These days it is hard to imagine lifeboats propelled by anything but powerful engines. Back in the autumn of 1905 though, the then Life-boat Journal was hailing the introduction of marine • - ** *i***** " .xT- ~~ -'*'- 100 years ago 'It will be satisfactory to the supporters of the Royal National Life-boat Institution to know that the subject of placing motors in existing Life-boats and designing new Life-boats to carry them has occupied a very large pan of the time of the Committee of Management and Officers.' The article went on to announce the RNLI's decision to specially design three new vessels as motor lifeboats (see Books on page 40 for more on the history of motor lifeboats).

In the meantime, most crews were still pulling and sailing lifeboats to the rescue and one such service described in the Journal bears an uncanny resemblance to that reported on page 10 of this issue of the Lifeboat: APPLEDORE, NORTH DEVON 'The fishing craft Elizabeth of Tenby, attempted about 5pm on the 7 7th of March to cross the (Bideford) bar, but with the tide and heavy sea, there being little or no wind, she drifted on to the North Tail. Within a few minutes the sea began to wash over her, and signals of distress were made. The Life-boat Jane Hannah Macdonald was promptly launched, and succeeded, with considerable difficulty owing to the state of the sea, in rescuing the three hands on board, bringing them safely ashore at 7.30pm.'... 50 years ago The autumn 1955 edition of the Journal announced that Eastbourne Coxswain Thomas Allchorn was to receive his second RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry. He and his crew launched to a wrecked vessel on 26 April. The Journal described the conditions when they launched the lifeboat Beryl Tollemache at around 4.45pm: 'Afresh gale was blowing from the south-west, there was a rough sea, and it was overcast. It was an hour before low water, and because of the state of the tide the life-boat bumped twice on the sand as she was being launched.' THE LIFEBOAT In a service that took more than five hours, Coxswain Allchorn made three trips to the wreck, rescuing a total of 16 men from stricken salvage boats and the wreck itself.

The Journal also reported that the RNLI experienced its busiest May on record in 1955, with 65 launches and 84 lives saved.

May 2005 was a busy period for the lifeboats too - see page 16.... 25 years ago In 1980, theTyne class lifeboat used by many crews today was in its prototype stage. The Duke of Atholl, then Chairman of the RNLI, referred to theTyne class at the RNLI's ACM, as reported in the Journal that autumn: 'These new lifeboats are essential if we are to maintain and improve our efficiency as a service. I stress "improvement" because we want to take every opportunity of using modern technology to improve our service.' The resulting production lifeboats are now reaching the end of their operational life and are being gradually replaced by the Tamar, as reported in the summer 2005 issue of the Lifeboat.

Despite the introduction of faster motor lifeboats, RNLI lifeboat crew members showed they could hold their own when it came to taking up the oars. The Journal reported how a team of British lifeboatmen entered the international lifeboat races at the New York Harbor Festival: 'Although the crew had never rowed together before and had only had three weeks' training, quickly organised by their divisional inspector, LtAlan Tate, they won their heat against the Australian and United States Coast Guards and, in an exciting final, won by five lengths.' At RNLI headquarters, there was some fundraising magic: 'It was quips and laughter all the way when Paul Daniels, comedian and conjuror, drew the winning tickets for the RNLI's ninth national lottery at Poole HQ on Thursday July 31.'.