LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Cuba of Whitby

On the night of the 25th October, at 9 P.M., the brig Cuba, of Whitby, was driven ashore in a heavy gale off Winterton.

The life-boat was got ready soon after mid- night, but the night being dark, and the sea very heavy, the boatmen declined to man her until daylight. The, vessel had then broken up, and on nearing her fragments, the life-boat's crew succeeded in saving one man only. The brig having on board the crew of a schooner with which she had been in collision, besides her own crew, no less than 12 perished on the occasion.

An unfortunate mistrust of the qualities of the life-boat by the boatmen—a mistrust which has been fostered and encouraged by many persons quite ignorant of the boat, and of the whole subject of life-boats, is sup- posed to have to some extent influenced the men in their refusal to man the life-boat during the night. Several of the life-boats of this Institution, whose valuable services we are now recording, are of the same de- scription, but some of them inferior in size, and character to this boat, which will, how- ever, in deference to the wishes of the men, be exchanged for another, and removed to some other locality where she may be better appreciated.