Quantum Leap

Looking at yesterdays pictures of the Robert Charles Brown and J. Reginald Corah alongside each other I was struck by the vast differences between the two boats. Going back a generation further this boat (Dave will surely be able to tell me her name) is in most ways very similar to a Rother class; similar hull shape, similar speed and similarly equipped. The leap in technology to the Mersey class was in many ways a quantum leap, the next jump to Fast Carriage Boat 2 (FCB2) is if anything even greater. Once again the speed has doubled, there are water jets, touchscreens, she can be joystick controlled…….the list goes on. Funny really, they all do the same job of saving lives at sea.

Update: I knew I could rely on Dave for the historical facts……..

It is the RLP (short for Reginald Lional Pugh). It was a 41ft Watson class and was stationed at Swanage until 1975, when it was replaced with the J Reginald Corah. I can boast that it was the first lifeboat I served on, although thankfully I am not in the photo. Four of those pictured are still alive. Phil and Eric Dorey, Donald Dyke and 87 year old Ron Hardy (who was coxswain when I joined and is on the far left on the boat). RLP was a great sea boat, going through any heavy seas, but you always ended up cold and wet. It had a top speed of 7 knots. You youngsters don’t know how lucky you are.

Dave Corben

(and who says old people suffer memory loss?…….well done Mr Corben!)

The reminiscences keep flooding in, Karina – lovely wife of Martin and daughter of ex cox’n Vic Marsh adds these thoughts:

Nice to see the old photo of the RLP, I think my Dad and uncle Reg are on the boat, my grandfather-Sid, is on the slip.
Sad to hear the news about the Corah, the boys (Gav & Matt)used to spend every Thursday helping dad lower the boat out to do the radio test, also a bit wistful as both Matt and then 21 years later Jack (Matt’s son) were both christened on board her.Well, that’s life.
keep up the good work with the scrapbook.
Karina x

End of an era?

Each summer during lifeboat week, Roger, the current owner of our last ALB, the J. Reginald Corah has returned her to Swanage and conducted pleasure trips around the bay in her for the RNLI’s benefit. He has in many ways become a key part of our weeks celebrations. Sadly, due to Roger’s ill health he will probably not bring her this year as she is on the market. We hope she finds a sympathetic and caring new owner and perhaps returns again to Swanage?Here Swanage lifeboats past and present perform for the crowds. Stormy Stan can be seen on the bow!And relax, the end of a hard day?

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)!

Pink ‘pub bike’

I promised more details about my glorious pink ‘pub bike’ and here it is in the flesh. If you only have one bike in your life, this is the one you should have. It looks dreadful, is truly awful to ride, I’m uncertain about how safe it is but…….and it’s a big but………it was free, yes, that’s right, free, from the dump! The other added bonus is that it is never going to be stolen and therefor never needs locking up when I arrive for a shout. I also like to think that it is so utterly crap that it is cool. Before long I am sure everyone will have one?

Slip sliding away

I am sorry to have to report that today’s slipway trials went less well than we had hoped. South boats had shaved roughly 5 mil off the keel but to no avail. After the trial the Robert Charles Brown sailed away and we remain firmly attached to ‘Pinkie’. It seems like we will be continuing to enjoy her company for some time still.

Whoah God only knows, God makes his plan
The informations unavailable to the mortal man
Were workin our jobs, collect our pay
Believe were gliding down the highway, when in fact were slip sliding away
(Simon and Garfunkel)

Testing testing

Being close to Poole we are frequently asked by them to trial and test the latest gadgets or pieces of kit. Often these end up being very good and as a bonus we often keep them so are one of the first to have something in the fleet.

A few years back these headphones were the latest thing on test. They are brilliant, worked fantastically, they allowed you to be within 100 metres or so and still be able to communicate with and hear anyone else wearing a pair, they are waterproof too. Fab. Only problem? Well honestly, look at them. They work but aren’t usable. They must be the most bulky bit of communications kit ever produced. Wear them and you will have neck ache for weeks. Still……..they look gucci hung up there on their rack.

I have a question for you

So there you are. You’ve just bought the boat of your dreams. You know little about her apart from she is filthy, things keep falling off and she is held together in lots of places by gaffer tape. Do you a) Spend many hours fixing her up and learning her foibles or b) Climb aboard and set off on passage from Weymouth to Essex?Choose option a) and there is a fair chance that things will work out OK. Choose option b) and there is a fair chance that things will work out like this!

Comings and goings

There was a shore based exercise last night at the boathouse going over some first aid type stuff. I wasn’t there but met up with the gang in the Anchor afterwards so as to have a brief meeting with Becky about lifeboat week. Needless to say this didn’t happen……or if it did our conclusions are lost. Nevertheless, the gang was on top form and provided excellent entertainment. Jon Deas was being his usual quite and retiring self. However, he did come up with the most excellent nick-name for our two latest recruits, ‘Laurel & Hardy’. Poor Nick and Ollie are still trying to work out who is who but I am sure it will stick.Jo was also there last night, always up for an impromptu party and full of fun and mild amounts of madness (think cat on a windy day).Congratulations to Ant Corben who has just this week finished his probationary year and is now a fully fledged crewmember. He has a very large pair of lifeboating wellies to fill but I am certain he will do this with panache and style…..welcome aboard!

Wing Commander Williams

A general business in our lifeboating world has led to much posting about boats and shouts but little talk about people. Here to make amends is ‘Wing Commander’ Williams………also known as Steve:

Wing-co is our Senior Helmsman on the ILB and a stickler for doing things right. By trade he is a software engineer (explains his attention to detail) and for fun he rides big motorbikes, sails large catamarans, kayaks, rides mountain bikes and takes part in adventure races. He also makes a habit of fathering boys. Another one of those people whose world spins slightly faster than the rest of us. He has perhaps also got slightly larger ‘Cojones’ than the rest of us?

Furthermore (and perhaps I ought not to tell you this) he is the only person I have ever know to crash into a police car, then drive away from the scene in a squeal of rubber, and then subsequently persuade the officers involved that it was all their fault and that indeed perhaps they ought to be apologising to him. And, I should mention, got away with it! Sir, we take our hats off to you………

Who killed Bambi?

Look carefully in this picture and you can see a small Sika Deer being persuaded to get into our ‘Ambulance Pouch’ (polite name for a body bag/folding stretcher). Such is the diversity of lifeboat work, this is what our ILB crew found themselves doing on Saturday afternoon.

Now this is not what lifeboats are generally intended to be used for. However…….as a crew we like to help in these situations. Being a fairly helpful bunch we feel that if we can help alleviate suffering in animals then we are keen to do so. The added bonus is that it also saves members of the public ‘having a go’ and getting injured or even dead as so often can happen.

Furthermore, Phyll Clare, the benefactor who donated our boat in memory of her late husband, is also a keen animal lover and we know that she loves it when we help animals out………naturally we like to keep her happy.

Here Ollie, Becky and Chad are moving into position to round her up.

Spot the Bambi!

Gentle pretty thing
Who only had one spring
You bravely faced the world
Ready for anything
I’m happy that you lived
For your life is mine
What have I except to cry
Spirit never die
Birds of the air
Beasts of the earth
Overjoyed at Bambi’s birth they gambolled in the glade
(The Sex Pistols)