The RNLI

Lots of local rocket related stuff here on the north east coast. One of the most enjoyable, if not the most efficient, ways of supporting the RNLI is to buy a pint or bottle of Rocket Brigade IPA from Cullercoats Brewery, a proportion of the proceeds from which is donated to the RNLI.

Thanks to all the RNLI volunteers, your work is amazing!

We donate every month as it’s not often you get the chance to help real heroes. I upped the amount when the RNLI became a target of the culture warriors. Up yours Nigel.

Likewise.  As an ex Diver living in one of the most land locked areas of the UK, the RNLI are on a monthly donation and the more it upsets Farage and his gammons the better!

If anyone wants to be truly humbled by the heroics in the history of the RNLI, have a read about the rescue of the Suevic in 1907. All undertaken in open, rowed lifeboats. Truly remarkable…

https://rnli.org/about-us/our-history/timeline/1907-the-suevic-rescue#

The Rocket was invented by Henry Trengrouse. A fact I remember from his memorial in the church yard of the big town near where I grew up.

He had quite an interest in sea rescue and also pushed for proper burials for ship wreck victims.

I need to make another donation soon.

Modern this, modern that. Safety here, safety there.

The seas around Britain are dangerous places. An unexpected dunking in that water at any time of year can rapidly escalate into a life or death situation.

Some of the exploits of RNLI volunteers to this day are sobering.

Ex Merch, the only charity go out of my way to donate to.

stgeorge
Full Member
Ex Merch, the only charity go out of my way to donate to.

Niche but I’m with you.

This is for you Vicky, I STILL LOVE YOU!!

In the talk I attended on Tuesday it was claimed that the RNLI was the first charity in the world to organise street collections.

Apparently in the early years the RNLI relied on large donations from the wealthy Victorian elite as was typical at that time. However in those days maritime disasters were big news stories, and ones which deeply concerned ordinary Britons.

It wasn’t just concern for those who had lost their lives but also for those left behind, including the windows and children of lifeboat volunteers who had lost their lives. Ordinary Brits wanted to make small contributions to express both their concerns and their appreciation.

That’s when it was decided to collect pennies from ordinary people in the streets.There were invariably huge increases in funds after any particular disaster and the  collectors had purses on the end of poles about 3m long which could reach people deep in the crowds.

These days I believe that street collections have been replaced mostly by collection from supermarket entrances.

I guess that as a seafaring island nation the work of the RNLI was always going to tap deep into the national psyche.

The first photo in this link shows the RNLI street collectors and their long poles, although I think I underestimated when I suggested that they were 3m long!

https://rnli.org/about-us/our-history/timeline/1891-first-street-collection

I’m a volunteer on one of the crews on the Thames. Quite a different setup from most of the coastal stations though. No pagers, instead you stay on station for 12 hour shifts. Also we use the E Class. Love the atlantic 85s, but not suitable for the work we do.

What is the appeal of the Atlantic 85? The E Class looks impressive!

@morphio – I thought that the Thames and Humber stations were crewed by full time employees?

How on earth do you manage 12 hour shifts alongside your “day job”?

Atlantic 85s are awesome boats and great fun to be bouncing around on, still use them when I’m lucky enough to do training down at Poole.

The E Class (We’re on the Mk2 now, much faster and more powerful: https://rnli.org/what-we-do/lifeboats-and-stations/our-lifeboat-fleet/e-class-lifeboat) is more suitable for the Thames. Much more maneauverable in and around bridges with the jets, safer around people and I’ve often had to go places with less than a foot of water to spare below me.

Wouldn’t be much use on the coast though, while it slams less than the Mk1 when we tested it, at the speed it goes for it’s length it’s easy to get the jets out of the water when hammering across waves which can get very brutal. And we don’t have self righting gear on the Mk2 to save weight.

There’s a mix. We have a few paid full timers that work 4 on, 4 off.
Always 3-4 people on shift. Typically 1 or 2 are full timers, the rest volunteer. Sometimes the crew is all volunteer, but not most shifts.

The nice thing about shifts is you can plan them in. 2 a month is the requirement to stay current. Typically I’ll book a couple of night shifts or a day shift and a night shift a long way out in the calendar (7 to 7) and then closer in people fill in for the spaces left. 1 night shift after work is generally fine. I try to avoid 2 in the same week these days.

What is the appeal of the Atlantic 85? The E Class looks impressive!

A lot easier to unbolt outboard engines to swap them over if there is a problem than switch inbuilt jet dives.  Jets are good around people, shallow water, ropes etc so make a lot of sense for the thames.   But run a jet up a shingle beach and you’ll have a very grumpy mechanic, but can probably polish out the scratches on an Atlantic 85.  The hull forms are probably different for the different size of waves they are likely to encounter too.  The e-class doesn’t have traditional inflatable tubes which might mean its a bit rougher on the sides of anything it comes alongside probably less of an issue on the thames where those boats are used to coming alongside dock walls etc, and soft tubes would take quite a battering from those things themselves.

@morphio – I thought that the Thames and Humber stations were crewed by full time employees?

How on earth do you manage 12 hour shifts alongside your “day job”?

For some people a highly predictable 2x 12 hrs a month might be far better than a pager going off at random times.  Its not like routine lifeboat call outs have no disruption to job/family life.  I think Humber are all paid crew but Thames are mix of vounteers and paid?

For some people a highly predictable 2x 12 hrs a month might be far better than a pager going off at random times.  Its not like routine lifeboat call outs have no disruption to job/family life.  I think Humber are all paid crew but Thames are mix of vounteers and paid?

Exactly. We’ve already blown past 333 callouts so far this year. That’s never going work with pagers. And our target is kitted up and boat moving within 90 seconds of the Coastguard phone call. That’s not going to happen even if everyone lived next to the station.