LAUNCHES AND LIVES SAVED BY LIFE-BOATS AND IRBs 1 st March, 1971 to 31 st May, 1971: Launches 494, lives saved 227 THE ACTIVE FLEET (as at 31/5/71) 135 station life-boats 111 inshore rescue boats LIVES RESCUED 93,507 from the Institution's foundation in 1824 to 1st May 1971ROUGH SEA FACED IRB SAVE A drilling rig with men aboard off Hunterston was reported in trouble on 10th March. As assistance was required, the honorary secretary instructed the IRB at Largs, Ayrshire, to launch.

She launched at 12.50 p.m. with John Harrison at the helm and Robert Watson and Ian Mackie as crew. There was a north easterly gale with a short steep sea.

Once clear of the slip John Harrison headed straight for the rig at full speed, but once clear of the shelter of the land the sea conditions 192 worsened and he was only able to proceed at about half speed for the rest of the distance.

The IRB arrived off the rig at about 13.10 and John Harrison saw that the rig was really a pontoon which was moored at each corner and was moving violently at times with seas breaking over it. He could also hear the pontoon grinding down on the broken drill pipe which was still underneath the rig. A launch was still fast alongside the lee side of the pontoon and John Harrison took the IRB round the south side andcame up alongside the launch on the first attempt.

As the IRB came up to the launch Ian Mackie jumped aboard and then went aboard the rig where there were six men sheltering (five drilling team and the launch boatman).

Because of the weather it was decided that it would not be possible to move the launch and that it would be best to take the men ashore in the IRB in two runs. While John Harrison and Robert Watson kept the IRB alongside using the painter and engines, Ian Mackie helped three men aboard. One of these men was not wearing a life-jacket and was reluctant to get into the IRB so Ian Mackie took off his own lifejacket and put it on the man and volunteered to stay on the rig until the IRB returned.

The IRB then left the rig and headed down wind to Hunterston jetty where, after some difficulty because of projecting scaffolding, Robert Watson managed to get ashore and help the three men up a ladder on to the jetty. The IRB then headed back against the wind to the rig.

While the IRB was away Ian Mackie managed to talk to the shore control, using the R/T aboard the rig. The contractors ashore were reluctant to leave the launch, but the boatman who was a young man standing in for, the proper coxswain, was not prepared to take the launch in because of the weather. After Ian Mackie had explained the position, it was agreed that all men should be brought ashore by the IRB.

However, when the IRB returned the weather conditions were slightly better and Robert Watson volunteered to take the launch in if the launch hand would work the engines.

This was agreed and the other two men from the rig then went aboard the launch as well and Ian Mackie returned to the IRB.

Robert Watson then let go and headed the launch back at slow speed towards Fairlie, with the IRB as escort. The launch was tied up at Fairlie pier, about 2.30, without difficulty and the three men from the rig went ashore.

Framed letters of thanks, signed by the Institution's Chairman, were awarded to: John Harrison, helmsman, and Robert Wratson and Ian Mackie, crew members.INJURED SEAMEN TAKEN OFF AN injured seaman aboard the container ship Manchester Merit led to the Appledore, Devon, life-boat being called to her at 6.51 p.m. on 9th January. At that time she was 40 miles south west of the Smalls lighthouse.

The ship was diverting to Barnstaple bay and was expected to arrive there at about 3 a.m. on 10th January. It was decided to launch the lifeboat with a doctor on board to meet the vessel on arrival.

The crew assembled at 21.15andtheAppledore life-boat Louisa Anne Hawker slipped at 2.30 and made for the Manchester Merit. In the absence of the honorary medical adviser from the station his locum, Dr. D. F. Valentine, a former honorary medical adviser, and now aged about 67 years and retired from practice, went afloat to attend the injured man. The weather was cloudy with good visibility. There was a southerly gale with a rough sea and heavy westerly ground swell.

At 3.31, after a passage of six miles in a rough sea and foul tide, the life-boat approached the Manchester Merit lying at anchor 1 miles west of the Fairway buoy. The container ship was lying head to the west, against the flood tide and heavy ground sea.

The coxswain closed the port side of the ship, and transferred Dr. Valentine and crew member J. Pavitt. They experienced much difficulty in climbing the Jacob's ladder due to the 15 foot rise and fall of the sea alongside and there was a danger of being crushed between the two vessels. Indeed at one time J. Pavitt assisted Dr. Valentine to the extent of saving him from being crushed. The life-boat went alongside on a second occasion to pass the Neil Robertson stretcher aboard.

It was decided, after discussion between the doctor, the master of the Manchester Merit and the coxswain of the life-boat, that it would be safe to land the injured man. In order to provide a better lee for a transfer on her port side, the Manchester Merit weighed anchor and headed south south east. Then the life-boat went alongside for a third time and the injured man was safely transferred in the Neil Robertson stretcher.

At 4.41 hours, with Dr. Valentine and J. Pavitt aboard, the Appledore life-boat started the return passage to station. On arrival at 5.30 the casualty was transferred to a waiting ambulance.

The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Dr. D. F. Valentine and crew member J. Pavitt.FIREMEN TO THE RESCUE WHEN the 25-foot fishing vessel Bounty of Jersey, G.I., with four men aboard, was reported in difficulties at 8.21 p.m. on 24th July, 1970,* off the Rigdon Bank in St. Ouen's Bay, Jersey, the St. Helier life-boat Elizabeth Rippon was launched at 8.42. She was accompanied by the States Launch Duchess of Normandy which had the harbourmaster (who is also the station honorary secretary) on board.

