A picture paints a thousand words Getting timely and dramatic images of the lifeboat service to the media is crucial to raising awareness. The RNLI is now investing in new cameras at selected lifeboat stations to bring the heroic work of the crews into front rooms and onto everybody's television sets. Some of the cameras are fixed in position on the lifeboat and others are attached to the side of the crew's helmets. Spencer Cammond, the RNLI's Head of Media Relations, says: 'Getting the RNLI's key messages in the national media will pay great dividends.' Keep your kit on Earlier this year GMTV set up a nationwide search for the 'sexiest man in uniform'. Thousands of applications were received and the panel of judges had the tough task of whittling down the entrants to a final 12. One of the 12 was hunky Coxswain Martyn Phillips from Hastings lifeboat station who then appeared on the morning TV programme LK Today.Working Lunch Earlier in the year, Rob Pittam, the business correspondent for the BBC programme Working Lunch, spent a night with the Fleetwood lifeboat crew and a day with one of the town's biggest employers, Lofthouse, the producers of Fisherman's Friend, the famous throat lozenge.

Tony Lofthouse, who runs the company that Fleetwood crew member Barry Wilson works for, is happy for Barry to serve with the crew. In fact the company is so keen on the RNLI that they have already donated money to provide & lifeboat. Tony explained to Working Lunch that allowing Barry to join the crew actually makes good business sense.

'We want people in the town to work for us and so we want to be thought of as a good employer. Letting Barry do something like this underlines the message. And the thing is, like the lifeboat, we have a good team here.' Rob Pittam summed up his experience on Fleetwood lifeboat: 'Just by being on the boat you get an idea of the team spirit and camaraderie built up by the crew. There's also the exhilaration of being out at sea and the incalculable feeling of helping save livesThe last issue of the Lifeboat reported on the BBC TV series Danger on the Beach being shown during a prime-time early evening slot. The series achieved viewing figures of 4-5M, enabling many people to see the work of the RNLI and other rescue organisations. Another superb opportunity to see Danger on the Beach, this time as a British Sign Language signed programme, was provided by See Hear.

For those of you who missed it, a new series is currently being filmed with more RNU involvement and will be shown on BBC early next year.Comedy drama role for Port |saac Ljfeboat Truculent, tactless, and causing mayhem. No, not the lifeboat crew but Martin Clunes starring as Doc Martin, a GP who arrives in the small, sleepy Cornish hamlet of Port Wenn (better known to locals as Port Isaac). The six-part series stars Martin Clunes, Stephanie Cole and some lesser known 'extras' - 16 RNLI volunteers.

The scenes involving the RNLI take place at the lifeboat station during their lifeboat open day. Local press officer Bob Bulgin says:'It's an exciting project to be involved in and it is also really good publicity for the RNLI and Port Isaac lifeboat station.

A lot of filming has been done in and around the lifeboat station so the lifeboat itself is featured. We made sure you couldn't move for RNLI flags!1 Doc Martin is due to be screened in the autumn on ITV1.Designer Underpinning all of the design and technology that is key to the RNLI's work of saving lives is the RNLI's programme of research and development. The aim of this work is to provide the most appropriate boats and equipment for the crews so that they can work safely, efficiently and in comfort.

One way this is done is to analyse the results of the extensive boat and equipment trials carried out over the years. Another way is to undertake specific new programmes, such as the current 'crew seat1 study. This is looking into minimising the stresses on a crew member's spine as experienced when sitting in an all weather lifeboat. Sea conditions and the movement of the boat can be extreme and spinal injury is a real risk.

The target is to design the most ergon omically sound, comfortable and safe seat for theTamar - the birth of a lifeboat The latest stage of development for the RNLI's new Tamar class lifeboat is now well underway. In February the hull and wheelhouse structure of the pre-production boat was towed on a barge from builders Green Marine in Lymington to DHL in Plymouth to be fitted out. The pre-production boat gives the engineers and designers a final opportunity to test and refine the structure and on-board equipment before production lifeboats are built.

