The RNLI

Just been to a talk this evening by the RNLI…..an amazing organisation with an amazing two hundred year history, and which now has the amazing Shannon-class lifeboats :

“Saving Lives at Sea” has long been a TV favourite of mine, anyone on stw a RNLI volunteer?

anyone on stw a RNLI volunteer?

Excellent question that!

Totally agree about the organisation too.

Not me, too far from the  sea but I have a few friends that are and we do bits and pieces of work for them.

I did hear a great story that at the naming ceremony of one of the boats, the person who had donated the full cost of the boat and was naming the boat after his late wife, took the RNLI announcer to one side just before she walked onto the stage. He wanted to tell her that when they have worn that boat out he would buy them another.. It took them all a little while to gather their composure..

By some weird coincidence I have seen lots of lifeboat launches, one of the most memorable was Skegness which has an enormous off road contraption to carry the boat across the beach to the water. Absolutely incredible and very impressive

I often find myself working away and staying in Travelodge hotels. One of the highlights, and it’s obviously a low bar, is watching ‘Saving lives at sea’ while tucking into the umpteenth takeaway that week

Impressive bit of kit, designed and built themselves too.

I wonder if (or could) they license the design for production that could be sold worldwide.

Mrs Donald is on the local fund raising committee and a shop volunteer. We live in a seaside town and our lifeboat is very dear to people’s hearts here.

Shannon is a beaut.

I’d like them to have more Shannons and if you do too – https://donate.justgiving.com/charity/rnli/donation-amount

I work in a coastal town and walk past the lifeboat house frequently on lunch breaks. They’ve got an old tractor I sometimes see on the beach, which has phenomenal levels of rust, but is still in use. Haven’t witnessed any launches yet, but have seen it out at sea, or sometimes just outside. I love the sea, but only to look at and listen to – as I can’t swim.

I wonder if (or could) they license the design for production that could be sold worldwide.

they sell old boats to other organisations.  I don’t think the build or license to other parties but I suspect that is a cost rather than principal issue, not many lifeboat organisations in other parts of the world have their sort of budget.  Indeed most of the 80 odd independent  lifeboats / rescue services around the U.K. certainly couldn’t.  Thats not to knock the work they do.

Indeed most of the 80 odd independent lifeboats / rescue services around the U.K.

Well, well, for some reason I’d always assumed there were no independent lifeboats around the country to be honest. Another interesting fact learnt from STW.