At the same time the fire service and the police were sent by the Sea Rescue Centre to stand by ashore at St. Ouen's Bay, as the casualty was reported being swept on to a lee shore with its steering gear out of action. There was a west south westerly gale with a very rough sea. Visibility was poor with heavy rain squalls.

While the life-boat and the States launch were making for the scene, the fire service twinengined 'Zodiac' inflatable was towed by road five miles from its base to St. Ouen's bay, from which point, with a crew of three, it was launched into heavy surf which it cleared with difficulty, and eventually came up with the fishing vessel about one mile from the shore. The Bounty was pitching and tossing in the heavy ground sea and was dragging her anchor. The 'Zodiac' attempted to get alongside Bounty but was quite unable to do so. The helmsman, Sub- Officer D. C. Bickley, therefore decided to lie off and stand by.

At about 9 o'clock the States launch, which is faster than the life-boat, arrived and immediately closed the casualty to take off the crew, but they all refused to leave their boat. By this time Bounty had dragged her anchor as far as the L'Etacq reef where her anchor held in a depth of 24-feet.

The harbourmaster and the skipper of the launch decided that as the crew of the casualty would not abandon their boat they would have to try and take the vessel in tow. At the first attempt the launch was lifted by the sea over the tow line and the starboard propeller became *This service was not considered until May, 1971 194fouled. The line was cut, and a iurther attempt was made manoeuvring on the port engine only, but the port propeller soon became fouled on the unseen tail streaming from the starboard propeller. The launch anchored immediately The life-boat was informed and a tug sailed from St. Helier harbour to render assistance.

As soon as the Duchess of Normandy was anchored the harbourmaster called the 'Zodiac' alongside and he exchanged places with two of the crew. He then persuaded Sub-Officer Bickley to make another attempt to get alongside the casualty, which he did with a very determined effort. This time three of the crew were prepared to leave their boat, but the fourth stubbornly refused. These three men were transferred to the anchored launch, then once again the 'Zodiac' returned to the casualty to try and induce the remaining crew member to abandon Bounty, but in vain. While returning to the launch a wooden fore and aft strut in the 'Zodiac' fractured, rendering the craft less seaworthy in the prevailing conditions, so it was secured astern of the Duchess of Normandy.

When the life-boat Elizabeth Rippon arrived she was requested to take the Duchess of Normandy in tow, the intention being to transfer the tow as soon as possible to the tug which had already been requested for this purpose. The life-boat would then be free to stand by the casualty which still had one man on board. In the event, the life-boat did not transfer her tow to the tug, which the coxswain asked to stand by the casualty while the life-boat continued to tow the launch and 'Zodiac' to Bonne Nuit on the north coast of the island.

By 10.38 the tugmaster reported that, with the falling tide, the conditions were no longer suitable for his vessel to stand by the casualty and the tug returned to St. Helier, leaving Bounty which soon afterwards began dragging her anchor again when one of the flukes sheared.

Immediately the life-boat and Duchess of Normandy arrived at Bonne Nuit the harbourmaster telephoned the fire service and arranged for another of their 'Zodiacs' to stand by on shore to cover Bounty. Eventually the casualty was washed ashore at 3 a.m. on 25th July, where the remaining survivor was helped to safety by the second 'Zodiac' crew. The life-boat was then recalled to her station from where she had been awaiting daylight off Plemont point and was secured to her moorings at 4.56. At 12.40 p.m. the Bounty broke up.

The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Sub-Officer D. C.

Bickley of the Jersey Fire Service, and letters of thanks signed by the Institution's Chairman, Admiral Sir Wilfrid Woods, G.B.E., K.C.B., D.S.O., were sent to Fireman J. Robertson and Fireman T. Billot also of the Jersey Fire Service.SKIN DIVERS SAVED RED flares fired from a skin divers' boat about two miles off Selsey Bill on 28th March led to the Selsey life-boat being launched. A helicopter vas also called.

The life-boat Charles Henry was launched at 3.12 p.m., and came up with the skin divers' boat at 3.32. The coxswain was told that two divers had not been seen since diving at the Mixon one and a half hours earlier.

The coxswain, having made a careful assessment of the speed and drift of the tide decided to go westward at full speed. Twenty-six minutes later the life-boat, having steamed more than five miles, came up with the divers who had both jettisoned their equipment valued at £200.

They were taken on board the life-boat and landed at Selsey at 4.45.

Apart from the inevitable effects of the cold both men were otherwise fit and well. Considerable local publicity was focused on this service as a life-saving demonstration was in progressthroughout the afternoon at Gosport and the radio messages were relayed to the public who were able to follow the sequence of events leading up to the rescue of the two men. News of the rescue was greeted with loud cheers.

No. 8 Life-boat Area STUDENTS STRANDED STUDENTS stranded on Calf Island, four miles west south west of Port Erin, I.o.M., led to the Port Erin life-boat going to their assistance on 21st May.

The motor vessel, which took them to the island, went aground and was unlikely to be refloated until 7 o'clock. The honorary secretary confirmed the position with the lighthouse keeper on Calf island, and the life-boat Matthew Simpson was launched at 1.45 p.m. with a dinghy in tow. The stranded party had been instructed by radio to go to Cow harbour, one of the two small harbours on Calf island. While the life-boat stood off one lecturer and 16 students were ferried out by the dinghy..