Neil Chaplin, RNLI Principal Naval Architect and Tamar project manager, said of the latest developments: 'The basic structure of the new lifeboat is being fitted out as we speak and it's a real thrill to see her coming to life. The engines and gearbox are being aligned, the internal compartments have been painted and the first of the multitude of cables that will connect up the integrated management system are being run. This is a critical stage of the build and we are learning a lot that will help in the future build programme.

There's also a lot happening away from the boat itself in the special "mock ups" that have been constructed nearby. These allow engineers and fitters to create pipe work modules that will be transferred, whole, to the Tamar once she reaches a certain stage of development.' Work at DHL is going to plan and the RNLI expects to conduct the first trials later this year.

See page 29 for more on theTamar's first home.Tenby A new type of launch and recovery vehicle, known as Softrak, has been successfully trialled at a number of lifeboat stations around the country.

Softrak is a multi-purpose all-terrain vehicle with the capability of carrying a lifeboat crew plus a casualty stretcher. The vehicle is able to travel in water up to 1m deep without leaking.

The vehicle is equipped with tank-like tracks that enable it to tackle various ground conditions without loss of traction. The special rubber used on the tracks means the vehicle produces very low ground pressure and is far less likely to get stuck in the mud than wheeled vehicles.

Engineering Designer Dave Sargeant explains: The trial was a great success and we have now placed an order for a Softrak for Cleethoipes station, which should be delivered later in the year. We have also ordered one for Burry Port and have been operating one successfully at Bumham-on- Sea for the past six months. The project is the culmination of a tot of hard work by the RNLI's engineering office and the vehicle supplier. We are pleased the design is working so well.'On her way to visit her home town of Kingston upon Hull, HMS Iron Duke, a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, met the Humber lifeboat. HMS Iron Duke's motto is Virtutis Fortuna Comes' which translates as 'fortune is the companion of valour'. This was particularly relevant for the RNLI in this case as the HMS Iron Duke's crew had collected a 'fortune' made up of 25kg of foreign change during their time away from home. The Humber crew duly collected this, later converting it into useable cash for the RNLI.

Readers may have heard an interview with this crew on BBC Radio 4's programme Home Truths earlier this year. Humber is the rare exception to the rule: due to the remote location of the station at Spurn Point the crew are full-time, paid staff of the RNLI, living in tied accommodation with their families.

Coxswain Dave Steenvoorden said: 'Chief Petty Officer John Davies contacted the station back in December to offer the change. We could not resist going out and meeting the Iron Duke as she made her way up to Hull for a courtesy call. We at Humber thought it a fantastic opportunity to make new friends within the Royal Navy.'So which would you choose? A bustling quay, one of the best beaches in England and a stunning natural harbour or a cosmopolitan, sophisticated city with a youthful, 'can do1 attitude? The first describes Poole in Dorset and the second Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.

This was the choice open to Brett Shepherd, the RNLI's Divisional Lifeguard Manager (Devon and Dorset) when he was given an opportunity to work on a 12-month contract as a development officer for Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ). The decision he made means that he is now living and working in Brisbane.Brett's job with the RNLI involved operational responsibility for the Beach Lifeguards services in Devon and Dorset but his new role will not be operational.

He will be based at headquarters where it is 'the first time a "pom" has been recruited at state centre level'. He feels this reflects the respect that overseas lifesaving organisations have for the RNLI.

His experience and skills gained with the RNLI will help in his new role of cataloguing, maintaining and updating all operating procedures, analysing incident statistics and making recommendations for new equipment and systems of training. Similar safety issues to those in the UK arise in the management of jet skiers but something that will be very different for Brett will be coming to terms with the Shark Control System! Brett fully intends to come back to the RNLI at the end of his year and make use of the extra experience he gains to help the RNLI become the best lifeguard service provider in the world.Double take Earlier this year the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship RFA Sir Galahad visited Tenby and met the RNLI's/?M5/r Galahad, the lifeboat stationed at Tenby.

After the Falkland* War, the RFA launched an appeal and raised money to provide a lifeboat. The lifeboat was named RFA Sir Galahad in memory of the original RFA Galahad, which was bombed and destroyed during the war. Many of those who died were members of the Welsh Guard, which is why the lifeboat went to a station in Wales, The RFA ship was anchored off Tenby for a few hours, during which time many of the lifeboat crew and local people with connections to the ship had the chance to go aboard.

