THIS question was briefly touched on in the article in this Journal on " The Changes in the Institution's Life-boat Fleet since 1897," published in February last. Not very many years ago it was brought as a charge against the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION that it did not consult the Coxswains and crews of Life-boats sufficiently when new boats were sent to the coast. It may be of interest to readers of this Journal to know the steps that are taken to replace an old Life-boat by a new one, whenever it is found necessary or desirable to do so.

As a rule, Life-boats are condemned from old age, and the average life of a boat varies from fifteen to twenty years; of course in some cases boats are seriously damaged on service and occa- sionally at an exercise, and on opening them out for examination and repair, the defects are found to be so extensive, and the cost of repair so great, that it would not be prudent to spend so much money on a comparatively old boat; and in these cases it is generally found cheaper in the long run to offer the Station a new Life-boat.

Then again the improvements in the design and fittings of Life-boats which have been effected in the last fifteen years, have had a tendency to make Life-boats that are now over twenty years of age compare unfavourably with the newer boats. This improvement in design, however, is not likely to go on so rapidly in the future as it has done lately; although, of course, progress is always the aim of the Institution; and the principal thing now that is likely to cause a demand for new boats, apart from age, is the advent of the motor, which, as the various defects and difficul- ties now being experienced are overcome, is bound to be a valuable auxiliary power in the future.

Now let us take it that from one or other of the above reasons, a Life-boat has been condemned, and the Committee of Management decide to offer a new boat to the Station. The first thing done is to notify the Local Honorary Secretary and the District Inspector of this decision, and the latter is directed to send in a list of Life-boat Stations to which a deputation of the crew can be sent to look at the boats and to see them launched if the weather is rough enough, and to confer with the Coxswains as to their behaviour at sea, and suita- bility for launching at that particular Station. In making out this list the object is to show the visiting deputation several Life-boats of different types, any one of which might be suitable for the work, provided the deputation take a fancy to her; and of course the weight and size of the boat, and draught of water has principally to be considered.

In bygone years it was almost invariably the custom to replace a self-righting boat by another self-righting boat of approximately the same size; and at many places the men were quite ignorant that non-self-righting boats of several different types existed, and did very excellent work on various parts of the coast.

In the year 1896 the Committee of Management decided that in all cases before new boats are built, a deputation of three men is to be sent to look at other boats, should they desire to do so, before they express an opinion about the new boat they wish to have at their own Station.

This custom has proved completely successful, and it has done more to educate the men in these matters and to widen their ideas than all the argument in the world. Some men, of course, go away from home perfectly satisfied with the type of boat they have been used to, and coming back of the same opinion, ask to be supplied with a new boat similar to the one condemned; in which case of course every attention is paid to their wishes; but even in these cases they often see different methods of launching, different fittings and rigs, and many other things they have never seen before, and almost invariably suggest some improvements which they would like embodied in the new boat. Other men after seeing the non-self-righting types of boats, and carefully examining them in the boat- house, and then having a trip to sea and watching their behaviour under sail and oars, will form the opinion that such a boat would be even more suitable for the work they have to do than the self- righting type; and in such a case, if the remainder of the crew agrees with what they represent, and if there is no sound reason for not granting their request, the Committee, whilst keeping the final decision in their own hands, invariably build them what they ask for. It is an old saying that " a good workman works best with his own tools," and in Life-boat work it is impossible to expect the best results out of the undoubtedly fine and experienced crews who man the Life-boats, unless they are provided with the machine they prefer and understand. This newer system of selecting boats has undoubtedly jiven the Life-boat crews great satis- faction, and by removing all causes of discontent, has been greatly to the advantage of the service. The Local Honorary Secretary arranges about the selection of the deputation, usually com- posed of the Coxswain and two other men in whom the majority of the crewhave confidence. As soon as these preliminary steps are taken, and the programme decided, the Honorary Secre- taries at the Stations to be visited are notified that the deputation is coming on a certain day, and authorised to launch the boats for the inspection of the deputation, should they wish to see them afloat, and should the weather be in any way suitable to test them properly; this being done the deputation is started on its travels.

To some of these men it is quite an experience to leave home and to see new places and fresh faces, indeed many of them say they have greatly enjoyed the trip and wished it had lasted longer. Of course all expenses are paid by the Institution and each man receives a certain sum for board and lodging, besides an equal sum for loss of time per day, together with all railway fares and other travelling expenses. As a rule they are not losers by leaving their own work, and if the deputations were made much larger there is no doubt there would be plenty of men eager to go.

The trip generally lasts several days, and men from Yorkshire or Durham or Scotland are sometimes sent to the coasts of Wales or Devon or Cornwall, in order to see some special boat; the reader can imagine the yarns they hear and the yarns they spin about Life-boat experiences when they meet their brother Coxswains and crews who are often quite a different class of men with a strange language.

