Lifeboat Efficiency Certificate

[cappy]

Aye keith only memories.....some happy some sad .....but will never leave us of them times......r683532 cappy

[j.sabourn]

Think Cappy is the same place did, at 15 , think the boat belonged to the marine school and the davits were close to a. Fire station ? You being a big lad would of been the stroke oar , where as myself bing built like a greyhound would have been the bow oar. Cheers JS

[Keith Tindell]

Have taken the HUET course John, but as part of fire fighting at sea course. We had agreed to fight fires at sea, but when we realised that apart from a lifejacket, they did not intend supplying any special gear, such as sea survival suits etc, we withdrew. This really came about with the Pacific Glory incident, when we had managed to get aboard her, but with no special training for that type of incident, we were a disaster waiting to happen. There were two tugs at Fawley the Gatcombe and the Vectis with hydraulic platforms, but like most serious incidents, many lessons were learned.

[Johnny Kieran]

Talking of lifeboats, and slightly off topic. I can remember in the early 60s, we were in BA, (on the Amazon I think) changing the water in the lifeboats.
That day, there was an awful lot of tension around the docks, but I can't remember why, (political probably).
Weapons were being passed around between the local shore gang working on board, hatchets, knives, and even pistols. Suddenly, a gang turned up calling abuse at the workers, who then ran ashore to fight with them. There was a terrific fight going on on the dock, stabbing, whacking with paint scrapers, and plenty of blood flying. I heard shots being fired, then the marinaros or whatever the were arrived, and started shooting into the air, we all ducked down into the bottom of the lifeboats, frightened for our lives. we could hear the bullets falling from the sky onto the deck.
Later the bosun came after us, doing his nut, for nor refilling the water tank. We swore we had, but he made us go back and refill it. After pouring gallons of water into the tank, it became quite obvious that there was a bullet hole in the bottom of the boat, and up into the bottom of the tank.
Then it sank into our heads, that we were lying in the bottom of that boat while all those guns were going off. I tended to feel fortunate that we had come out of it unscathed and realised how serious it had been.
Two of the shore gang had serious injuries, I still never found out why it happened. Mind you they were at it in the streets all over BA at times.

[cappy]

Another goodn to tell the grandkids lol cappy r683532

[cappy]

Talking of the lifeboats aleays reminds me of the apprentice painting the old clinker built lifeboat on a hains boat in 58 .......he lifted the gate to paint easier then forgot and leaned back ....off he went .....the mate had them painting under an awning it was a cold wet day .....he was in the water a long time .......the lifeboat drill was a proper mess .....the falls were not level and the bow hit the water 2 foot before the stern ......the bowman then let go hiss fall while the boat then spun round as the ship was still doing at least 6 knots and the wood all splintered ......if it was on a comedy show it would have won a prize ....but sadly the apprentice was then out of site in a light swell.....in real bad weather it would have been lost and the boy as well .....cappy r683532

[j.sabourn]

Launching and recovery was and is the most dangerous part in any small boatwork. Today due to the design of ships and their launching and recovery methods the best I ever sailed on were the Sandhaven , the Johnshaven and the Burnhaven. The ships themselves had thrusters both ends and I used to spin the ship from a standing position of 360 degrees and flatten the sea . The boat then freefell with the Crew in it and automatically released from the single fall on touching the sea and away she went from a mill pond into rough water JS

[Michael Black]

I took my lifeboat ticket in Auckland in 1970. The second mate had taken a few of us without tickets and went through the course on the outward trip.There was a couple of greasers the galley boy and my self, a lowly J.O.S . I hadn't been to a sea training school so hadn't done the course.
My book was stamped in Auckland and I got it counter stamped up again at my local pool when I got home.
This was on the Canopic and I think it was very good of the 2nd mate to give up his spare time for us.
Regards Michael

[cappy]

Launching and recovery was and is the most dangerous part in any small boatwork. Today due to the design of ships and their launching and recovery methods the best I ever sailed on were the Sandhaven , the Johnshaven and the Burnhaven. The ships themselves had thrusters both ends and I used to spin the ship from a standing position of 360 degrees and flatten the sea . The boat then freefell with the Crew in it and automatically released from the single fall on touching the sea and away she went from a mill pond into rough water JS

Brilliant new innovations john .....small boat handling a great skill to have cappy R683532

[Keith Tindell]

How the method of lifeboat launching changed over the years, my last trip on the Stirling Castle, March 59, and the first lifeboat drill after leaving cape town, the life boat method was for the boats to slide down a track, and that would then leave the lifeboat outboard ready to lower away, probably a name for that type, which escapes me. However, i had to release the gripe wire on the outboard side , and had my hand in the track, when the pratt on the winch let the lifeboat down the track before all was ready, and took my right forefinger with it, spoilt my nose picking for many years !!!. The return part of the voyage was spent in the ships hospital.