See pages 29 and 32 to find out about the next generation of lifeboat to arrive at Tenby lifeboat station.Barmouth traged was with great sadness that the RNLI learnt of tragic loss of Keith Allday, Harbour Master and RNLI volunteer Coxswain, and Atan Massey, Assistant Harbour Master and RNLI volunteer Helmsman, at Barmouth in April this year. They were both experienced and highly respected members of the Cwynedd Council's Maritime Unit, the lifeboat service and the local and wider communities.

During the search and rescue operation for two men, Andrew Freemantle, Chief Executive the RNLI said: 'As with all search and rescue operations of this nature, the RNLI's volunteer crews and everyone involved with the search, have acted with dedication and professionalism and we would like to pay tribute to their selflessness and courage.' Dafydd Whittall, Strategic Director at Cwynedd Council also paid tribute: 'Both Alan and Keith were totally committed to their work; looking after the harbour at Barmouth was a way life rather than a duty for both. They were helpful and friendly people and worked together well.' The town of Barmouth, with a population of just 2,000, showed their great respect for the two men as hundreds of people gathered in Barmouth to pay their final respects. The town came to a standstill and crowds lined the streets around St John's Church as the traditional seafarers' hymn For those in peril on the sea was sung.

A Community Families Fund has been set up in Barmouth, with the help and guidance of local councillor, Trevor Roberts, so that anyone wishing to make a donation to Keith and Alan's families can do so. The RNLI fully supports this community-based appeal.

The fund has been set up under the care of Barclays Bank in Barmouth. Anyone wishing to contribute to The Community Families Fund can send a cheque payable to: 'The Community Families Fund' care of Barclays Bank, High Street, Barmouth, Cwynedd, Wales. Alternatively take a cheque into any branch of Barclays Bank, again making it payable to: 'The Community Families Fund'. The account number is 00528331 and the sort code is 20-35-47.honours We are delighted to announce that the following people have been honoured by Her Majesty The Queen in the New Year Honours and have received an MBE for services to the RNLI.

Congratulations to: David Harrison, Lifeboat Operations Manager, Hunstanton lifeboat station Alan Thomas, Coxswain,Tenby lifeboat station Brian Thompson,Treasurer, Famworth, Kearsley and Bolton branch Martin Woodward, former Coxswain, Bembridge lifeboat station United States Coast Guard Exchange Programme The first two-year United States Coast Guard (USCG)/RNLI exchange, reported in previous issues of the Lifeboat, is now coming to an end and a new opportunity is being taken up by Bernie Mannings, currently a training coxswain at Poole.

Andy Whyte will return to the UK whilst Bernie will work as a Response Boat Trainer at the USCG Training Centre inYorktown, Virginia. Bernie and his family are all very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead of them in the USA.

The RNLI says goodbye and thank you to Bosuns Mate Chief Kevin Speer and his family as they return to the USA, and welcomes Bosuns Mate Chief Joe Mains.orld Cup travels in style The Webb Ellis Cup, England's trophy for winning the Rugby World Cup in 2003, was recently seen on the south coast as part of a four-month nationwide tour. Various forms of transport have been used to take it around the country and, when Weymouth Rugby Club needed a way of getting the cup to them from Poole, the coxswain and crew of Weymouth lifeboat didn't need to think twice before agreeing to the callout. Poole's all weather lifeboat and inshore lifeboat escorted Weymouth's Earnest and Mabel out of the harbour. At the end of the passage the crew were greeted by hundreds of fans, all eager to catch a glimpse of the Cup. It was agreed by all on the Weymouth lifeboat that it had been a service to be remembered for many years to come.

Concorde noses down the Thames for its last journey One of the RNLI Thames lifeboats turned out to see Concorde making her final journey during April. It was an unusual event because instead of flying at an altitude of 11 miles, Concorde was 'sailing' along the Thames aboard a barge. The sedate pace was rather a change too from the usual 1,350 mph. After sailing along the river, she continued her journey up to Scotland before finally coming to rest at the Museum of Flight in East Lothian being sighted by more RNLI crews on the way..