Awards to Lifeboatmen Alan Thomas, coxswain of the Tenby lifeboat, has won the Maud Smith Award for 'the most outstanding act of lifesaving by a lifeboatman' during 1989.

The award follows the lifeboat's rescue of the skipper of the fishing vessel Silver Stream and the two crew of another fishing boat New Venture on 22 September 1989, for which Coxswain Thomas has already been awarded the Institution's Silver medal for gallantry.

A full account of the service appeared in THE LIFEBOAT, Spring 1990 issue.

Two awards for the crews of inshore lifeboats were also announced recently.

The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge award for the most meritorious service performed by the crew of an Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat in 1989 has gone to Helmsman Jonathan Adnams and crew members Marcus Gladwell and Ronald Horswell of Southwold lifeboat station. Their service to the fishing boat Aquamanda II in which four crew were rescued has already won Helms-man Adnams the Institution's Certificate of Thanks on Vellum, and crew members Horswell and Gladwell received Vellum Service certificates.

The lifeboat was called to the fishing boat on 11 April 1989 when she found herself dragging on to a lee shore in a Force 8 gale.

The Atlantic, The Quiver, located the fishing boat and was able to tow her clear through a short, breaking sea in shallow water. A full account of the service appears in THE LIFEBOAT, Autumn 1989 issue.

The Ralph Glister Award for 1989, for the most meritorious service by the crew of an inshore lifeboat, has gone to Helmsman David Steenvoorden and crew members Martin Kennedy and Stephen Burton of Cleethorpes lifeboat station.

OnSOJuly 1989 the three lifeboatmen took their D class inflatable to the rescue of five canoeists, and then to help a yacht, in winds which touched Force 10 and rain which reduced visibility almost to nil. Helmsman Steenvoorden has already received the Institution's Bronze medal for the service concerned, and the two crew members received the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum.

A full report of this service appeared in the Winter 1989/90 issue of THE LIFEBOAT.

Coxswain Thomas and Helmsman Steenvoorden are participants in the discussion on page 298 of this issue of the journal. Newspoint VAT - a heavier burden for charities from 1992? UK charities do not pay income tax or corporation tax, but they do pay VAT.

This cannot be recovered in the way that commercial concerns recover VAT from customers who buy their products or services.

In recent years the Government has sought to mitigate the UK charity sector's heavy VAT bill by allowing various items of equipment of critical importance to charities to be 'zero-rated'.

These items include aids for handicapped persons, drugs and chemicals used in medical research, and lifeboats, slipways and launching vehicles.

These 'charity zero-rates' are very valuable to charities such as the Royal National Institute for the Blind and the RNLI. Without them the RNIB'sannualVATbill would increase from £1m to £3m and the RNLI's by even more, from £400,000 to over £3m.

Zero-rating is much less common in other European countries than in the UK and there is concern that the European Commission's proposals fora Single Market in 1992, which include VAT harmonisation, will lead to the UK having to cut back its zero-rating.

Charity zero-rates would then have to take their chance along with the zero rates for food, children's clothing and domestic fuel and power.

The UK government is sympathetic to the charity sector's concern and is generally resisting European pressure against UK zero-rates, but has not given any specific commitment to retain existing charity zero-rates after 1992.

This is a serious and urgent matter for the whole UK charity sector. Supporters may wish to write to their local MP, urging him to use his influence to prevent what could be a major reverse for UK charities in 1992, and for the RNLI in particular. MP's names and addresses may be obtained from local public libraries.

Supporters may also wish to write direct to the Chancellor: the Rt Hon Mr John Major MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, HM Treasury, Treasury Chambers, Parliament Street, London SW1P SAG. Extended Coverage...

The RNLI announced on 2 August 1990 that it would extend its 'declared facility' by guaranteeing lifeboat cover up to 50 miles from the coast of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

The increase, from the previous 30 miles, is a result of the number of new, fast lifeboats now on station around the coast. A lifeboat can now be on the scene of a casualty at almost any point within the 50-mile area within four hours of launching.

The previous commitment was to have a lifeboat available 30 miles offshore in four hours, but the fast lifeboats have now made it possible to halve that time, remaining on scene at that distance for at least four hours.

