Surf is a way of life on the North Cornwall coast - Blue Peter IV is seen (below) launching on exercise through seas very much smaller than those encountered in the Vellumwinning service From the survivor's point of view… The RNLI's Rescue Survey - where people who have been rescued are given the opportunity to comment on the circumstances - is producing useful information both for the lifeboat service and for passing on as part of the Sea Safety Initiative.

The accounts on this page give food for thought - it could happen to anyone...

Many incidents are the result of a combination of relatively minor circumstances. Here a simple air leak disables one diesel engine; arrival is delayed; darkness falls; and with only one engine the boat cannot be manoeuvred after a grounding...

Dave Hilton was moving his 32ft motor cruiser P/caf rom Preston Marina to Pwllheli this March, ready for the summer season.

With a favourable forecast and a well thought-out passage plan the 15-knot cruiser left Preston at 1230, her owner having worked out that at a conservative 12 knots she would pass through the NW entrance of the Menai Straits at half tide and give an ETA of 1650 - with ample daylight in hand.

However an hour and a half out the starboard engine faded and cut out, the fault being established as an air leak in the diesel fuel system. Sensibly both engines had totally separate fuel systems, so the port engine was unaffected and allowed the boat to continue at about 8 knots while repairs were carried out.

Unfortunately the delays meant that instead of arriving at the Menai Straits at 1600, in full daylight and at half-tide, arrival was delayed until 1900 - with rapidly fading light and less than one hour to low water.

One of the navigational buoys proved elusive (it was later established that the light could have been out) and the skipper noticed that the satellite navigator was indicating that they were slightly to starboard of their course. As Pica turned to correct she struck a sandbank - at around 3 or four knots as Dave had sensibly reduced speed.

With the starboard engine still out of action the boat could not go astern off the bank, as the single remaining prop just swung her round into the bank.

With one engine out of action, possible damage to the propeller of the other and darkness falling Dave broadcast a precautionary 'Pan Pan' which was picked up by Holyhead Coastguard who decided to ask Beaumaris lifeboat to launch.

Dave continues the story: The response was unbelievable. They were with me within five minutes and although I was embarrassed and apologising profusely they were reassuring and put me completely at ease and were understanding rather than critical. After inspecting my boat for damage and allowing the water to rise on the incoming tide the lifeboat pulled me off the sandbank and escorted me to my destination mooring.

'I am already an Offshore member, and even before this incident considered that money very well invested! I cannot praise the lifeboat crew enough for their actions and would like to convey my thanks to them.' • Dave Hilton enclosed a generous donation with his report.

Beaumaris Return of Service Atlantic 21 B515 29 March 1997 Cause of Service: Vessel aground on sandbank Wind: WSW, Force 1 Sea State: calm Launched: 1949 Holyhead Coastguard advised that a motor cruiser with four persons on board had gone aground close to Puffin Island. ILB launched and reported casualty was stuck, with tide shortly to start flooding. Crew member went aboard Pica and when tide was rising monitored movement with ILB later escorting her to Gazelle Slip and on to a safe mooring.

Back at station: 2215 When four friends went diving in Liverpool Bay last November they checked the weather and had all the right equipment, but a change in the weather, a faulty VHP radio and a marker buoy which didn't behave as it should conspired to put them in a very difficult situation… It should have been a very straight forward dive in Liverpool Bay for Peter Millar and his three friends - experienced divers with both diving and boat-handling qualifications.

They had checked the weather and planned to make a short, 30 minute dive - during slack water - on some wreckage they had located previously.

They were running a little behind their schedule when they launched and, as they couldn't make contact with the Coastguard for a radio check at the launch site, they decided to wait until they arrived at the dive position - but unfortunately they still couldn't get through.

The three divers entered the water at about 1045, leaving the fourth as boathandler, and went down about 14m with no discernable tide running.

They released a surface marker buoy, which floats to the surface to indicate the divers' position, but after about ten minutes decided that the visibility was too poor and that they would surface again - which they did with no problems.

They were only about 50m away from their support boat, but the marker buoy was not standing upright and the weather had changed - with an increase in sea state and a hail storm reducing visibility - making them impossible to see.

The tide had now started to run and despite signalling with torches, whistles and a strobe the three men lost visual contact with the boat after about 30 minutes.

They made for the nearest buoy, Liverpool Bar Light, where they were picked up by New Brighton's Atlantic 75, which had been alerted when the support boat managed to contact another vessel with VHP. Hoylake's Mersey and a helicopter had also been searching the area.

• Peter Millar enclosed a generous donation with his report.

New Brighton Return of Service Atlantic 75 B721 10 November 1996 Cause of Service: Divers reported missing Wind: W, Force 2 to 3 Sea State: 3 Launched:1232 On responding to a radio page from Liverpool Coastguard Rock Light was launched and proceeded to Liverpool Bar to a report of three divers missing.

During the search with RAF Valley helicopter and Southport Rescue the lifeboat, due to an ebbing tide, searched to the west of the dive boat and located three divers safe on the surface at Liverpool Bar Light. As they were seen to be none the worse they were taken to the dive boat and put aboard.

Back at station: 1437.