Lifeboats on the Thames The RNLI is to provide lifeboat cover for a new search and rescue service for the river Thames. Three lifeboat stations will be established, which will be the first lifeboat stations to specifically cover a river rather than estuarial waters.The decision was taken in response to Lord Justice Clarke's inquiry into safety on the river following the Marchioness disaster.

The government asked the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Port of London Authority (PLA} and the RNLI to work together to set up a search and rescue service for the tidal parts of the Thames.

The lifeboat stations are likely to be established at Gravesend, Tower Pier and Chiswick Pier. In addition, the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Service and PLA vessels will continue to provide previously declared resources.

The lifeboats are required to launch within one minute of being alerted and to reach any point between Canvey Island, in Essex, and Teddington, in Middlesex, within 15 minutes. There are over 100 incidents every year on this stretch of the river. To meet this requirement, the lifeboat stations will be manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Lifeboats are usually manned by volunteers, who leave their normal jobs to go to the assistance of people in difficulty. However, the speed of response required, the number of incidents and the city environment will require crews to be on standby at their station, even if a proportion of them are volunteers.

The lifeboat stations are likely to go into service in January 2002, but the types of lifeboats or rescue craft to be used, actual sites and manning arrangements have yet to be agreed.

Existing inshore lifeboats such as the Atlantic 75 are likely to be suitable.

However, it may be appropriate to use other rescue craft such as hovercraft.

A detailed planning process is under way, which will take around nine months to complete.

Operational lifeboats would then be placed in position very quickly.

Despite their inland location, Londoners have a long history of supporting the RNLI through donations and fundraising - particularly on London Lifeboat Day, which takes place in March every year. It is therefore very good to be able to repay that support with practical and expert assistance.The Lifeboat is published four times a year and is sent free to RNLI members and governors. The next issue will be Summer 2001 and will appear in July 2001.

News items should be received by 22 May, but earlier if possible. All material submitted for possible publication should be addressed to: The Editor, The Lifeboat, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.

Photographs intended for return should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Contributions may be held for subsequent issues and, to reduce costs.

receipt will not usually be acknowledged unless requested.

For further information on how to join the Institution as a member or governor contact: Membership, RNLI, West Quay Road. Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ. Tel: 0800 543210.

Any products or services advertised in The Lifeboat by third parties are not in any way endorsed by the RNLI and the RNLI shall not be responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in such advertisements nor has it investigated or verified any of the information.

The Lifeboat is published by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and printed by The Friary Press, Bridport Road, Dorchester, Dorset DTI 1JL.Flying lessons Following the announcement in the winter issue of The Lifeboat, the RNLI has started testing a 7.6m (25ft) hovercraft to assess its potential as a new rescue vehicle. The six-sealer craft is being tested in Poole harbour over a variety of terrains, including grasses, mud banks and different beach conditions. Flying under different weather conditions will also assist the project team to decide if hovercraft have a practical use for the RNLI throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, The Hovercraft chosen for the trials is a standard Griffon 450TD, manufactured by Griffon Hovercraft Limited of Southampton. If hovercraft are found to enhance rescue operations, the technical department will design craft to precise requirements, just as with lifeboats.

The RNLI is consulting with interest groups such as English Nature, Dorset Wildfowlers and the RSPB, as well as Poole Harbour Commissioners to ensure that test areas are acceptable to all parties and unlikely to cause any damage to wildlife or the environment.

Lifeboats often hav6 to operate in estuaries or close inshore where the terrain presents problems for waterborne craft. There are areas of mudflats, sandbanks and vegetation that lifeboats either have to circumnavigate or cannot reach. Hovercraft may present a solution to this problem.

Hovercraft are easy to launch and store. They can be moved by road and also provide covered areas for survivors - something that cannot be done on existing inshore lifeboats. They will not replace but compliment the work of the lifeboats, reaching people in trouble more quickly and so preventing them getting into more serious danger.

Initial trials will last around three months. If the Poole trials are successful, a further three months of trials wili take place at selected locations nationwide.Moving forward on new initiatives Inland waters In a packed Railway Hotel in Enniskillen on 7 February an RNLI team presented its plans for an inland waters pilot scheme on Lough Erne, Northern Ireland.

The public meeting was held primarily to recruit potential crew for the pilot station, which is to be called Enniskillen Lifeboat Station, and over 30 were signed up.

As The Lifeboat went to press, training was due to start and the boat is due on station in April ready for a declared service at the beginning of June.

A minimum of 18 crew will be needed along with shore helpers and admin support. When set up, Enniskillen Lifeboat Station will become the 40th station in Ireland.

The project will be run with the cooperation of HM Coastguard and the Royal Ulster Constabulary who will work with us over the coordination of the service.

