Lifeboat Efficiency Certificate

[Charles Webb Cooper]

I wonder how many ex seafarers passed the tests to qualify as a
certificated lifeboatman. In Liverpool, October 1947, the pool directed me and about a dozen other 'poolers' to attend a course to learn all about lifeboats. How to launch them, sail them, and everything else connected with them. It was a two week course, conducted by a retired Master Mariner and we spent a lot of time in a dockside classroom, being lectured on the subject. ie, construction, handling, steering by compass etc. The instruction manual was compiled by Sir James Bisset who was Commodore of Cunard White Star Line from 1944 to 1947. The last few days were spent in launching and retrieving a lifeboat and sailing or rowing it around the docks and in the Mersey. Each of us had a turn as the 'skipper' and woe befall the one who got the commands wrong!
I think we all passed and got an endorsement stamped in our discharge books. I'm very thankful that I never had to put the knowledge to practical use!

[happy daze john in oz]

I do recall at the 'Vindi' we had to do some form of life boat competency and got some note in our book about it.
But that was a few years back, but can still remember some, sea anchor was one.
Not sure I can recall many more.

I was accused by one officer of cheating when it came to reading a compass, fact w\a sit was just one of those things that stuck with me.
Being in catering it was not so important.

[Keith Tindell]

I think the lifeboat certificate was all part of the EDH or AB certificate, it certainly was in my time, and was issued with a certificate which was inside my discharge book, also stamped separately in the discharge book. took mine in London docks.

[John Cassels]

It was a standard part of the MAR course. Did mine 1966 st.Catherine dock London.

[j.sabourn]

Charles That would of been on the old radial Davits like most of us here where you had about 6 men on each fall. Today and in the not too distant past it would be hard to find 12 of a deck crew on most ships . Let alone lifeboats on a lot of tonnage. The original idea of a lifeboat was to get somewhere , today most of that thinking disappeared with the advent of Epirbs and GPS systems . Liferafts and FRC are more looked on today as the way to go and the Coxns cert. is more in demand especially in the offshore Industry where the remnants of the British MN are now at.
Cheers JS

[Keith Tindell]

John C, that whee i took mine John, about the same time as yourself.

[john walker]

I did mine in St. Katherines dock London also, I think in the early seventies starting on a Monday and finishing on a Friday.There was a small prefabricated classroom with the grand name of the London School Of Seamanship with a set of davits on the dockside a lifeboat tied up in the dock. The course was quite interesting for somebody from the catering department, as all the guy's were on the course that I did. The course consisted of the practicalities of taking charge, rowing,steering and sailing a lifeboat, boxing a compass using the equipment like the emergency radio etc. Inflateble liferafts etc. At the end of the course a miserable B.O.T. examiner turned up and asked questions like name the next 4 points of the compass from say ENE etc. or what were the different oils in a lifeboat for. This was followed by one of the class being selected to cox the lifeboat with the other class members rowing round the dock for the entertainment of the visiting tourists. Followed by the issuance of the certificates and a mad rush to the Dickens Inn opposite for a well earned pint or two led by the class instructor. Oh happy days.

[cappy]

took mine in the tyne 2nd dec1960 ......pissing down blowing a buster .....an old shields bosun in charge .....after we steppped the mast ......nearly capsised he suggestes we all took a step to the steamboat ....knocked on the back door and in we went old bosun got pissed and we all joined in ....think we all passed ....believe it was 10 bob a month for the certificate though stand to be corrected .....lot of money in them days beer a shilling a pint aye happy days .....ticket number171435.....cappy R683532

[j.sabourn]

The courses expected for seamen to have in 2002 , which unless the shipowner paid for could be very expensive were the HUET Course ( helicopter undewater escape techniques ) Basic sea survival . Helicopter Landing Officer , advanced fire fighting, advanced first aid, Coxn FRC , oil Recovery, Oil dispersant and a few more special ones .JS

[Keith Tindell]

Cappy,Just looked at mine, issued January 62, no175169, also all ended up in pub, what seamen did not in those days?, the pubs round the docks in those days were open very early in the morning if i recall correctly, really for the dock workers and us of course.happy days indeed, but just memories left.