Many things are discovered, many new dodges of launching, peculiar, perhaps, to the locality they are visiting and which they have not seen before, and many improvements of various sorts that have not yet reached their own Stations. All they see is generally taken in and keenly discussed amongst themselves; and then it has to be described to the other men who form the crew of the Life-boat when they reach home, and if they think any of the new appliances they have been shown would be useful at their own Station, they are not at all backward in asking to have them supplied. " Oh, but the boat-house we saw is grand, and I think we ought to have a new one." " Those new clappers we saw on the wheels are ' cannie,' and they hardly sank into the sand at all, and would do us famous." "They launch the boat there quite different to ours, and it seems a clever plan." " Why, Inspector, those chaps have got oilskins supplied them, why are we not allowed any ?" " The oars we saw were fitted quite different to ours, and I like their plan the best." Such remarks are made in plenty, and generally have the effect that the old Stations are levelled up to the new, subject to cost not being pro- hibitive ; which is all for the improve- ment of the service.

Then when the deputation reaches home again they generally have a grand | palaver with their shipmates, and often a great deal of discussion goes on about the various boats and other things the deputation have seen, the hospitality they have received and the quality of the tobacco that was given to them; and when things are sufficiently ripe, the District Inspector would pay a special visit to meet the Local Committee and the men and to make a report on their requirements. The deputation are called into the room and give a report of what boats they have seen and what they recommend, especially whether they wish for a self-righting or a non- self-righting boat. Other men who man the boat are invited to express their opinion, and the whole question is thoroughly discussed by the crew, the Local Committee, and the Inspector.

Finally, an official form is filled up by the District Inspector giving all details of the type, size, rig, and fittings of the boat selected, which is signed by him and sent to London.

This report is always placed before the next monthly meeting of the Committee of Management with any remarks the Chief Inspector wishes to make; if his remarks are favourable, it may be con- cluded that the Committee will approve of the request of the men, and the boat is ordered by the Secretary and put in hand as soon as possible; if the Chief Inspector does not approve of the selec- tion, of course he gives his reasons to the Committee ; and the matter is postponed for another month, whilst the District Inspector is probably sent down again to the station to try and adjust matters.

This, however, does not often happen, as it is very seldom that the men. ask for an unsuitable boat, and, as a general rule, if the wishes of the men are reasonable they are provided with the boat they have selected. And here it should be stated that sometimes a deputation goes round and looks at three or four different boats, and ends up by asking for a boat quite unlike any of those they have seen. They forget that a pulling Life-boat is designed for pulling, and a sailing Life-boat is designed for sailing; and it is impossible to select a pulling boat, and by the addition of masts and sails and centre-boards to transform her into a safe sailing boat.

Thus some will take a great fancy to a certain boat and will want various alterations made in her such as a foot more length and three to six inches more beam, losing sight of the fact that this cannot be done without entirely altering the character of the boat, her shape, her weight, the draught of water, and her behaviour at sea. The number of different sizes of Life-boats cannot be multiplied indefinitely and there are certain standard boats of various sizes, both self-righting and non-self-righting, which are built by the Institution because by experience and trial on the coast they have proved satisfactory and reliable. These standard sizes cannot be departed from unless some very special reason is shown for doing so and deputations should remember this when they are making their choice.

Anyone will see that the most de- liberate and conscientious care is taken in the selection of new boats, and that the Coxswains and crews who man them are consulted at all stages ; and so the old extraordinary idea which even now exists amongst some of the critics of the Insti- tution, that this or that sort of Life-boat ! was sent to the coast without consulting the crew who would have to go afloat and risk their lives in her, should be exploded; at any rate, by anyone who reads this Journal. In bygone years, before these deputations were sent round the coast to examine different Life-boats, there may sometimes have been cases where new boats were built without the crew being sufficiently acquainted with the various types of boats and all the latest improvements which are year by year introduced. Under the present system of selecting boats, that has become an impossibility, and in all cases if the men do not get the sort of boat they want and which they think is most suitable, it is entirely their own fault.

What is the general result of all this care and consultation ? The Coxswains and crews are almost in- variably satisfied with their new boats after they have been constructed and sent to their Stations ; and after the test exercise, which is specially held in ! rough weather to try the boat both under oars and sails, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred a favourable report is sent up to London on her behaviour ; often indeed the men are loud in their praises and say she is in every way a very much better boat than the old one. Of course, the great aim and object of the Institution is to go on improving both boats and fittings, and not to stand still; and to do this it is necessary to utilize all the experience at their disposal, not only that of Inspector's and other officials, but also that of the Coxswains and other men who man the Life-boats, these naturally having more valuable experience of handling them in all conditions of wind and weather than anyone else..