Lifeboat crew forum members?

Although living in a coastal county, not living actually on the coast combined with a very busy professional life precluded what would have been something I would have liked to do. Now run a coastal / marine outfit with some of our team being current and ex-RNLI - some good banter as my seamanship training comes from the RN and there are the odd differences in practice :)

Been a season ticket holder for many years and like others, I would prefer not to cash in on it!
 
JumbleDuck said:
Is that going reasonably harmoniously after the well-publicised problems?
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For the last nearly 2 years, we’ve been really busy, training and exercising and building the new crew’s competency and experience. Between our inshore and all weather boats, we’ve carried out I think nearly 60 shouts and over 250 exercises this year alone.
Far too busy to be concerning ourselves with what anyone else is doing, just getting on with the task of providing the most effective service we can.
 
Just a suggestion - a thread like this is an ideal place to (subtly!) promote your own lifeboat if you are a crew member.
I am thinking especially so for the independent lifeboats, all of whom generally appear to be more strapped for cash than the RNLI.
To get the ball rolling on this theme, a question for mm42 - which is your independent lifeboat?
Can you provide a website link or Facebook page for it perhaps?
 
Questions please: In areas with both RNLI and an independent, ( eg Solent with GAFIRS), how does the CG choose which to send?
If the independent is sometimes neccessary, eg two shouts at the same time in different places, why does the RNLI not provide a permanent extra boat, from their huge resources?
The situation is baffling to an outsider, the question often arises chatting to yacht crews.
Also, if you want your charity donation to increase cover, rather than go to either one organisation or another (out of loyalty for example) how do you find out where to send it?
Does the RNLI's huge fame and goodwill, and its huge PR machine, and media cover, detract from possible support for independents?
Do independents have paid crews also, like the RNLI does at e.g. Spurn?
Thanks.
 
I'm not sure how the CG task - I have a friend who is a watch manager at Humber, I will ask her. I guess the most appropriate and closest suitable resource, I do know that the asset has to meet certain requirements of training and be 'approved' by the CG before being allowed to be tasked.

Whilst having a bitter taste from the RNLI, be careful if you ever leave money to an independent as lifeboat is an open term and the RNLI are or at least were know for aggressively pursuing wills and legacies where things were a bit vague.

Edited to add I believe the RNLI have closed stations as they believe neighboring ones can reach the area within an acceptable time span and maybe more suitable craft.

W.
 
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PilotWolf said:
Edited to add I believe the RNLI have closed stations as they believe neighboring ones can reach the area within an acceptable time span and maybe more suitable craft.
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They did that at St Abbs on the basis that Eyemouth could cover. While that may be technically true, they completely failed to take account of the very, very strong bond between fishing communities and THEIR lifeboats, and the St Abbs station is back as an independent with a boat supplied by Boyd Tunnock (of the teacakes).

I have the utmost respect for RNLI crews but the organisation does sometimes seem a bit heartlessly bureaucratic. I heard, for example - and am happy to be corrected - that the RNLI opposed plans for an independent lifeboat on Loch Awe, even though they neither cover it themselves nor plan to do so.
 
I don't intend to get in to a discussion about the RNLI politics as I am biased but I believe there have been several incidents of this.

As for tasking by the CG my friend says it is based on many factors, such as vessel type, weather, tides, who is a available, ensuring continued cover in neighboring areas. There is no bias towards independent or RNLI, just whichever is most suitable for the tasking.

W.
 
PilotWolf said:
Was at Spurn for 2 years. Most miserable time of my life - bullying and abuse by the Cox was unbelievable

PW.
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Sorry you had this experience. Not at Spurn, but joined a dysfunctional LB team for 2 years, glad to move somewhere different for the excuse to leave.

All current proud serving lifeboat people, thanks, I know it's not all fun and laughter.
 
ProMariner said:
Sorry you had this experience. Not at Spurn, but joined a dysfunctional LB team for 2 years, glad to move somewhere different for the excuse to leave.

All current proud serving lifeboat people, thanks, I know it's not all fun and laughter.
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Thanks and for the most part still have the utmost repeat for crews but no longer in the UK at present
 
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