Following the article 'Waiting for the lifeboat', which appeared in the Autumn 1996 issue of The Lifeboat, Lytham coxswain, Paul Heyes, and station honorary secretary, Frank Kilroy, discuss their individual viewpoints regarding lifeboat rescue procedures . . .The coxswain's view j 'As fibreglass boats are invisible l5 on radar and white boats blend well into the background if there is any spray about, it follows that they are difficult to find and location can be a time consuming problem. Our primary location system is, therefore, VHF-DF and it is vitally important that the radio on the casualty is continually manned.

'It is appreciated that it can be uncomfortable to remain below manning the radio rather than in the cockpit with the rest of the crew but wind noise and the confusion of the drama make it easy to miss the lifeboat calling on the VHP. In the area we operate, most incidents occur in shallow water with breaking seas, heavy swell and of course, flying spray. As visibility is poor in these sort of sea conditions, several calls may be required to establish the correct position so an unmanned radio can only prolong the search and possibly put the casualty into further hazard.

'It is a fact that many yachts sail short handed, relying on the family to man the boat and sometimes there are also young children aboard. As a consequence the skipper is unable to leave the helm to catch tow ropes or assist a man aboard. It would, therefore, be helpful if on the initial call to HMCG or when contact is made with the lifeboat, that we are advised early on of any such difficulties such as seasickness - which can be very disabling, or lack of older and fitter crew so that a lifeboatman can be ready to transfer across on arrival at the scene. If the lifeboat is made aware early on, it helps with the smooth running of the rescue and can ensure that it takes place as quickly as possible.' The honorary secretary's view 'I agree with the remarks about mobile phones - several of our services have started with such calls principally from f t.' trailer-launched small angling boats which are always difficult to locate as they possess no other communications. One owner of a yacht even phoned me at home asking for a tow as he did not want to deal with officialdom - HMCG! He was soon put right on that one but we did go for him so that he was not drifting about in the Irish Sea all night.

'Some of our calls, again to angling boats, start when the car and trailer is found on the beach after nightfall. One service started with a call to a CB radio contact ashore - the only point of contact it turned out - and this helpful gentleman rang the boathouse and informed me that the casualty did not have any flares but was shining a light. This actually turned out to be a pen torch which did not show up very wellagainst the glare from the Blackpool illuminations.

The moral is always tell somebody where you are going and carry flares - at least.

'As Paul comments, VHP contact is vital in the case of cruising yachts to establish a position and the state of the casualty and crew.

Any initial call should state if medical assistance is required so that I can call the honorary medical advisor and get him aboard the lifeboat before the launch. It is a little late when the lifeboat is 10 miles out to sea with the casualty who is found not to be just seasick but also to have a heart condition. Not every lifeboat can whistle up a helicopter just like that - our nearest is at RAF Valley, 30 minutes flying time away.

The increase in the use of GPS has proved a boon providing the position given is accurate, the machine is set up correctly and the operator knows what he or she is doing. One casualty we launched to actually gave a position which put them outside the Town Hall in Blackpool and her navigator was adamant that this was correct. In fact the vessel was some 7 miles away from the position given and heading onto a lee shore in failing light and worsening sea conditions.

'As discussed in the article, an early call is better than a late one - a threatening situation can soon become serious with a potential loss of life. If you spring a leak, start bailing by all means, but do not wait to call for assistance when the boat sinks under you. Finding heads in the water is far more difficult than finding a waterlogged boat - even helicopters have been known to fly over without seeing them in heavy seas.'.