SEPTEMBER 1982 Extracts from the log of Acting Motor Mechanic ALEC MOORE of the delivery trip of the 46ft 9in Watson lifeboat Herbert Leigh at the end of her time as a station boat; she is now in the relief fleet. For the voyage the other members of her crew were Acting Coxswain Albert Benson, Acting Assistant Mechanic Bill Lancaster and Crew Members Ernie Diamond, Tommy Keenan and Frank Moore, BEM, retired motor mechanic of Barrow lifeboat. Friday September 24 1330: Took stores, spare fuel and oil down to the dock to put on board Herbert Leigh as we would be sailing early next morning on the first leg of our passage from Barrow to Poole.

Saturday September 25 0445: Under way, bound for Holyhead.

Forecast: wind south south east moderate to strong breeze, force 4 to 6, possibly gales later.

0500: Passed Roa Island. Hooted our farewell to our wives who were watching Herbert Leigh's departure from the station she had served for more than 30 years. To us she was still Herbert Leigh but for this trip she would be known as Lifeboat 900, her official number. The forecast gale did not materialise. The sea cut up a bit choppy, but nothing much.

0800: Breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages and fried bread washed down with coffee. Little did we know that this was one of the few times the weather would allow us to use our gas stove for cooking under way.

1330: Arrived Holyhead. Tied up alongside pontoon on the outer harbour wall. Met by Graham Drinkwater, Holyhead motor mechanic, and Robert Jones, the second coxswain. Heated up corned beef stew for lunch followed by apple pie and cream, prepared by Bill's wife. Went to find our digs. . . .

1545: Back to the boat to move her round into the yacht harbour to refuel her. After refuelling, we had just moored, as instructed, in the inner harbour when the berthing master came up ... He asked us to berth alongside a tug a few yards further ahead, but not until 1930 as the tug would be busy in the harbour until that time. Eventually we got tied up and were ready to leave for a wash and brush up when the 44ft Waveney lifeboat Connel Elizabeth Cargill tied up alongside. On board were John Marjoram, a staff coxswain, and Ian Campbell, a fleet mechanic.

They were carrying out engine trials before the Waveney returned to Troon.

Ian had worked on Herbert Leigh when she had her new engines fitted at Ocean Fleet, Liverpool, and was very pleased to see us all. We had our evening meal with John and Ian, a couple of drinks and then to bed.

Sunday September 26 0700: Breakfast. Forecast: wind south east gale to strong gale, force 8 to 9; heavy squalls. Albert decided not to sail. There is no point in getting a pasting for nothing. When you are on service, that's OK . . . Tommy and I had a wander over to the Coastguard station and spent an hour there . . . Frank was across at the harbour office, talking to the fellow on duty. It turned out he was the sick man taken off Morecambe Bay Lightvessel by Herbert Leigh in 1958.

Small world, isn't it? (for this service the bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain Roland Moore—Ed.) 1200: Had lunch in the yacht club. Met 'Mac', Mr Burnell, Holyhead's station honorary secretary. After lunch he kindly gave Albert, Bill and Frank a tour of South Stack, Valley and Trearddur Bay in his car. Tommy and I went back to the digs where we were entertained by the landlord with his seafaring tales.

1945: Evening meal at the British Legion Club. Made most welcome. All lifeboatmen welcome here any time.

We were all like honorary members.

Grand people, the Welshfolk. Had an early night. . . .

Monday September 27 0775: Breakfast. Forecast: wind east south east moderate breeze to near gale, force 4 to 7, becoming cyclonic variable later. Graham Drinkwater took us and our baggage round to the boat and we were under way at 0800 bound for Fishguard. Rounded South Stack and set course across Caernarvon Bay to Bardsey Island.

1000: Wind increasing, sea becoming rougher. We began picking up echoes of very heavy rain squalls some 10 to 12 miles away on our starboard bow; they showed up as blobs, almost like cotton wool, on the radar screen. The wind was rising rapidly and veering round to the south south west. It was beginning to get a little wet and uncomfortable on board and it was obvious we were not going to be able to cook anything in these conditions.

1130: Wind was now south west . . . perhaps up to storm force 10. It was becoming hard work bracing ourselves against the sides of the cabin and, with the seas on our starboard beam, on more than one occasion we .found ourselves thrown across the cabin. Albert, Ernie and Bill did a marvellous job handling her . . . It was so bad at one point that Albert considered taking shelter in Porthmadog, just round the corner from Bardsey Island.

But the horizon to the south west was a little brighter now and there were no more squalls visible on the radar. So he decided to push on.

1215: Three and a half miles south south west of Bardsey Island- . . . 'Lifeboat 900 . . . this is Aberdaren Coastguard . . . Your position, please', came blasting through the VHP speaker. Our position was given and we were asked to turn round and go back nine miles to search for a yacht off Penrhyn Mawr. The Coastguard had been following her progress but had lost sight of her in the squalls. Albert turned as asked even though we were in unfamiliar waters, with an onshore wind and not very far from the coastline either . . .

1300: Anglesey Radio Station called to say that the yacht had been sighted and was in no difficulty; we could resume our passage. We later found out that during that search the wind was still blowing at 65 mph. Set course for Strumble Head.

7930: Wind moderating but still a nasty swell as we approached Fishguard Harbour.

Met by Dave Hughes, the acting coxswain, and Chris Williams, the motor mechanic, in their tender.

