LIFEBOATS AROUND THE HARBOUR

A cold day on the water, late 70s, early 80s

By Laurie Stonehouse

From the Graeme Honeyball collection

Photo:Well battened down

Well battened down

Graeme Honeyball

This page was added by Richard Beckett on 27/10/2008.
Comments about this page

This is the relief Waveney Lifeboat known affectionately as 'the Yank' and is featured painted in white in another photo titled 'Visiting Lifeboat' where her history is mentioned in detail.

This photo would have been in the late 70's or early 80's because...1: there is no vhf direction finding attenae on her masthead (we did trials at Newhaven before they were fitted as standard in the RNLI fleet), and 2: she had just been re-engined to Caterpillar diesels and been fitted with an air intake on top of the after cabin. Once she arrived at Newhaven on relief it was pointed out that this would snag and get ripped off by the first tow we did with the line connecting to the towing posts (shown in the centre of the boat behind the wheelhouse). It was straightaway rectified by Cantells who fitted a curved deflector bar over the top of the vent - a modification subsequently seen on all post caterpillar Waveneys. Happy memories as I spent a lot of time on this boat.

By Rob Patten
On 29/10/2008

This particular boat was on relief at Newhaven when we were launched to the "Orlando" a small fishing vessel that capsized on the bar in a SE gale, Edgar Moore also took the relief boat in the "shed" to search inside the breakwater while the yank searched outside, at one point 44-001 was very nearly capsized on the bar and during this heavy roll I broke my finger. Happy days!!!

By Laurence Deakin
On 09/12/2011

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