There have been further improvements in the time taken to alert crews and launch Allweather lifeboats. The average time is now under 14 minutes, with Inshore lifeboats now taking on average less than eight minutes from first alert to launch. ...and five more stations In addition to the greater range and quicker launching the Institution has also announced the opening of no less than five new lifeboat stations.

Portree on the Isle of Skye and Tobermory on the Isle of Mull are to have new Allweather lifeboat stations and Teignmouth in Devon, Marazion in Cornwall and Courtown, County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland are to have Inshore lifeboat stations.

All five stations are being set up on one year's evaluation as is normal with new RNLI stations.

Ballyglass in County Mayo, which was established on one year's evaluation in 1989, has now been confirmed as a permanent station after a shortened evaluation period.

The relief Arun class lifeboat City of Bradford IV (52-07) which had been on temporary station duty was due to be replaced by the permanent station boat, Arun 52-45 Mabel Williams, as this issue was going to press. Prime Position Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's visit to Fowey lifeboat station on 20 June 1990 took on a new dimension when the PM also took part in a real service to a 32ft yacht.

An exercise with a helicopter from RNAS Culdrose had been completed successfully and the lifeboat, Faithful Forester, was about to land the Prime Minister at Albert Quay, Fowey when a call was received saying that a yacht was experiencing difficulties nearby.

The 32ft yacht Slipshod was taking water, and although she was making her own way in to the port it was thought prudent to stand-by. She did not need the emergency pump carried aboard the lifeboat and was escorted into Fowey under her own power before the lifeboat and her visitors returned to their schedule.

Once ashore Mrs Thatcher was formally introduced to the lifeboat crew and their families, and RNLI, town and harbour officials.

Talking afterwards Mrs Thatcher was full of praise for the lifeboat and her crew and, although windswept, was obviously thrilled by the experience.

One of the yacht's crew was quoted as saying: 'We had no idea Mrs Thatcher was watching, but we were told afterwards.

It's a bit embarrassing...' Gold for Hamburgh The famous gold medal awarded to Grace Darling by the Royal Humane Society will be joining other exhibits at the Grace Darling ' museum at Bamburgh, Northumberland thanks to the generosity of an RNLI supporter.

The medal, a presentation locket and a silver tankard - which is thought to have been presented to Grace Darling by Lord and Lady FitzClarence - were auctioned at Sotheby's on 28 June 1990 where they were bought by the Magor family for £20,000.

The family is the controlling shareholder in the company marketing Lifeboat Tea, which has raised £30,000 for the RNLI in the past five years, and a strong supporter of the RNLI.

Philip Magor said after the auction: 'We are very proud to have secured these valuable commemorative medals. We hope that our purchase will highlight to a greater number of people the need to continually support such a commendable British Institution, and that the medals, when displayed, will attract a substantial number of visitors to the museum.' During September the Longstone Lighthouse - 'Grace Darling's lighthouse' - was automated and the last resident keepers replaced by micro-chips and a shore-based caretaker.

Completing the last month-long shift at the light was Gordon Medlicott, ironically also the holder of a Royal Humane Society award.

Accepting that new technology was making the protection of life vastly more effective along Britain's coastline he added that the story of Grace Darling and her father was a graphic illustration of a humanfactor which 'no technology can replace'. Nostalgic return to Barrow The ex-Barrow lifeboat Herbert Leigh made a nostalgic return to the port during August where she will be preserved by the Furness Maritime Trust.

The 46ft 9in Watson class lifeboat was stationed at Barrow for three decades, from 1951 to 1982, and it is intended to exhibit her at The Dock, a maritime and industrial museum scheduled to open in 1991.

The lifeboat was originally provided by a gift from Mr Herbert Leigh, and it was the Leigh-Bramwell family's generosity which led to the return of Herbert Leigh to Barrow - where she was formally accepted on behalf of the maritime trust by Brian Leigh- Bramwell, great-nephew of the original donor.

Further links with the past were provided during the lifeboat's three-day passage to Barrow from storage in Scotland. In charge during the voyage was Albert Benson, who had served as deputy coxswain on Herbert Leigh, and with him were Bob Charnley, the lifeboat's former coxswain and Dave Huddlestone who had been the mechanic.