Lough Erne covers some 50sq miles over two loughs which attract a high level of water activity including fishing, sailing, canoeing and overthe- water flying. At busy times over 600 people use the lough each week.

Once planning permission is granted, the pilot will run from land donated by the Lough Erne Yacht Club. It is proposed to use an Atlantic 21 initially but it may prove necessary to have more than one in use.

Project manager Angus Watson is currently negotiating with local authorities and rescue organisations in the Broads and in the Lake District to consider expanding the pilot project to cover these two areas.

Beach rescue As The Lifeboat went to press, the first two public meetings in were due to take place in Cornwall, in Newquay, for a pilot at Restormel, and in Liskeard for the Caradon pilot.

An RNLI team will present the rationale behind the pilots at the two meetings and invite questions. Senior representatives of the two councils will add their support of the pilots.

Public meetings are still being arranged for three other pilot beaches tn Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth and negotiations with the local authorities concerned are continuing.After a hectic September for naming ceremonies, things quietened down somewhat over the Winter months.

In late September, the new Blackpool D Class lifeboat was named William and Pose Nail at a quiet family naming ceremony. The D class was donated by the sons of Mr and Mrs Nail in memory of their parents.

It will join Blackpool's second D class, Edgar taw and the Atlantic 75 Bickerstaffe.

Aberdeen's new Severn class lifeboat Bon Accord was named at a ceremony on 14 October.

The naming was performed by Margaret Farquhar, former Lord Provost of Aberdeen, in recognition of the large donation made by Aberdeen City Council.

The ceremony was attended by RNLI chairman Peter Nicholson, his first Scottish ceremony since taking over as chairman in July, November saw the naming ceremony for Hfracombe's new D class lifeboat Deborah Brown, which joins the Mersey class Spirit of Derbyshire at the North Devon station.Stations celebrateFollowing on from Montrose and Sunderland stations' bicentenaries in 2000, several more stations reach significant anniversaries in 2001.

The histories of four of these stations are looked at in the latest issue of Srorm Force News, the RNLI's magazine for young supporters, and the article is reproduced on pp 26-27 of this issue of The Lifeboat 200th anniversary Lowestoft Scarborough 150th anniversary Lythsm St Annes Newbiggin 100th anniversary Barry Dock CVeethorpes Mmehead North Berwick Port Isaac Teignmouthlooked issue Lifeboats on campus The RNLI and the University of Southampton announced in February an agreement to work together to carry out research and development projects for lifeboats while supporting the training of future professional engineers.

The RNLI is at the forefront of technological change and development in the small boat industry and has worked with the University before on materials used in the construction of lifeboats, but this partnership will be much more proactive and will ensure that future generations of lifeboats, and the crews that operate them, will benefit from the most up-to-date technology available.

This more direct link with one of the leading universities involved in engineering and marine and naval architecture will be of mutual benefit, allowing the RNLI to draw upon a large number of specialists and facilities, and the University will gain from having the RNLI as an industrial partner.

The first project to be worked on will be lifeboat repair techniques.

Get yours free! 2001 Lifeboat Stations and Museums Guide All the RNLI's stations are listed within the guide, together with opening times, a contact number and details of the lifeboats. There are also a number of museums and display centres.

Just send an SAE (DL size - 220mm x 110mm) requesting a copy to: PR Department, RNU, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.RNLI Public Relations Awards The winners of the annual RNLI Public Relations Awards were presented with their awards at a ceremony at the London Boat Show in January. The awards recognise exceptional individual or group contributions in promoting the lifeboat service. This year there were three categories of award; the printed media, the broadcast media and special individual or group effort.

Joint Winner: Printed Media The Coleraine Chronicle For playing a fundamental role in the success of the Portrush Lifeboat Appeal, which raised £250.000 towards the new Severn class lifeboat.

Joint Winner: Printed Media East Anglian Daily Times For running two appeals which raised over £100,000 and recruited volunteer support for the RNLI from all age groups.

Winner: Broadcast Media BBC Radio Cleveland For raising over £78,000 through an appeal to fund the new Atlantic 75 lifeboat for Hartlepool station, named BBC Radio Cleveland.