2000: Moored up to lifeboat buoy and taken ashore. Driven round to our digs.

The Hope and Anchor beckoned to us with open doors, not to mention a much needed three course dinner and a pint or two. Early night. I don't know about the others, but I was ready for bed.

Tuesday September 28 0715: Breakfast. Forecast: wind south south east force 7 to 8 gales. Albert had decided not to sail. Moved Herbert Leigh round for refuelling. Meanwhile Frank had met Brian Moss, district engineer (North West), and Ken Williams, district surveyor of lifeboats (North West). Brian had brought Herbert Leigh from Ocean Fleet back to Barrow after her re-engining. He was now doing engine trials on Fishguard's 52ft Arun Marie Winstone and Dave invited us to go out with them for the trials run that evening. This was an opportunity not to be missed.

We had lunch on board their boat, courtesy of our stores, and our evening meal in the Hope and Anchor. Then another early night because the next day's forecast was favourable and we had a good chance of sailing on the next leg to Newlyn. This was to be our overnight passage across the Bristol Channel and round Land's End.

Wednesday September 29 0800: Breakfast. Forecast: wind south west, moderate breeze, force 4. Weather fine.

1000: Under way bound for Newlyn.

Just a gentle swell which made a welcome change from the previous two days . . . Rounded Strumble Head and set course for Ramsey Sound, a stretch of water between St David's, on the mainland, and Ramsey Island. Once through here it was on past Skokholm and Skomer Islands and a course set for the Longships Light, Land's End.

1245: Albert: 'How about some lunch?' Me: 'How does tinned mince with new potatoes and peas grab you?' Albert: 'Great. I'm ready for something good.1' Pause while I get to work.

Me: 'Albert. We've left the butter back at Fishguard.' Albert: 'So what?' Me: 'Our tin opener was with it!' The next part is unrepeatable, but the last words I heard Albert muttering were something about someone being keelhauled! . . . Our lunch was opened with a pair of pliers. It worked, too.

1400: By now we had lost sight of land and were crossing the Bristol Channel.

We watched a magnificent sunset which gave way to a perfect moonlight night.

There was no other traffic around. We were on our own.

2730: Our landfall was the sighting of the lights of Newquay, way over to the south east. Bang on course for Longships and Wolf Rock Lights. We passed inside these and rounded Land's End at 0030.

0130: Passed Penlee Point and entered Newlyn Harbour at 0200. Tied up alongside the fish quay and tried to get our heads down for a few hours. Not easy with a French trawler's generator clanking away all night right alongside.

0645: Met by Michael Inskip, Penlee's motor mechanic, who kindly refuelled for us while we had a wash and brush up and cooked breakfast on board. Albert decided to push on while the weather was fair and at 0820 we were ready to sail.

0830: Forecast: wind south, strong breeze, force 6. Weather fine. Slipped out of Newlyn Harbour bound for Brixham. Set course for the Lizard across Mounts Bay. Passed Plymouth and across to the Eddystone Light. . . .

1500: Set course for Start Point and on to Berry Head on the south side of Brixham Harbour.

1930: Arrived Brixham Harbour. Refuelled and moored up to the spare lifeboat buoy. We were ferried ashore to the boathouse by Stephen Bower, the motor mechanic, and shown to our digs.

The first people we met were Ian Fairclough, coxswain of Fleetwood lifeboat, Evan Jones, motor mechanic of Moelfre lifeboat, and Brian Gerrard, a staff coxswain. More of Frank's old comrades! These three with John Scott, the station mechanic from Blyth, were carrying out sea trials on a new 44ft Waveney lifeboat, The William and Jane, due to go on station at Blyth the next month.

2030: An evening meal and a few drinks with the aforementioned friends and then to bed ready for our final leg to Poole.

Friday October 1 0875: Breakfast. Forecast: wind south strong breeze to gale, force 6 to 8.

Overcast with squalls.

0920: Left Brixham Harbour. Heavy swell. This wasn't to be our day. The direction finder was us; then the radar failed half way across Lyme Bay. All main fuses checked and changed; no joy. Set itself opened up. Eagle-eyed Albert spotted a loose wire and this was re-connected and fuses replaced; still no joy. So Albert and Ernie were navigating on dead reckoning now. Weather worsening all the time.

1330: By now we were crossing the famous Portland Race, a sea area off Portland Bill where wind against tide creates confused seas, which is exactly what we had. A really nasty swell coming mainly on our starboard beam . . . We passed through all right and set course for Anvil Point. . . .

7745: Entered Poole Harbour and were met by Poole's Dell Quay Dory lifeboat with Coxswain Frank Ide aboard to pilot us up harbour to the quay. The last half hour's steering was granted to Frank Moore. Herbert Leigh had been Frank's boat for so long that Albert decided that it was only fitting that he should take her in.

7830: Tied up alongside RNLI depot quay. Taken to our digs. After our evening meal Cdr George Cooper, deputy chief of operations, invited us to Poole HQ and showed us round. Then we all went for a pint or two . . . It was the only time we could relax, not having to worry about the next day, whether we could sail or not. Turned in ready for the drive back to Barrow in the morning.

All hands said they thoroughly enjoyed the trip, every minute of it. For all the batterings and soakings we received we would do it all again, any time.

Published by kind permission of Barrow News in which the article firsl appeared..