The RNLI’s new Chairman, Admiral The Lord Boyce, is well aware of the sea’s dangers, as he explains to Rory Stamp

Like many of the RNLI’s senior figures, Mike Boyce has inspected several lifeboats at close quarters. Perhaps the lifeboat that left the biggest impression on him, though, was the craft that rescued him from choppy waters off the east coast of England in the mid-1980s. ‘I was in a Hobie cat [a small sailing catamaran] and I was caught out by the conditions – it was a rough day!’ recalls Lord Boyce, who succeeded Sir Jock Slater as RNLI Chairman in November 2008. ‘The rigging parted, the mast came down and I had no way of getting back to shore. Thankfully, a lifeboat came to my aid.’

It was by no means Lord Boyce’s first brush with danger at sea. His father and grandfather both served in the Navy and Mike followed in their footsteps – he commanded three submarines from the 1960s until the early 1980s. ‘We were at the cutting edge of the Cold War. It was a strange life,’ he reflects, adding that commanding a submarine is a pressurised job in all senses of the word. ‘It’s effectively flying through the water. You don’t get to sleep for very long; you just have to take naps when you can, because you are always being called to potential problems. But I have no regrets and thoroughly enjoyed it.’

Mike’s distinguished service as a commander led to him being promoted to the Flag List in 1991. ‘I had to adapt to a land-based life which led to my brushing shoulders with more politicians than submariners,’ he says. His increasingly senior roles included Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command and Second Sea Lord, Commander-in-Chief Fleet and First Sea Lord. He was also knighted, held several NATO positions, and headed up all the UK armed forces as Chief of Defence Staff.

After a successful naval career lasting 42 years, Lord Boyce retired in May 2003 but his busy schedule continued. He was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and elevated to the peerage. He continues to enjoy the work that being a member of the House of Lords brings – work that is sometimes undervalued in his view. ‘The Lords is dominated by people who are very experienced, from all walks of life: scientists, doctors, academics and so on. And listening to what they say in the debates is very rewarding because they genuinely know what they’re talking about. But what goes on behind the scenes in shaping legislation is also really important with the committee work being the engine room of the Lords, turning bills into practical propositions.’

Having been an RNLI member for several years, Lord Boyce joined the charity’s Council. ‘I had long been impressed by the RNLI, enjoying fundraising events and reading the Lifeboat, but my support for the Institution started to crystallise when I became a Council member.’

Now, as its Chairman, Lord Boyce is determined to help the RNLI continue to weather the stormy financial climate. ‘That’s got to be our immediate concern. We have exciting things to look forward to, such as the introduction of the new FCB2 lifeboat and the further expansion of lifeguards, while making sure that our core service is still a well-oiled machine. I and the Chief Executive also have to make sure our outstanding volunteers and staff remain properly motivated and committed.’

In May, Lord Boyce experienced his first RNLI AGM and Annual Presentation of Awards as Chairman, at the Barbican in London (see page 12). ‘It’s an inspirational event – it was lovely to hear cheers of support for the awardees,’ he enthuses. ‘I find the RNLI’s fundraising and operational volunteers awe inspiring because they are so committed to saving lives at sea, whatever their role.’