Penlee Lifeboat.

[Rustyknight]

Apologies if someones already posted about this, but I thought it worth the "heads up".
BBC 4 at 8pm tonight, the story about the tragedy. It's been on before, I know, but certainly more interesting than football.

 

[sarabande]

"Penlee Lifeboat, Penlee Lifeboat, this is Falmouth Coastguard, Over."

...

"Penlee Lifeboat, Penlee Lifeboat, this isFalmouth Coastguard, Over."

..

The increasing despair in the repeated calls reduces me to tears every time. Men like the Penlee crew should be remembered for ever for bravery and skill beyond words.

 

[dom]

Just got in, seen this post and pressed record. A heartbreakingly terrible story.

 

[dom]

"Penlee Lifeboat, Penlee Lifeboat, this is Falmouth Coastguard, Over."

...

"Penlee Lifeboat, Penlee Lifeboat, this isFalmouth Coastguard, Over."

..

The increasing despair in the repeated calls reduces me to tears every time. Men like the Penlee crew should be remembered for ever for bravery and skill beyond words.

Makes one’s blood run cold ....the skill and courage to survive that hell for so long.

“Beyond words” ....for sure.

 

[harry potter]

Makes one’s blood run cold ....the skill and courage to survive that hell for so long.

“Beyond words” ....for sure.

 

[chanelyacht]

Makes one’s blood run cold ....the skill and courage to survive that hell for so long.

“Beyond words” ....for sure.

I was lucky enough to work for a short while with the guy who handled those radio calls, and having been in the Falmouth ops room on that anniversary a number of times, it's always a sobering night.

Patch and the crew at Penlee carry on the modern tradition, but always with a thought for their old crew as they pass the station on the way out.

Shame RNLI Poole didn't have the same respect when they "lost" the gold medal sent to them for safekeeping.

 

[elton]

It's a truly harrowing story, particularly for the seafarer of any description. I didn't intend to watch it, because I've seen it before, but I was drawn in. It resonates with me because I'm only breathing thanks to the bravery of an RNLI crew and the crew of an RAF Sea King, who winched me out of the wreck of my grounded and shattered Centaur, at the base of the 200 metre Boulby Cliffs, in utterly horrendous conditions.

My tale - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/6954480.stm

 

[newtothis]

It's a truly harrowing story, particularly for the seafarer of any description. I didn't intend to watch it, because I've seen it before, but I was drawn in. It resonates with me because I'm only breathing thanks to the bravery of an RNLI crew and the crew of an RAF Sea King, who winched me out of the wreck of my grounded and shattered Centaur, at the base of the 200 metre Boulby Cliffs, in utterly horrendous conditions.

My tale - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/6954480.stm

Cripes, how did you end up in that situation? Lucky your guardian angels were on duty that night.

 

[elton]

Cripes, how did you end up in that situation? Lucky your guardian angels were on duty that night.

Rigging failure followed by prop shaft failure, but ultimately horrendous weather and sea state pushing me inevitably toward the shore. A mile or two further north there are miles of sandy beach, but the cookie crumbled against me that day.

 

[newtothis]

Rigging failure followed by prop shaft failure, but ultimately horrendous weather and sea state pushing me inevitably toward the shore. A mile or two further north there are miles of sandy beach, but the cookie crumbled against me that day.

To lose one form of propulsion may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both...
Well done for surviving, and well done the lifeboat and helo crews.

 

[Mark-1]

prop shaft failure,

The bbc say your Centaur was 30ft long - that'll be why - the prop shaft didn't reach the prop.

 

[elton]

The bbc say your Centaur was 30ft long - that'll be why - the prop shaft didn't reach the prop.

Actually, "cush drive" disintegration. I'd become quite fastidious about checking its integrity since it had previously failed coming into the marina lock. I'd checked it the morning of my disaster, so I suspect I'd picked up a lobster pot line somewhere between Runswick Bay where I'd anchored overnight, and Boulby.

Pot lines are everywhere along that coast, but I could easily have sailed over one in the conditions, and never have seen it. But I'll never know.

 

[Seajet]

"Penlee Lifeboat, Penlee Lifeboat, this is Falmouth Coastguard, Over."

...

"Penlee Lifeboat, Penlee Lifeboat, this isFalmouth Coastguard, Over."

..

The increasing despair in the repeated calls reduces me to tears every time. Men like the Penlee crew should be remembered for ever for bravery and skill beyond words.

Me too, a couple of my best chums are lifeboat crew, both have done ILB and AWB service, like their medal winning dad before them - nowadays one is a rather good yottie too, having been a fisherman most of his life.

The best, possibly only acceptable face of the RNLI IMO.

I hope the families of crew such as those from Penlee get some consideration from the RNLI, but don't know, shall ask - they certainly should do.

 

[[3889]]

For anyone that missed it the whole programme is on Youtube.
As well as detailing the magnificent endeavours of the crew, it's a very well made documentary, balancing fact and emotion.

 

[Beelzebub]

I was sailing an Ecume de Mer from Jersey to Guernsey that night. It was certainly draughty but the sea wasn't too bad until surfing into St Peter Port:- we seemed to be at the same height as the top of the light at the end of the breakwater!

 

[Mark-1]

I was sailing an Ecume de Mer from Jersey to Guernsey that night.

Mid winter, small boat, night, loads of wind.

Respect.

 

[Daydream believer]

Mid winter, small boat, night, loads of wind.

Respect.

Is "respect" really the right choice of wording?

 

[Mark-1]

Is "respect" really the right choice of wording?

I think so, they'll have been in a very different sea state to Union Star with infinite room to leeward.

However, in the context of this thread you raise an interesting point. At what point is something so brave it's not actually a good idea any more. What was the likelihood of successfully rescuing people from a ship on rocks in massive surf on the lee shore of an ocean? Is it likely enough to be successful that it's worth jeopardizing 8 lives perhaps save 8 lives? In warfare suicidal bravery contributes to the overall effort, in rescuing people, less so.

In hindsight we know it wasn't but did it look likely to be successful at the time?

Let the flaming commence, but we can all agree they were seriously brave and well worth the honours they rightly received.

 

[Daydream believer]

I think so, they'll have been in a very different sea state to Union Star with infinite room to leeward.

However, in the context of this thread you raise an interesting point. At what point is something so brave it's not actually a good idea any more. What was the likelihood of successfully rescuing people from a ship on rocks in massive surf on the lee shore of an ocean? Is it likely enough to be successful it's worth jeopardizing 8 lives for a (perhaps) small chance of saving 8 lives? In warfare suicidal bravery helps the greater cause, in rescuing people, less so.

In hindsight we know it wasn't but did it look likely to be successful at the time?

Let the flaming commence, but we can all agree they were seriously brave and well worth the honours they rightly received.

Hang on--- i was not commenting on the penlee lifeboat incident. I was commenting on the use of the word respect for the ecume de mer in mid winter at night in waves above the light house etc etc in an earlier post
you have to read back to the quoted text
Please do not think that ii have any criticism of the lifeboat crew

 

[Mark-1]

Hang on--- i was not commenting on the penlee lifeboat incident.

No, but in the context of this thread it was still an interesting point.