Kinghorn Lifeboat Station’s tractor driver tells us what it’s like to be a part of the RNLI family

How are you involved with the RNLI?
I was senior helm, retiring in 1995. In 2014 I rejoined as tractor driver. When did you first become aware of the RNLI? I was a deep sea diver and remember one time we assisted a fishing boat with a fouled propeller, freeing it before the lifeboat came to take them in to Aberdeen.
What’s it like, being an RNLI tractor driver?
In some conditions, launch and recovery can be dangerous. I was a firefighter and RAF reservist – people think it’s strange if I’m not doing something with a bit of excitement about it, though!
What safety advice do you always share?
Heard the old phrase ‘prior preparation ...’? If you prepare properly, then even when problems do occur you will have a good chance of solving them.
What’s your most memorable shout?
One published in Lifeboat (Spring 2017), of a capsized dinghy off Portobello Beach. The sea was rough and the waves were picking up and moving our 8-tonne tractor.
What does being with the RNLI mean to you?  I’ll never forget the story of a person in the water who had just about given up hope, when an orange blob on the horizon gave him
enough lift to keep struggling. I always have that in my mind when the pager goes – that it might be someone like that. What’s your favourite spot in Kinghorn?
We have a beautiful beach. When the sun shines it’s as good as any Mediterranean or Caribbean beach. And finally: your favourite sea creature? Dolphins. I had a visit from one on a dive once. It looked me in the eye, confused, as if to say: ‘What do you need all that gear for?’ There’s a huge range of volunteer roles in coastal and inland communities throughout the UK and Ireland. Find your place in our family at RNLI.org/volunteer
Interview: Anna Burn
Photo: Kirsty McLachlan