As cruising yachtsmen most of us will go through life without needing a lifeboat.

Growing experience, natural caution and a healthy respect for the sea backed up with good safety equipment should see us through. But the operative word is 'should', for even the best prepared vessel and crew can come across a situation where everything goes for the proverbial tin of worms and we make that fateful call: 'Mayday, mayday, mayday.This is yacht Unfortunate...' Some of us may have run through that scenario in our minds, but nothing can really prepare you for that moment.

This was all brought home to me one sunny June day while looking out across a crowded Salcombe harbour and chatting to lifeboat coxswain Frank Smith and the honorary secretary Peter Hodges. Peter is also the harbourmaster and the two positions combine to give him a keen insight into the problems encountered by the cruising sailor.

'What,' I asked them, 'can the cruising yachtsman do to help once he has made that VHP call? He's been told that Salcombe lifeboat is on its way and hung up his microphone. What now?' Well, as you might expect, the help should have started well beforehand. Both Frank and Peter emphasised how important it is to make that call earlier rather than late. 'And in daylight if you can,' said Frank, 'everything seems much worse when it's dark.' Then there's the question of position - in the early stages Peter's main interest is in knowing which direction to send the lifeboat, with the fine tuning coming once she's under way. But to do that he needs to know where the yacht is. 'An accurate position's only of use if it's right!' Peter said. If there's any doubt it's best to say so, admitting that it's a 'best guess' is far more helpful than giving a position to two decimal places which is hopelessly inaccurate. It's also helpful if you tell the Coastguard how the position was obtained - GPS, visual, radar or plain 'best guess', at least everyone knows where they stand.

Another thing that Frank would particularly like to know is whether there are any injuries because this, like having someone in the water, can lend an even greater air of urgency. One problem that isn't obvious at first sight is: 'How fast do you leave the Harbour?' In a harbour as busy and confined as Salcombe a Tyne at full chat pulls up quite a wake and, as Frank says,: 'We don't want to do any damage, but if there's someone in the water, for example, we'll pull out all the stops.' Once the lifeboat is at sea she will try to raise the casualty on VHP, which is yet another reason for making sure you have one; it works; and you've got an emergency aerial should the mast be down. That way the coxswain can find out more about the problem, reassure the casualty, and the crew can use the lifeboat's VHP direction finder. Without VHP? A flare for location - 'but not a paraflare if there's a helicopter about' adds Frank - and a loudhailer when alongside which is obviously nowhere near as satisfactory.

Peter was quick to point out that a mobile phone - although maybe better than nothing - is not the answer. 'People think they've got the safety cover because they have a mobile phone -and that's not correct.' Obvious when you think about it - you can't use DP on a mobile phone and being strictly two-way, and not broadcast, no-one else can hear what's going on. If you're talking to the Coastguard then the lifeboat can't hear you, and neither can a boat a couple of miles away which may be able to give almost immediate help.

Something which might seem obvious, but apparently isn't, is to stay in the position you've given. OK, try to claw off a lee shore or toward the lifeboat, but don't do as some people have and motor off home without telling anyone - motor yachts in particular can be hard to catch! Both Frank and Peter stressed that the casualty should tell the lifeboat of her course and speed so that she can alter course to intercept.

The lifeboat will use the radio to say what theyplan to do on arrival, and what the casualty can do to help. Frank prefers not to put anyone aboard unless it's unavoidable, both because of the risk to the crew and of damage to casualty and lifeboat. The safest way usually- but every incident is different- is to put a tow aboard, and so having someone on the foredeck when the lifeboat arrives is useful, always providing the crew is fit and able. Any minute now a 2in diameter warp is going to land on your foredeck, so make sure that there is a good strong point to which it can be attached. Interestingly Frank isn't a fan of the 'bridle-round-the-sheet winches' idea: 'If anything parts forward, you end up towing from aft' he says, which isn't such a good idea.

