Dear Editor, Scanning the letters page of the summer 2005 issue of the Lifeboat, my eye was caught by the small photograph of the Selsey lifeboat towing a cabin cruiser. Though the doctored picture featuring fearless towrope-walker Max Gilligan was arresting enough, it was the casualty herself that caught my attention: undoubtedly the vessel was my friend Ray's old boat Pacer. He had no idea that any pictures had been taken during the rescue, which took place about four years ago; the snap brought back vivid memories for him.

Ray and his partner Christine had been on passage from Brighton to the Isle of Wight, when their steering gear failed off Selsey. Unable to fix it and with an uncomfortable sea running, he reluctantly put out a distress call. Somewhat embarrassed by their predicament, he was reluctant to ask for the lifeboat's assistance but the coastguard, sensing Ray's discomfort, was at pains to put him at his ease and to tell him that assistance was on its way.

Twenty minutes later, Selsey's all weather lifeboat foamed into view to deposit a cheerful crew member on board, bearing the loose end of a tow. Ray still remembers the exhilarating ride into Chichester during which his old boat threw up a bow wash like a destroyer. Very shortly thereafter they moored safely in Chichester and the friendly RNLI crew bade them farewell.

Subsequently, my friends took their old boat across the Channel and down through the French canal system where, after many adventures, but no more rescues, they eventually emerged into the Mediterranean, voyaging down to the southern tip of Spain before taking up a permanent berth near Barcelona.

Ray and Christine, who made a small donation to RNLI funds after the rescue, realise that it was probably little more than a routine call for the RNLI, but would like to thank all concerned for their cheerful and friendly professionalism, especially the crew of Selsey's Tyne class City of London.

Yours sincerely, Paul Norman Ifield, Crawley.West SussexDear Editor, I enjoyed reading your article in the summer 2005 issue regarding the launching trials of the newTamar class lifeboat at Tenby and could not help comparing this trial with that of the Wells-next-the-Sea (Norfolk) lifeboat Cec;7 Paine, which took place at Skegness in Lincolnshire in the summer of 1945, when I was 14 years old! I clearly remember her arrival at Skegness (my home town) as she was the first twin-screw Liverpool class to be built. Presumably Skegness was chosen for the trials because of the problems with a difficult beach and tidal differences at Wells. Cecil Paine was put on service at our station for two days while the Skegness boat Anne Allen was left on the beach above high water under the watchful eye of the local constabulary.

The following year, Anne Allen, having completed rigorous wartime service, went to Oulton Broad for a complete refit. She was off station for some six weeks. Rockets were fired to tell the town of her joyful arrival home.

As a very small boy at school in Skegness the first two things that I learnt were: 1. the name of our local Member of Parliament and 2. the name of the Skegness lifeboat. I have long since forgotten the politician's name but the RNLI and my memories of Anne Allen still remain.

Yours faithfully, Hugh Howitt Chelmsford, Essex If you want to read more about Selsey's maritime and lifeboating history, don't forget Voices from the sea by Ruth Cocks, as reviewed in the autumn 2004 issue of the Lifeboat.

See voicesfromthesea.net or contact Ruth on 01243 601272 or email [email protected] for more details..