in the autumn 2004 issue of the Lifeboat, we reported on the opening of The Lifeboat College in Pooie, Dorset. We described some of the facilities and equipment available on this unique site and talked to some of those who are to benefit from its creation. Some readers may have wondered about the wisdom of building the College from a financial point of view - the following correspondence may be of interest.Dear Mr Freemantle Thank you for your letter warning me of a rise in my subscription. I am afraid it made me question my continuing membership, not because of the extra expense, but because over the last two or three years I have been asking myself whether the RNLI is expanding far beyond its original remit.

Obviously I am not suggesting that saving life on the beach is not worth doing but I feel strongly that it was not for this that the Institution was founded and that local, or better national, Government authorities should take on the responsibility and cost of the enterprise. I strongly support the belief that the lifeboat service is what it is because it is financed by voluntary contributions and volunteer crews but if you provide a beach life-saving service using volunteers on the beach the authorities (iocal or national) should fund it in to to.

I would also question the need to build an expensive new College for training crew members. Surely, handling lifeboats and doing rescue work is a practical business that is best learnt in the 'workshop' rather than in the classroom, [ike plumbing, cabinet making and surgery.

I can understand that you feel a need for a higher income but was it really necessary to take on these two new expensive undertakings? I have decided that 1 shall continue to belong, to sell flags and to empty fixed lifeboat collecting boxes but I should be interested to know if others feel as I do and whether you have pursued the idea of accepting payment for your beach work.

Yours sincerely M Claridge Canterbury KentDear Mr Claridge Thank you for your letter in which you raised your general concern that we are expanding far beyond our original remit, which was, and remains, to save lives at sea. In particular, you mentioned two issues: Beach Lifeguards In 2003, RNLI Beach Lifeguards deait with 7,226 incidents, resulting in 7,792 persons being assisted and 27 lives being saved.

Given that the whole of our Beach Lifeguards service costs about the same as setting up and running one all weather lifeboat station, the cost involved would seem to represent a good use of our resources. In each case, the lives were saved in the sea or, if the casualties had been dragged out of it, on the shoreline.There is, of course, also the matter of the large number of people (most of whom are young and many parents and, therefore, potential supporters) who have contact with the RNLI in the process. At a time when we are trying to appeal to younger audiences and raise our overall profile, the combined effect of all this is entirely in our interests. Finally, I should mention that whenever we provide lifeguards on beaches, the Local Authority makes a donation to the Institution to help pay the wages of the lifeguards. As I expect you are aware, beach lifeguards and the people who manage them have to be immediately available to rescue lives and assist people as the incidents occur; if you are not on the scene within a minute or so then someone has drowned. Providing such an immediate service does, I am afraid, mean that we have to have people who are prepared and able to be 'on the spot' - such people are unable to do another job at the same time. However, I can reassure you that we do not provide this service to any Local Authority unless they are prepared to give us the 'subvention' I have just mentioned.

The Lifeboat College The Trustees of the Institution gave a great deal of detailed thought to the establishment of The Lifeboat College, something that has been talked about for many years. The availability of a suitable plot of land adjacent to our Poole headquarters presented an opportunity not to be missed. The value of the site that we purchased to build the College and its adjoining Survival Centre has increased fivefold since we bought it two years ago and, in terms of an investment, has been much more productive than the stock market, for example. It is also the case that any spare capacity at our College will be made available for use by other maritime emergency services, on a commercial basis as an income-generating venture. Until the creation of the College, the Institution was having to pay to put all these people up in hotels; in the long run, a residential training college will save us money. Finally, I should remind you that where it is not possible or practical to provide such training at or near the lifeboat stations, crews have alwayscome to Poole for certain training courses.

You may also not be aware that, these days, less than 10% of our lifeboat crew volunteers have been to sea before and, so, they need much more training than many of their forebears.

I hope this gives you some measure of reassurance that the creation of the College was something the RNLI had to do and is money well spent.

Thank you for your letter and for your continued support of the work of our crews.

With best wishes Andrew Freemantle Chief Executive Dear Mr Freemantle I write to thank you for your very prompt and most explicit reply to my letter questioning the use of RNLI charitable funds for Beach Lifeguards and for building a College at Poole. You have convinced me that both innovations are worthwhile and justifiable and I am most grateful to you.

