Independent lifeboats

[iain789]

Dornoch

You have also got the East Sutherland Rescue Association at Dornoch (Far NE of Scotland for the geographically challenged).

http://esra-lifeboat.org/default.aspx

 

[Main Event]

Runswick Bay Rescue Boat - they do a superb job !

http://www.runswickrescue.org.uk/

 

[2Tizwoz]

The volunteers do a fantastic job; I only criticize their structure. The RNLI annual operating budget is approx. 10 times that of the equivalent sized French service whose total permanent workforce is less than those earning over £60k pa at the RNLI.

Things are run somewhat differently at Blyth.

'All staff are volunteers and no wages are paid by the Charity.'

Unlike elsewhere 'volunteers' are unpaid.

If the service were unaffected by their profligate spending the situation might be acceptable, however they were unable to maintain the boat at Blyth, hence the need for the local charity.

 

[alant]

You be arrested in France if you didn't try to help (non-assistance à personne en danger).

Hence Mayday!

Although, when asking french citizens on various courses, they deny any knowledge of that law.

 

[Lady Campanula]

Hence Mayday!

Although, when asking french citizens on various courses, they deny any knowledge of that law.

Article 98 of the International Convention on the Law of the Sea, AIR. France is, I believe, also a Signatory Flag State and has ratified into domestic legislation - as have we.

It's not discretionary. It's law.

 

[CoVianna]

I think that it's been the case for quite a while. My impression is that most of the non-RNLI lifeboats are inshore RIBs - possibly a need for them has grown with leisure boating?

C.F. Humber Rescue based near the Humber bridge.

It seems 'inshore' is the operative word regarding all these organisations.

And I am glad someone else mentioned the massive cost of the RNLI compared to overseas organisations. I agree.

But having said that I'm glad they are there, especially on Spurn Head where the lads do a great job.

 

[wooslehunter]

In the UK, there is absoutely nothing to stop anyone setting themselves up & running a rescue boat. But, many of the indies are "declared" to HMCG & approved by them. To be approved as a declared facility, requires a high level of competance & commitment. Declared boats do the same job as the RNLI & are launched in a similar manner by HMCG.

So what the advantages of the indies? Boats are ofte designed specifically for the areas they serve. i.e. GAFIRS & Hamble boats run big diesel RIBs with jet drives. The Solent area has lots of shallow water. Jets don't draw much & are safer than outboards around swimmers. So, idies have no national authority telling them what to do & how to work. Any money given locally will stay locally. Indies hardly ever have any paid staff too. So all donations go directly to the hardware.

Of course the main disadvantage is the massive RNLI fund raising & PR structure. Many people think all boats are RNLI so donations intended for an indie often go to the RNLI pot. Also, since they have no massive infrastructure, any maintenance has to be done locally & often by the crews themselves. In fact they will often fit out their own boats to save money. Break a boat & you have to fund & fix locally rather than have it sent off for repair & get a replacement while it's being fixed.

The indies provide a very valuable service to their communities. IMO, they should be encouraged & supported so they can stay independant.

Lots more info on the indies here http://www.i-lifeboat.org.uk/

 

[Tidewaiter2]

He's a good man!

Hayling Rescue = Frank Dunster + a very substantial RIB.

Stood by an Int. Moth out of HISC about 18 months=/- ago in Jan- kicker failure, so zero to windward, ie HISC. We we were too high to do other than Vert ripple the bloke, bugger the kit.
Called 0n Ch14- for CHi Hbr Patrol- zip as per usual, then Sandy 1+2, then Ch 16; Frank was there in about 10 mins- Happy Return. Solent CG ok with that.
And we made the sill!
Chipped into Franks repair bill last time too, hope he can tow 10.82m!

 

[Sandgrounder]

Non RNLI Lifeboats

Southport Lifeboat is not RNLI run and does both offshore (up to 25 miles) and inshore with different vessels for each.

 

[Sybarite]

Whereas when I last looked at their balance sheet, the RNLI had reserves of more than £500 million...

 

[Bilgediver]

Looks like they are RNLI.

http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/west/stations/atlanticcollege

Had a memorable time there many years ago. I was an extra in a film. Peter O'Toole and Jolley Richardson were in it.

