dorset_is_beautiful

Hi, well as we're an inshore lifeboat we don't have to go too far out as a rule as we're best at fast response in local waters. I guess we went out around 10/11 miles to a vessel this year - but normally we'd not be going that far. The jobs far out to sea are undertaken by the ALBs (All weather lifeboats) which, as the name suggests, can also operate in any conditions. As an open RIB, we can't always launch if the sea is too rough or weather is too bad.

We're lucky in that we don't seem to get too many fake callouts - though there were a few earlier in the year. Unfortunately when someone says the magic word 'Mayday' over the radio it triggers a full response from the coastguard and they would almost certainly request us to launch in that situation. We get more of what we call 'false alarm with good intent' which is when someone thinks they may have seen something. It is up to the coastguard then to decide whether it is worth requesting a lifeboat launch.

Hmm, can't think of anything bizarre that I've been involved with. A few years ago the boat did go out to investigate a partially submerged object which turned out to be an upside down home-made raft with an engine of some kind bolted to it. It had been in the water a while - no idea where it had come from or what it was for!

We have an Atlantic 85 lifeboat which is the second fastest type in the RNLI's fleet (only the 'E' class on the Thames are faster). We can do 35 knots in ideal conditions - this is by design. The engines/hull could go a lot faster but it's not all about speed - the boat has to survive a battering by the sea, carry 4 crew and a lot of kit, self righting equipment, fuel, ballast etc so it's a balance of speed, handling, comfort, and so on. They're always trying out new tweaks and changes to improve things too.

The worst weather I have experienced was at the operational limits of our inshore boat - approximately a Force 7 in rough seas, with a huge swell banking up. When you're only a mile from home but can't see it because the waves are too high you gain a healthy respect for the sea.. (and also the boat, and your crew mates!). I have certainly been a bit scared, especially in the early days.

Dramatic rescues? Well our station has had a few - boats on fire, badly injured cliff fallers etc. For me personally it's probably anything where you're operating with a Sea King rescue helicopter hovering close by. The skill of those guys is amazing. I'm going to miss them when they're gone in the next year or so, that's for sure.. (although I have no doubt the new service will be just as good).

Ooh! I've just remembered my most bizarre rescue - I was on a navigation training course at the RNLI college in Poole, and we were out on a night-time exercise with an instructor. We'd gone wrong in the dark so were heading back to a known point to try again when we came across someone swimming in the middle of Poole harbour! They were stark naked and claimed to have swum into the harbour from Sandbanks I think. They were reluctant for us to help them but we managed to persuade them aboard and took them back to Poole & handed them over to an ambulance. If we hadn't made a mistake with our navigation we'd never have stumbled across them and I'm certain they would have died out there in the middle of the harbour in the dark. Crazy. Then we went back out for another couple of hours to complete our navigation exercise! And now anyone who knows me will be able to identify me from that incident lol ;-)

Hi again. It's something I always wanted to do I suppose. As a child I'd go out with my granddad on his little fishing boat (with no modern safety equipment!). But, it took until much later in life before I lived close enough to the sea and a Lifeboat station to be able to volunteer. I'd done a bit of dingy sailing, and crewed once or twice on bigger sailing boats with a local club. Its just something I'd always thought about. You have to live (or work) close to a station though, otherwise there's not much point.

You don't need any qualifications other than a willingness to give up your time and an ability to learn. All training, kit etc is provided. New crew attend a week course down at RNLI HQ in Poole (or 'Lifeboat Disneyland' as I like to call it ;-)

The days of crews being made up mostly of local fishermen and seafarers are sadly long gone I think. (I sail a desk during the day).

Hmm, well lots of spinach of course, for super strength! (Though, pipe smoking is somewhat frowned upon these days)

Hi, Dorset is beautiful indeed!

Thanks for your support of the RNLI - every penny is useful as it costs a lot to run a big 24-7 operation. As crew, we really appreciate all the others who are involved in fund raising. The crew are only one part of the puzzle. When my pager goes off & I head down to the station, I don't have to wonder whether the boat will be ready to go, or have enough fuel, or whether I'll have a dry-suit & life-jacket to wear. Somebody somewhere will have helped out to make sure that we're ready to go - rain or shine.

As I mentioned above (or below, still getting used to the layout ;) it's just something I always thought about. Then, one day life dealt the next hand, and suddenly I was living near the sea and close enough to a lifeboat station to volunteer.

Actually now I've thought about it a little, I started to consider it again around the time I was doing some dinghy sailing, and there was an independent (non-RNLI) lifeboat station near the sailing club, who I used to see go out on training sometimes whilst I was out on the water. As I used to do a bit of safety boat driving for the club, it seemed to me like something I would find interesting & perhaps be good enough at to be useful! (But I didn't live close enough to volunteer right then and there).