Normally f do read virtually everything in the RNLI magazine but if there was an article explaining as clearly as you did in your letter the financial benefits of both projects I am afraid I missed it. From speaking to others I know that I am not alone in my concerns about these new ventures so may I suggest a further article is published in the magazine explaining the cost to benefit reality of this extension of the RNLI's activities? Best wishes Yours sincerely M ClaridgeIn each issue of the Lifeboat we read accounts of outstanding rescues; some of these are awarded Thanks on Vellum or a Medal. Clearly, the lifeboat crews do not undertake rescues for the sake of an award.

So, one can argue - what is the purpose of awarding the Medal? I have read several accounts of Bronze Medal rescues and these seem very harrowing, dangerous and arduous to me.

My question then is - what sort of rescue does it have to be to receive a Gold Medal? Secondly, with the progress in technology perhaps what would have been a Gold Medal in the past with, say, a rowboat, may be viewed as a Bronze Medal nowadays even though the state of the weather and sea are similar.

I would be grateful for some enlightenment as to the philosophy of awarding these Medals.

Yours sincerely Franz Wimmer Universiti Brunei Darussalam Bruneit have been meaning to ask about this for years and your story 'Silver service at Cleethorpes and Number' [autumn 2004 issue] has finally spurred me to action. Who actually wrote this thrilling account of the rescue of the Dollard by two very different lifeboats collaborating so magnificently? Each issue contains rescue stories - does a member of your editorial staff go to interview all the people involved? Accounts of rescues give times, bearings, and distances in detail. I cannot imagine the helmsman of a D class meticulously recording in his log each manoeuvre as he makes it! However they are prepared, the skill and bravery of all the RNLI crews comes through loud and clear. When I was still young enough to sail, that thought always gave me great comfort whenever I left harbour.

AF Bennett Chichester West Sussex MrWimmer and Mr Bennett and other readers who have similarly wondered may find the article on page 13 of interest.

Editoram hoping that your readers can help me.

My boss keeps calling me a 'land lubber1. He is correct in the fact that I very rarely venture onto the water and I am a Shoreline member whereas he has a dinghy and dives and is an Offshore member. Is there an opposite phrase to 'land lubber' that I can call him - polite please as he pays my wages!? (I suppose it is because I have such respect and admiration for the rescue crews that set out in all conditions, often risking their own lives to save others, that I am pleased to be a supporter and can help in my own small way.) Regards Nigel Whitfield By email Any (helpful) suggestions for Mr Whitfield? Editor To contact the RNLI General enquiries: write to RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1 HZ, telephone 0845 122 6999, fax 0845 126 1999, or email [email protected].

Supporter enquiries, such as memberships and subscriptions, corporate and personal donations and legacies: telephone 0845 121 4999 or email [email protected].

Editorial enquiries, including requests for the audiotape version of the Lifeboat magazine for blind and partially sighted people: telephone 01202 662254, fax 01202 662224 or email [email protected].

Advertising, see details on page 1.I read with interest the autumn 2004 issue's article on safety on the beach, particularly as the opening preamble attracted my attention.

As an active sailor for the last 25 years, I have to confess that I, like many others, do not know what a rip current is! I have asked many friends, and even surfers, but none has been able to provide me with an explanation. I was therefore hopeful that the article might have explained this for me. As it did not, can you explain for me and perhaps many others, exactly what a rip current is, its cause and effect? Yours sincerely John Sadler By email Steve Wills, Beach Safety Manager, explains: The definition of a rip current is 'a body of water moving seaward through a path of least resistance'. This can be explained as the action and energy of breaking waves forcing water above its natural level. The force of gravity then pulls this water back to its natural level (a rip current), via the path of least resistance.

Most people drown or get into serious difficulties, not because of the rip current itself, but due to tiredness trying to fight the current and swim straight to shore.

You should always swim or wade parallel to the beach until you are out of the strong currents before returning to shore.

There are several different types of rip current such as fixed, permanent and flash. For more information you can visit our Beach Safety website on www.beachsafety.org.uk.

Information here includes asking a lifeguard for advice, how to identify a rip and what to do if you get caught in a rip current. There are also downloadable factsheets containing a wide range of other beach safety information..