Still at work I read with interest the account of the rescue off Moelfre on 26 August (THE LIFEBOAT Autumn 1993 issue).

The MFV you referred to, which took in tow the second casualty, was Manx Voyager - the ex-Watson class lifeboat Sarah Jane & James Season.

She responded to flares and was fortunate to be on the scene within ten minutes.

The 26ft motor cruiser involved had lost its forehatch cover in the heavy weather and was taking in water rapidly. The ferry Balmoral provided a lee, but getting close to the casualty was hampered by a trailing warp.

After several passes a tow was established but after about an hour the stemhead fitting tore out and it took some time to re-establish the tow and we were very close to the lee shore just outside Puffin Island.

The motor cruiser, with 3 persons on board, was berthed at Conwy Marina some four hours afterwards.

It is good to know that ex lifeboats are still rendering assistance.

S. Buttery, Douglas, Isle of Man (crew member of Douglas lifeboat)Overseas appreciation - and membershipAfter receiving your recent copy of THE LIFEBOAT I thought I would explain to you and your readers how a German became a member.

In August 1993 my family and I visited our aunt in Canterbury who is over 70 years old and still teaching German to students.

When taking a car trip to the shore we were strolling along the beach at Hastings when we passed a tank-like construction, loaded with a lifeboat - big, impressive, technical and of high interest to me. I looked at every side of the boat and the trailer, took some pictures and started discussing with my family how they handle the boat and what risks they were able to go through.

Then we saw the station behind, with another tractor, preserved by thick glass and other heavy material against high waves and strong sea and being able to pull the lifeboat to sea, even in severe storms and also under water.

Next door the modern helmets and one piece rubber overalls with shoes at the ends.

After we returned to Germany, and because I am a member of the St JohnAmbulance here in my home country and on duty for a first-aid catastrophe unit, I can imagine how much it must cost to buy, install and keep the station with the equipment running, also of those who handle the boat in storms and heavy weather for the safety of others.

This made me write to the RNLI asking for membership as a German on the continent and as a European.

W. Kuhlmann, Lemgo, Germany.

Memories of Rye In the last issue of THE LIFEBOAT I was interested in the letter from Mr Watts of Woodmancote who was enquiring about the officer in charge of the lifeboat at Rye Harbour in the 1920s.

I am afraid I have no information on that count, but it did bring back to mind the terrible disaster in 1928.

I was then a small girl living in Eastbourne where we were accustomed to hearing the noise of the maroon going off to summon the lifeboatmen whenever a ship was in trouble in that area.

The news of the Rye lifeboat disaster caused a great gloom over the town, especially when one of the brave men who perished was washed ashore at Beachy Head. I can remember, when on holiday in the area, going to the churchyard at Rye Harbour on several occasions with my parents, to see the grave and memorial to all those brave men - their names on plaques round the base and one left blank for the one man who, as far as I know, was never found.

I know there were several men in two families who perished and on going across on the ferry to Rye on one occasion we were taken by a cousin of one of these families, who said that if he had not been ill in bed at the time he would have been with them.

This has brought back many memories and an even greater appreciation of all that these brave men do and have done.

Mrs P.M. Reynolds, Winchester.More on the Lagos pilot boat I refer to your two letters from Messrs Price and Powell (Your Letters Autumn issue) regarding the Lagos pilot cutter.

After numerous enquiries from excoasters and Elder Dempster staff her name was recalled as Robert Hughes. To my shame I should have been the first to remember this as I was chief pilot for the Nigerian Ports Authority from 1963-1968 during which period she was still in service together with the more modern Patience.

She was a superb sea boat and much preferred to be on station as the duty pilot cutter during foul weather than her more modern counterpart which carried far too much top-hamper - bridge, wheelhouse, funnel, signal mast etc. It would, as the saying goes, 'roll in dry dock'.

Her previous history was a matter of some speculation, the Liverpool contingent in Lagos at the time favouring the New Brighton lifeboat theory and our Scottish pilots leaning towards an east coast of Scotland lifeboat station.

The neutral opinion was that she had never seen active service as a lifeboat but was based one-hundredper- cent on a lifeboat design, specifically for the sea-keeping qualities required when negotiating the notorious Lagos bar in foul weather.

Incidentally, she was not the first vessel of the Nigerian Marine Department to bear the name. One mile west of the breakwater was the Robert Hughes wreck buoy (a port hand wreck buoy).

When I arrived in Lagos during the 1950's local legend had it that a particularly impertinent U-boat captain surfaced and shelled the Port Authority dredger out of further useful service.

Perhaps you have an ancient mariner among your readers who may shed further light on this.

Captain Ray Fields, Gayton, Wirral..