Prepare for the arrival by staying warm, putting on dry clothing and generally getting mentally and physically ready for the arrival of the lifeboat - gloves, for example, will help keep your hands working when they get wet and cold.

If there is debris alongside you can usefully tidy it up - but only if it is safe to do so - otherwise make sure the lifeboat knows about it. The crew are reluctant to cut anything away, but they have wirecutters and will use them if they have to.

When the lifeboat arrives you might wonder why she doesn't steam up to you at undiminished speed. Unless you're right off a lee shore the lifeboat will probably slow down some way off - to allow the wake to dissipate, the crew to sum up the situation and prepare what they need. You may not even see anyone on deck, as there is no point in the crew getting wet, tired and cold before they need to. They'll get wet and cold soon enough.

Any casualty without a radio will probably be given one as soon as the lifeboat arrives - and this could be one of the occasions when a crew member comes with it, although more often it will arrive on the end of a boathook.

The most important thing to remember when the lifeboat arrives is to trust her crew. The sight of a 47ft steel Tyne rearing up alongside in a seaway may be terrifying, but hold the course you've been asked to - the coxswain has enough variables without you adding to them. Don't think you know better, and if you can't carry out a particular manoeuvre for any reason tell the coxswain! If medical attention is needed then a first aider - or sometimes a Doctor - will be put aboard as a matter of priority. You might be asked to lie ahull or to steer a particular course (often downwind) but the important thing is to do as you're asked and try not to sheer off like a startled rabbit as the coxswain tries to place 20-plus tons of lifeboat accurately so that someone can come aboard.

There are probably as many ways of passing the tow as there are lifeboat coxswains, but if you see the Salcombe lifeboat approaching you'll probably find Frank will manoeuvre into position off your weather bow and come astern to pass the tow from his stern to your foredeck. You'll be asked to either lie-to with all sail lowered or, if you've got a mizzen for example, to adopt a slightly bow-to-weather attitude. Forget the problems you have manoeuvring your own boat astern - a lifeboat is steered on the throttles and can manoeuvre astern with accu- Try not to sheer off like a startled rabbit as the coxswain tries to place 20-plus tons of lifeboat accurately so that someone can come aboard' racy in awful conditions. Just as important it can then move forward away from the casualty with remarkable alacrity if something goes wrong.

And once that tow line is aboard you'll be surprised how long it is. Frank says he won't use less than 120 metres, even on a flat calm day, and will often add another 200 metres to that. The further away they are the better!' he says, as the line must be in the water to take out the snatch.

Once the tow is under way - follow the lifeboat! You can rely on their local knowledge, so stay in their wake if you still have steering. If you don't the chances are that a drogue will have been passed across to be attached to some strong point aft- Frank suggests a sheet winch-and this should do the job for you. The RNLI's casualty drogue, a fairly small one, is usually used but in extreme conditions or with a bigger casualty you might get the lifeboat's own drogue (not all carry them) which is a bigger beast altogether.

It would normally arrive complete and made up with its own warp, and often with an attendant crew member.

The tow will be shortened up at some stage, at Salcombe you can expect to be just inside the harbour, and you'll be tucked away somewhere safe.

Once the initial drama has passed andyou're on the way back in it would be an unusual yachtsman who wouldn't worry about what will happen to his boat and crew. You're being towed into a strange port, possibly miles from your intended destination and perhaps with damage that is going to need repair.

Again the answer is'trust the lifeboat crew'.

They will obviously have arranged for any injuries to be dealt with but you'll also find what Peter called 'a sort of after sales service'. The station will make sure that you're comfortable and well looked after, and although it isn't advertised as part of the service crews have taken people to railway stations, loaned clothes, arranged accommodation and even put survivors up for the night - 'for goodness sake don't volunteer that as part of the service!' someone chipped in.

And if there's damage? Well who knows better the man that can fix anything maritime than a local lifeboat coxswain?.