Feature Mastering the technique Although it’s not the urgent call of pagers that wake the crew members from their slumbers but the unwelcome shrill of alarm clocks, it’s no ordinary morning for Kieran and Paul. They are staying for a week at The Lifeboat College in Poole with the aim of passing a world-class exam Their classroom is also rather unusual – the RNLI’s new training boat, Ian and Anne Butler.

A Hardy Commodore 42, it’s the first of two that will replace the current Nelsons, which have reached the end of their serviceable life.

The boat’s specification has been modified to suit RNLI requirements: she is built in anonymous grey and the interior includes onboard toilets, showers, a galley, central heating and air conditioning but also a training console featuring a multitude of electronic displays, a classroom area, and berths that sleep up to seven.

Decades of experience Kieran Cotter is far from being a novice. He joined the crew at Baltimore, County Cork, in 1975, making him the station’s longest serving crew member, and has been Coxswain for the last 17 years. He is also self employed, running his own grocery store and fuel delivery business.

Paul Eastment is a divisional assessor trainer for the RNLI’s West division.With 10 years’ experience on Porthcawl’s Atlantic lifeboat, he has spent the last four instructing and assessing the competence-based training at all 31 inshore lifeboat stations in Wales and on the Isle of Man.

These two are aspiring to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Yachtmaster Offshore qualification. They are joined by Martin Double, full-time Coxswain at The Mumbles, Swansea.With 19 years on the crew and four years as Coxswain, he’s also the station’s Training Coordinator. Martin has already passed his Yachtmaster so he has the luxury of observing the course to find out the level required and the techniques used to instruct. He’ll put into practise what he’s seen when he next organises and teaches courses for his crew.

The practical part of the Yachtmaster course is unlike most run at the College as it is not based on instruction. It involves two days during which the crew familiarise themselves with the boat and equipment and then two days for the exam, including some night-time work. One of two training coxswains takes charge of each part of the course, effectively playing ‘good guy:bad guy’. The ‘good guy’ for the first two days is Bernie Mannings. He focuses on preparing and encouraging the candidates. Bernie has lately returned from two years on an exchange to the US Coast Guard’s prestigious Yorktown Training Centre in Virginia and has held his post for five years. The Yachtmaster Examiner and ‘bad guy’ this week is Pete Gale, who has been with the RNLI for 23 years, with the last four as Training Coxswain. It’s important that the examiners are independent assessors, not involved in any training of the crews, so that they can be objective when assessing ability.

From theory to practice Anyone who wants to take the Yachtmaster exam needs a wealth of experience before they can even be considered. They must have completed a minimum of 50 days sea time, five days as a skipper of a vessel, 2,500 sea miles and five passages, each over 60 miles, including two overnight and two as skipper.

All-weather lifeboat volunteers may use their RNLI sea time to qualify and the amount of sea time gained is dependent on whether they are a coxswain or a crew member. They will probably already hold certificates for the RYA Coastal Skipper, the Yachtmaster Offshore theory element, SRC/VHF radio operator and first aid.

Having passed this first round of hurdles, candidates often attend a preparation course, known as ‘Exprep’. This provides practical training for the exam and a refresher in the theory of the RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster syllabuses.

At the start of the final exam week, everyone onboard is given a tour of the vessel and a safety briefing by the All-Weather Lifeboat Training Mechanic Richard Gillingham. From now on, Kieran and Paul take full responsibility for the management of both vessel and crew. They will be expected to demonstrate both knowledge and practical ability in passage planning, pilotage leaving and entering harbour, safety responsibilities, seamanship and boathandling, navigation and meteorology and to apply the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

The challenge builds At first glance, our candidates have the weather on their side. It is sunny and flat calm – to the uninitiated, apparently ideal conditions. But on checking the detailed inshore waters and shipping forecasts, they find that the Met Office have not only issued a heavy snow warning but also a strong wind warning: ‘increasing to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later’. In spite of all-day sunshine, air temperature only reaches a maximum of 6°C and plummets to -5°C with wind chill, while the water is only a few degrees above freezing – all factors that a competent skipper needs to take into account to ensure the safety and comfort of their crew.

Each day for Kieran and Paul becomes a continual round of checking information, updating their passage plans and logging their positions. Martin is at the helm and Kieran says that he’d like him to: ‘alter course to port and steer 215°. The leg to steer is 4 miles at 15 knots and will take approximately 16 minutes. The shallowest depth to expect is 12.5m; look out for pot buoys and a yellow special mark about 6 minutes into the leg’. Paul asks Kieran: ‘What time do you estimate our arrival at Swanage?’ Kieran responds: ‘1215.’ Paul then checks Reeds Nautical Almanac 2007 and the Admiralty Tide Stream Atlas to work out the secondary port calculations and the expected height of tide at Swanage.

They are constantly thinking about the ‘six Ps’: Prior Planning Prevents Particularly Poor Performance. They begin to talk a different language of DR, GPS,VRM, CTS, ETD, SITREP, COLREGs, waypoints and even cocked hats! Meanwhile ‘good guy’ Bernie is asking questions about man overboard, collision regulations, chart work, safety briefings, radar and visual fixes. The allimportant factor is frequent and persistent communication amongst the crew, ensuring safeguards are in place for every step of their time at sea. The barometric pressure may be decreasing as the week goes on but stress levels onboard are certainly rising. Martin remembers from his own exam: ‘Just when you think you’ve got everything sussed the “bad guy” throws in something else for you to think about. The pressure doesn’t ease up for the two days or so of the exam but as long as you keep calm and don’t lose the plot (in more ways than one!) then you should be able to work through most situations.’ Cheery banter and several sweet cups of tea help to ease the tension.

As they moor up for their second night, Paul checks with the crew that they are all OK. Martin replies, with a cheeky grin: ‘No, I’m not, I’m flipping cold!’ (or words to that effect). It’s all in good humour as they settle down to some last-minute study for the big exam the next day.

And finally …? When they arrived in Poole, Kieran, Paul and Martin already knew that they are successful in their lifeboating roles, joining their fellow crew to turn out in all weathers, day and night to save lives. However they are also proud to attempt the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore certificate in recognition of their skills honed over so many years of experience.

At the time of writing, the second training boat, Robert S Ellsmoor, completed her passage from Hardy’s boatyard in Norfolk to her new home at The Lifeboat College and will soon be made available to help train more such willing candidates from all around the British Isles (see page 29). News also came through from the RYA that Kieran and Paul had been successful – congratulations to them both! IAN AND ANNE BUTLER BUILT BY Hardy Marine Ltd LENGTH 13m BEAM 4.45m DRAUGHT 1.2m ENGINES 2x MAN 450hp MAXIMUM SPEED 24 knots RANGE Approximately 250 miles at full speed USED FOR 40 weeks of the year, to train lifeboat crew members in Boathandling and Search and rescue; for preparation for, and assessment of, RYA Yachtmaster Offshore COST £450,000 DONORS Legacies of Anne and Ian Butler and others, with funds from the RNLI Train one, save many campaign, which raises funds for crew training. Each Yachtmaster course for four costs £8,372/€11,720 Ocean Training Ltd provides distance learning courses and CD-ROM packages for lifeboat crew to train at home and at their stations, at a discount to the RNLI. Readers of Offshore News can find out more. .