Coming to a place near you soonSometimes good advice can be difficult to swallow, especially if it's on a subject close to your heart. This, coupled with the fact that people generally don't actively go out and seek advice, can be a problem if you need to get your message to the masses. So what do you do? The RNLI's Education and Water Safety team seem to have the answer...'Prevention is better than cure,' so the old adage goes, and this is especially true when it comes to saving lives at sea. So, as well as providing a first class rescue service, the RNLI strongly believes that serious incidents can be prevented by changing attitudes to water safety.

As part of a campaign to reach boat owners and water users with its safety messages, the RNLI takes to the road and brings Water Safety to boat owners at marinas, yacht clubs, slipways and events using a fleet of display trailers. A Beach Safety trailer also promotes safety at beaches, schools, clubs and show venues; and a Fishing Safety trailer provides advice and practical demonstrations around the country's main fishing ports.

Initially the team started with two trailers but, because of demand, the fleet now stands at ten. Each rig is equipped to show videos and includes a large plasma screen and a PC to show training CD-ROMs.

They also carry a variety of safety equipment, a full range of safety booklets, fundraising and membership materials, as well as a trusty collection box. While the main emphasis is on Water Safety, the trailers are also used to support youth education and fundraising events.

The trailers can also be used as a base for a range of safety equipment demonstrations, including distress flares and man-overboard procedures. So it's important that a suitably experienced staff member is present at every event.

Therefore, the trailers are manned by qualified events supervisors, many of whom are retired, or serving lifeboat crew members that can draw on years of firsthand experience. At most events, volunteer Water Safety advisers provide additional help and play an important part in putting forward safety messages to the public.Of the ten roadshow trailers, five are manned by lifeboat crew or ex-crew, including: Pat Maclean, Scotland; Willie Richardson, South East; Tony jamieson, North of England; Ben Shepherd, Wales and West Midlands; and Billy McCauley, Ireland. In addition, former lifeguard supervisor Dave Gorman mans the Beach Safety roadshow.

Between them, the roadshows cover the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, bringing sound and friendly advice to the public.

They could be coming to a place near you very soon.ife on the open road Pat Maclean speaks to the Lifeboat about his work as a Water Safety roadshow supervisor in Scotland: Pat joined the newly-opened Oban lifeboat station in 1972 and was on his first shout four days later. 'In what seemed like no time at all (almost 26 years and 704 services later) I was retiring aged 55, in my 20th year as coxswain,' Pat says.

At this time the RNLI was considering what was known as the Sea Safety Initiative.

As a result, SEA Check was born and is now part of a very successful Water Safety campaign. SEA Check is an informal review of the safety equipment carried by small pleasure craft and usually includes discussion on any points arising from the check. The free check normally takes around an hour and is carried out at a time convenient to the owner. They are carried out by appointed RNLI volunteers with suitable experience and there are now approximately 500 SEA Check volunteers in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

'During my time on the lifeboat I suppose that I must have come across many of the problems that can occur at sea and sharing this experience is very rewarding' Pat was invited to become a SEA Check volunteer early on in the scheme and was able to draw on his lifeboating and sailing experience when talking with boat owners.

Pat says: 'During my time on the lifeboat I suppose that I must have come across many of the problems that can occur at sea and sharing this experience is very rewarding.

'For example, I was once involved in the recovery of a man who drowned for want of a £4 crotch strap to keep his lifejacket in place. There are no prizes for guessing that my particular hobby horse is the wearing of a correctly fitted lifejacket. People seem to be more accepting of advice when suggestions are backed up by practical experience and anecdotes from actual rescues.1 Pat remembers another tragic tale that was a result of not wearing a lifejacket: Two families were returning from holiday on a yacht. Despite wearing lifejackets on deck for an entire fortnight, one of the men removed his about one mile from their final destination. It was perfect weather but, shortly after removing it, he was lost overboard. Some 40 assorted vessels answered the call for assistance and Obanlifeboat was appointed as "on scene commander".

'When darkness fell, only the lifeboat, and the casualty yacht, with relatives and friends still aboard, were still searching. At this point we realised that, given the failing light and the massive scale of the search already carried out, continuing was futile.

We escorted the yacht in and took the devastated people ashore in a deafening silence - something that I would hope never to experience again. If just one person's attitude is changed as a result of hearing this story, it will be worthwhile.' As Water Safety and SEA Check expanded it became obvious that the ability to mount a presence at shows and events was needed and, as a result, the RNLI developed the Water Safety roadshow. Pat says: 'I am lucky enough to be responsible for the Scottish roadshow trailer which takes me all over the country.' 'My role is evenly divided between Water Safety and general PR and I find one message is coming through loud and clean saving lives, not only through the direct action of lifeboats, but also indirectly by awareness and education, is proving a winner with the public. It doesn't always immediately occur to non-boat ownersthat they may need the help of the RNLI one day. So they thoroughly appreciate our work in promoting beach and water safety to children.' 'People seem to be more accepting of advice when suggestions are backed up by practical experience and anecdotes from actual rescues' Of course travelling such distances and meeting so many different people, Pat has many interesting stories to tell: Arriving in Dunoon one evening, towing the trailer, I became aware that I was being followed. I stopped and was approached by a boat owner asking if he could have an urgent SEA Check. Gratified but intrigued, I asked him why he was so keen. He said that his boat insurance was due and his insurance company was offering a 10 per cent discount for boats that were SEA Checked. I am sure that from the insurer's point of view, if the boat owner is sufficiently interested in safety to have his boat checked, he is probably not high risk and thus worthy of the discount. In any event, it is a good advert for us.

'RNLI Water Safety is winning friends and influencing people.'A week in the life...

Given the large distances involved, a roadshow supervisor can cover anything from 200-600 miles in a weekend. A recent, typical week for Pat went something like this: clean and re-stock the vehicle and trailer, drive from Oban to Anstruther Anstruther lifeboat day then drive to Glasgow to Girvan for the Gin/an at day and then to Glasgow the vehicle serviced in ;gow and drive home to Oban a rare day off! Wednesday and Thursday Friday Pat's other part time job; sailing as relief master for Foster Yeoman, a super-quarry company clean, re-stock and start again.