The £18,000 proceeds of the sale of the lifeboat are to be used by the RNLI to assist with the running costs of the Barrow station, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. President goes West HRH The Duke of Kent, the President of the Institution, paid a short visit to five lifeboat stations in Devon and Cornwall on 18 July 1990.

Landing by helicopter at Trevose Head he was welcomed by the RNLI's Chairman, Michael Vernon, and the Director Brian Miles, and talked to members of Padstow Ladies' Guild committee before descending in the lift to the Padstow lifeboat house. Here he chatted informally with members of the station committee, the crew and their families before boarding the Tyne class lifeboat James Burrough which then launched from the slipway. Moving along the coast the Duke then visited Port Isaac and talked with members of the crew before watching the launch of the station's D class inflatable.

The royal helicopter then moved to Bude where the President was once again able to meet the crew before taking lunch with the station branch and guild committees.

The Duke of Kent's next stop was Appledore, where he was met by a Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Cornwall, General Sir Peter Whiteley and again spoke with the crew, their families and station and guild committees before boarding the Tyne class George Gibson for a short trip on a flat sea in blazing sunshine.

The final call was at Ilfracombe where His Royal Highness enjoyed a welcome cup of tea in the newly-extended boathouse with the crew and station and branch committee members after inspecting the station's new Mersey class lifeboat Spirit of Derbyshire.

After visiting the five lifeboat stations in six hours and 20 minutes, and shaking many hundreds of hands, the President was then whisked back to London by the royal helicopter after a very successful day in the South West. Long term changes The terms used to describe RNLI lifeboats have been reviewed, to reflect their role more accurately.

The smaller classes - the 22ft 1 Oin B class Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable, the 17ft 6in C class inflatable and the 16ft 3in D class inflatable - will now revert officially to the widely-used term Inshore lifeboat, indicating their normal operating area and specialised ability.

These smaller boats are subject to launching restrictions, whereas all of the larger lifeboats, with the exception of the 33ft Brede class, are able to operate in all weathers.

Therefore the Brede class will remain known as an Intermediate lifeboat and the other classes as All-weather lifeboats. All new lifeboats being built by the RNLI are either Inshore or All-weather lifeboats.

The sea state at the launch site is often the limiting factor for lifeboats which are not classed as All-weather, although local conditions and a variety of other factors must be taken into account. The ultimate authority to launch always rests with the Honorary Secretary (or his deputy) who must often make a very difficult decision. Guidelines are provided which refer to a sea state likely to result from an on-shore wind of a certain strength - for example Force 6 to 7 for an Atlantic 21 in daylight or Force 5 to 6 at night.

These are approximate guidelines, and it is inevitable that lifeboats will find themselves at sea in far worse conditions. On the technical front...

• Work is continuing with a development of the Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable. A prototype 'Atlantic 22' hull has been fitted out at Cowes base using modified Atlantic 21 components and trials are planned to start in October 1990.

• Closed circuit TV has been installed on an Arun for trials. One camera is fitted inside the wheelhouse, giving a view of the aft deck, and another in the engine room. It is planned to fit CCTV to the Fast Afloat Boat 3 (FAB 3) prototype for further trials.

• Trials with a new design of stockless anchor are continuing. The anchor is performing well, but must prove itself wholly ac-ceptable in all conditions before it can replace the fisherman-type incurrent use. FAB 3 will be equipped with the new anchor for further trials.

• It is planned to install a Global Position System (GPS) receiver in the FAB 3 prototype for trial purposes. (GPS is a satellite navigation system) • Trials with a twin-engine D class inflatable are continuing, although results are mixed at present. Speed and acceleration are similar to the single engined version and although twin engines may have some advantages more difficult handling, particularly in shallow water, may outweigh the benefits. • The prototype of the 17m FAB 3 is on target for the beginning of operational evaluation in March 1991. A full-size mock-up of the wheelhouse and survivor compartments has been make to facilitate the positioning of equipment and to study casualty handling.

• The major assemblies of the prototype 14m FAB 4 are anticipated to be complete towards the end of 1990.

• Planning permission is being sought for a 'wet dock' and lifting system on the quayside at the Poole depot. This would enable lifeboats to be launched and hauled out quickly and safely without recourse to a crane..