THIS is the story of a cruise among the islands of the West Coast of Sweden in August, 1950, by the ex Royal National life-boat Henry Frederick Swan, and her crew of Sea Scouts.

Henry Frederick Sivan, which is a 40 foot self-righting boat built in 1917 and originally stationed at Tynemouth, was presented by the Royal National Life-boat Institution to the 3rd Tyne Sea Scouts. She has a small galley built against the fore end box, her sail area has been increased by about 100 square feet without altering the rig, and she is provided with a sleeping tent to fit over the well, but otherwise there is little change in her original appear- ance. Her engine, which ran well all the trip, is the original Tyler engine, and her displacement during the trip, with crew of nine and nineteen kits' as well as tents for shore camping aboard, was about 14|- tons.

The first idea of the cruise came in 1949 when a week's stormy weather on the inhospitable North-East Coast ruined the attempts at a cruise to Scot- land, but the whole scheme was only made possible by the enthusiastic help of the Swedish Lloyd Line, who not only offered to carry the boat to Sweden and back, free of charge, but also took the greatest interest in the cruise itself.

The Gothenburg Sea Scouts made all contacts and helped to plan and run the trip, while they had a great send-off from the Tynemouth Life-boat Station.

So many of the senior troop wished to go that it was decided to take three watches of five in addition to the cox- swain, navigator and engineer, and to arrange for one watch to run Henry Frederick Swan each day and for the others to travel by steamer, bus or on foot. Thus everybody would get a fair share of boatwork, and at the same time would have a good chance of seeing the Swedish countryside.

Eventually nineteen people formed the party. The group scoutmaster had two assistant scoutmasters with him, aged twenty years, and the others ranged from fifteen to eighteen.

They set off from Newcastle, and crossed the North Sea in just over two days.

During the cruise they visited Goth- enburg, Langedrag, Oekero, and Salo Fjord, passing the Halles Islands; and by Lango Island to the Albkektssunds Kanal. Thence they went to Mar- strand, and past Berlin Island and Gullholmen to Lysekil and Smogen, and — through the Maid canal — to Kungsviken. After lingering in HP.V- stens Fjord, they called at Stillingson, Sparreviken, Ljungskile0, and once more at Marstrand. Finally, via Ockero, Branno and Langedrag, they returned to Gothenburg. So back to England. The whole cruise took just over a fortnight.

They had an interesting and exciting, though sometimes strenuous trip, punc- tuated by bathing expeditions, and visits to different Swedish towns they called at en route.

A great deal of complicated and skil- ful navigation was needed. Just north of Berlin Island they gave too wide a berth to a rock with a prominent top mark, and in doing so hit another just below the surface. By that time they were doing about 7 knots under sail and power. There was a crash, the bow rose into the air, and they passed right over the rock and back into the water, undamaged. It was a nar- row escape. No boat—their chronicler said—but an R.N.L.I. boat, could have stood it.

It is gratifying to know that an old life-boat like the Henry Frederick Swan is able to do such a prolonged and diffi- cult trip, and to give practice in sea- manship to a number of Britain's youth..