Winner: Special Individual or Group RNLI Mozambique Flood Relief Team For their considerable effort to cooperate with media requirements resulting in extremely favourable national coverage.New Year Honours It is with great pleasure that we announce that the following people have been honoured by Her Majesty The Queen in the New Year Honours: FOR SERVICES TO THE RNLI Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) John Harrop - chairman, Ruthin branch John Scott - honorary secretary, Portrush lifeboat station Fred Walkington - former coxswain, Bridlington lifeboat station OTHER AWARDS OF INTEREST Knight Bachelor {KB) Alderman Clive Martin - lately Lord Mayor of London, for service to the Corporation of London (former ex officio member, Committee of Management) Dr John Parker - chairman Lattice Group pic, for service to the defence and shipbuilding industry (member, Committee of Management) Commander, Order of the British Empire (CBE) Dr Andrew Cubie - for service to business and the community (vice president, Committee of Management, deputy chairman, Fundraising Committee and chairman. Scottish Lifeboat Council) Geraldine Peacock -chairman, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations and chief executive, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, for service to the voluntary sector Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Vivian Evans-for service to the community in Swansea (shorehelper and former crew member, The Mumbles lifeboat station) Rae Graham -for service to charity (vice chairman, RNLI Bellaghy branch) Jean Moore - for service to the NSPCC and to the community (box secretary, RNLI Hawarden branch)d for speed Following the vital work of lifeboat volunteers in flood relief in Mozambique in March 2000. the RNLI has established a Rapid Response Unit to respond to emergencies at home and abroad at short notice.

The Mozambique expedition highlighted the need to have specially equipped and trained teams at the ready. In a telephone survey soon after last year's mission, 70% of RNLI supporters and the genera! public expressed support for the RNLI providing similar overseas help in the future.

The new unit may very soon be put to the test, as forecast floods in Mozambique are predicted to be worse than last year. The Department for International Development has requested help from the RNLI and will pay for the equipment and deployment of teams.

Three teams of volunteers from throughout the RNLI have been selected, under the leadership of training inspector Ian Canavan, who was in charge of the eight-man team that went to Mozambique in March 2000. The teams are operating a rotating schedule whereby one team is on 24 hours notice for deployment, one team on 14 days notice and one team on general standby.Watermark shopping goes online This spring sees the launch of the RNLI's award-winning Watermark catalogue online.This is not the beginning of the end for the paper version; the online Watermark has been designed to complement its cousin and give supporters more choice in how they buy.

Jayne George, managing director of RNLI Sales commented 'We want to ensure that our customers have the best choice of buying opportunities available.

People can already order by post, by phone, by fax or even by email, so progressing to the web was a natural next stage.' Over 30,000 users visit the award-winning website each month and a huge percentage of RNLI supporters have access to the Internet.

'We've gone to great lengths to make sure the site is as secure as possible,' said Jayne. 'In fact for the time being, the actual credit card transaction is made offline. We simply ask customers for their card details, encrypt them and then take them off the Internet and undertake the transaction in the normal way,' Initially there will be a good selection from the new spring catalogue with an emphasis on useful things for the garden and gift ideas for the summer. As the year progresses, so will the items.

It will be well worth browsing the site on a regular basis because, unlike its paper cousin, it can very quickly advertise a new product range or a great offer to supporters.

The site will be tested over the coming months to see what supporters like and what they don't. The more automated the ordering process the more cost efficient it becomes. But ecommerce can only succeed if it delivers what the customer actually wants.

Take a look at the site today on WWW.HfeboatS.Org.ukGrace Darling, from a portrait by Henry Perlee Parker Award for Grace Darling Museum The RNLI's Grace Darling Museum will be presented with an award on 9 May 2001 in recognition of all the tireless work by the organising committee since its formation.

The museum was established in September 1938, exactly 100 years after Grace's famous rescue of nine sailors from the paddle steamer Forfarshire. It has an impressive collection of original relics of Grace Darting and her father William, and the Forfarshire. Among these exhibits are the boat used in the gallant rescue, items of clothing and household goods belonging to the Darling family and a wide range of paintings, literature and medals.

The museum, which is located in the centre of Bamburgh, in Northumbria, is open from Easter to October, 1 Oam to 5pm daily.All change at the top Ian Ventham, corporate services director In January this year, the RNLI's deputy director Ray Kipling left the Institution after over 27 years to take over as director of the Wessex Medical Trust. It was decided to take this opportunity to introduce some changes in senior management team Andrew Freemantle Terry Clark posts and responsibilities. The new post of corporate services director was created and this was filled by Ian Ventham, formerly in charge of fundraising and marketing. The new senior management team is as follows.

chief executive personnel director David Morgan engineering and supply director Ian Ventham corporate services director Michael Vlasto operations director Edward Wake-Walker public relations director Charles Watton finance director Vacant fundraising and marketing director Britannia Rescue exclusive deal The RNLI has arranged a discount for its supporters with Britannia Rescue, voted road rescue best buy for four consecutive years by Which? magazine.

The agreement entitles RNLI supporters up to 15% discount on membership of Britannia Rescue, meaning that prices start from just £38.60 per year. In addition, they guarantee to recover trailers of any length - a handy benefit for boat owners.

Britannia Rescue's parent company is a longterm supporter of the RNLI and has raised almost £400,000, some of which has gone to fund three inshore lifeboats.

Further details of this offer can be found in Britannia Rescue's advertisement on page 13..