ev'ry highway;
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few;
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course;
Each careful step along the byway,
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried.
I've had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that;
And may I say - not in a shy way,
No, oh no not me,
I did it my way.

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels;
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows -
And did it my way!
(Frank Sinatra - My Way)

Full to the brim.

Well. I had it pointed out yesterday that my blogging has become somewhat intermitent recently.........indeed none existent might be more accurate! I guess in a sense I feel like I have started to run out of things to say at about the same time as running out of time to say them in. I now have a new teaching job which seems to make rather more demands on my time. And that's a good thing. However. I am going to try and find a way to keep things going.

Do keep checking.

Rubber ball

It's funny how some things keep coming back to you.

During August I wrote a blog entry about a shout where we were first off told to wait for the police to come with us then told to go without them because they had not done a sea survival course. I'd quite forgotten about this but was reminded when a piece appeared in the Sunday Telegraph last weekend and the Telegraph this morning. The journalist in question had thankfully made the effort to read my entry carefully and had quoted me accurately. It has certainly reminded me that by posting my thoughts here I am laying them open to scrutiny by anyone and everyone. I will continue to bare this in mind when I post!

Rubber ball, I come bouncin' back to you
Rubber ball, I come bouncin' back to you
Ah-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I'm like a rubber ball
Baby that's all that I am to you
(Bouncy, bouncy) (bouncy, bouncy)
(Aaron Schroeder and Ann Orlowski)

The funny thing is

A few weeks back an over-zealous bystander called the Coastguard and before you know it we were in Kimmeridge attempting to rescue several fishermen who really didn't need rescuing at all. Suddenly yesterday this blog began to get a lot of hits from an angling internet forum. It turns out that one of the fellows who didn't need rescuing, was busily engaged on this forum in a discussion about how to prevent over anxious members of the public calling out the lifeboat for you when you are actually fine! Now I fully understand this as it is a concern that I have when I go to sea in my kayak. Needless to say, said chap is very good humoured and has taken the whole thing very well, good on him..........

It reminded me that some weeks further back this blog also got suddenly very popular with members of the border terrier internet forum fraternity! I wonder how many of them still read it? It's a funny little internet world we inhabit isn't it??

Double century!

Well, how time passes. It seems only moments ago that I sat here and made my first post. TWO HUNDRED posts later and I am still here, and, I suspect, so are you. Indeed there are more of you than ever which is great.For those of you who are interested here are three (almost) interesting statistics about the blog:

1. The total number of visitors to date is 19,791 (which is a palindromic number).

2. The busiest day was Tuesday 27th of March when there were 717 visits to the site (which is also a palindromic number).

3. 85% of the visitors have come from the United Kingdom. Just over 5% from the USA and a little under a quarter of a percent each from El Salvador and Kuwait!

So now you know!

Remind me.........

Next time I say that I am going sailing please stop me, in whatever way you see fit!

Last week I was away, as you may know, delivering my fathers recently purchased yacht to Northern Spain. The forecast was poor but not 'show stoppingly' poor. They said South Westerly 5-7 in the Bay of Biscay and Fitzroy sea areas. As it turned out we had no force 5's, 6's or 7's, mostly 8's and 9's!!!!! It was miserable to say the least.........thankfully it all worked out well in the end and here I am, back in the yoke feeling slightly wiser for the experience.

Of course there were some really good bits too. Somehow when one spends 4 days expecting each moment to be your last, life afterwards seems all the more sweet, meaningful and sharply focused. As a crew we worked well together: My father stoical as ever and utterly unflappable. Kev full of humour and taking all the hard, most boring watches without complaint. And me, well, just along for the ride really!

And so back to reality...........Thanks to Jo for her fabulous (if slightly embarrassing) posts in my absence. I've really enjoyed reading them and I think, from all the comments, that they have been very well received. I have news on the lifeboat front so watch this space and I will update things as soon as possible.

Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jojo. Go home
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jo.
(Beatles)

Rules are Made to be Broken

When John gave me the role of guest blogger, he did it with the strict instructions that I was not allowed to write about him. Well, it would be rude not to wouldn't it? And as he is so keen on lists of three, I have managed to whittle my long list of things that I love about John down to that very number..................here goes, this one's for you John!


1. When you talk he listens and he cares about what you are saying. A more warm, considerate, generous and loyal friend you could not hope to meet.

2. He lives his life as a series of adventures, always up to something exciting or planning the next great expedition.

3. This man Knows how to party!

"I'll be there for you

When the rain starts to pour

I'll be there for you

Like I've been there before

I'll be there for you

'Cuz you're there for me too..."

(The Rembrants)

Bullhorn Gal..........

Well it seems some time since I have had a holiday. Indeed six whole weeks have passed with me diligently turning up for work each morning! But no more. Half term is here and I'm off. Really off! The plan is to sail to Spain (you see I am really a closet WAFI). I depart on Saturday morning, the passage should take 4ish days and I am booked to fly back a week on Saturday.

In my absence the delectable, inspirational and truly sensational Jo has agreed to be a guest blogger for the week. As I type we sit here and I teach her all I know about using blogger........shouldn't take long. So without further ado I hand over the baton. Enjoy Jo........we certainly do!

Century.......

Well, would you believe it. This is my one hundredth post and still no shout! When I started I could hardly have imagined that this much time would have passed with no action. Still, you seem to be coming to read it all the same........perhaps you are getting an authentic view of the lifeboat year? Anyway, I'm away on holiday next week so I am certain that there will be a full week of action whilst I'm away, there's bound to be!

In any case, it has not been without it's benefits. Gav turned up this morning to fix my staircase. As it happened, he didn't complete the job, however, I'm sure that now he has got started it won't be too long before he gets it completed!

We're sailing on a strange sea
Blown by a strange wind
We're sailing on a strange sea
Blown by a strange wind
Carrying the strangest crew
That ever sinned
(The Waterboys)