Not saying what film, however it was memorable as a box office flop.

That is where it all started......and why the RNLI ribs were named Atlantic.....

 

[alant]

Article 98 of the International Convention on the Law of the Sea, AIR. France is, I believe, also a Signatory Flag State and has ratified into domestic legislation - as have we.

It's not discretionary. It's law.

I was responding to Sybarites post "You be arrested in France if you didn't try to help (non-assistance à personne en danger)", under which all citizens were obliged to render assistance upon hearing the cry "mayday" (phonetic spelling).

This was landbased Law, much later adopted for maritime useage.

We Brits never had such a law.

Nearest I can think of, citizens having an obligation to respond, was "Hue & Cry".
But us Brits have always favoured recapture of goods higher than human life perhaps.

 

[alan_d]

Had a memorable time there many years ago. I was an extra in a film. Peter O'Toole and Jolley Richardson were in it.

Not saying what film, however it was memorable as a box office flop.

King Ralph (1991)?

 

[chanelyacht]

There's actually around 65 independant boats in the UK, the vast majority of which are "declared" to us following visits, exercises etc. As others have said, many have grown up either following withdrawals of RNLI boats, or as responses to specific local incidents.

From my viewpoint, the vast majority are every bit as professional as the RNLI, although we do seem to see them go off station slightly more often, probably as they don't have access to the vast range of spare kit and even spare boats that the RNLI do following damages.

The flip side is you certainly know that a pound given to them goes into kit and not into a salary (not a dig at the RNLI, just the way it is).

 

[Shorn100]

Whereas when I last looked at their balance sheet, the RNLI had reserves of more than £500 million...

I think you mean assets of £500 million. According to the accounts free reserves are around the £80 million mark or put another way the RNLI would have to sell off their assets in 8 months if we stopped donating. Details are here http://www.rnli.org.uk/what_we_do/review_2009/annual_report_and_accounts_2009

Shorn

 

[Ubergeekian]

I think you mean assets of £500 million. According to the accounts free reserves are around the £80 million mark or put another way the RNLI would have to sell off their assets in 8 months if we stopped donating. Details are here http://www.rnli.org.uk/what_we_do/review_2009/annual_report_and_accounts_2009

According to the charities commission, the RNLI had £306.9m in own-use assets and £230m in long-term investments in December 2009. Since charitable expenditure was £123.5m, they should be able to run the lifeboat service for two years on their investments. If they stopped buying new boats for a bit, a lot longer than that.

 

[BrendanS]

Not forgetting Hamble Rescue, now Hamble Lifeboat, to which the YBW forums have made some decent sized donations to through the several MDL Mercury Marina forum meets, where through the generosity of MDL in providing facilities free of charge, we asked forumites to instead of paying mooring fees for the event, to make voluntary donations, some of which were very generous.

 

[Sybarite]

No I don't.

Net assets = Net reserves (in a charity where there is no share capital).

Net assets = £ 509.8 million
Net Reserves = £ 509.8 million made up of :

Endowment 9.2 m
Restricted 212.8 m
Designated 242.5 m
Free (net) 45.3 m


Compare these reserves with their 2009 expenditure :

Operating expenditure : £ 123.3
Capital expenditure £44.3

In other words their reserves total more than 3 times the 2009 expenditure. That is an extremely comfortable position for a charity. Reserves in most other charities equal months, not years.

Look at the salary structure on page 29 of the financial accounts. There are 40 people earning more than £60k (the number in this bracket increased by 15% over the previous year) and 8 over £100k (4 in 2008). This work is done by mainly unpaid volunteers in France. There are only 40-50 paid staff in France and about 3/4 of these are service mechanics.

 

[penfold]

Look at the salary structure on page 29 of the financial accounts. There are 40 people earning more than £60k (the number in this bracket increased by 15% over the previous year) and 8 over £100k (4 in 2008). This work is done by mainly unpaid volunteers in France. There are only 40-50 paid staff in France and about 3/4 of these are service mechanics.

[cynical hat on]These 8 people on £100k+, they wouldn't have anything to do with deciding remuneration would they?

 

[Romeo]

Do the RNLI boats manage to co-operate and exercise jointly with their non RNLI neighbours?