9th July 2010

Sennen Cove Lifeboat News

The Sennen Cove inshore lifeboat (ILB), Spirit of the RLC  launched at 1759 hrs on Tuesday evening 15th June to assist a large rigid inflatable boat (RIB) which was in danger of sinking at the entrance to Sennen Cove harbour.
The RIB, with three persons on board, had been mooring to a buoy in choppy conditions when she started to fill over the stern as she pitched to the mooring.  The situation was quickly stabilised and the RIB proceeded to safe mooring at Newlyn.  The ILB brought ashore a boarding punt, and was then recovered onto her trailer and returned to her boathouse on the RNLI car park at 1820 hrs.  The weather was fine with a fresh northerly breeze.

The Sennen Cove inshore lifeboat (ILB), Spirit of the RLC, launched, with two crew on board, at 1610 hrs on Wednesday afternoon 30^th June to cover the evacuation of an injured climber from the base of the cliffs at Pedn men du, Sennen Cove. The Land's End Coastguard Cliff Rescue Team and paramedics from the West Country Ambulance Service were on scene and it was initially thought the best way to access the casualty might be from the sea; in the event the services were able to negotiate the base of the cliff on foot. After a lot of work on scene, the casualty was winched from the base of the cliff by a Sea King helicopter from 771 Squadron  RNAS Culdrose, in very tricky, close flying by the cliff.  The casualty was delivered to Treliske Hospital in a12 minute flight. The ILB returned to station at 1710 hrs. The weather was fine with a southerly breeze.

On Tuesday 6^th July the Sennen Cove all weather lifeboat City of London III launched at 1940 hrs in the evening  to assist the 47ft yacht Whimsical of Wight which had  engine failure. Her crew were suffering from seasickness and exhaustion, and were disabled approximately 7 miles northwest of Pendeen.  The lifeboat arrived on scene just after 2000 hrs. The two members of the yacht's crew were transferred to the lifeboat, and Nigel Ault and Ollie George transferred to the yacht; a tow was set up and the lifeboat and the yacht reached the safety of Newlyn harbour at 0030 hrs. With the Whimsical of Wight safely berthed at Newlyn, the lifeboat returned to Sennen Cove at 0115 hrs and was refuelled and ready for service at 0145 hrs.  The operation was carried out in drizzle with southwesterly winds, force 4 to 5, and a generally slight sea. Other members of the lifeboat crew who had answered the call but not gone on board, remained on station in case of a call for the inshore lifeboat, and the shore crew remained on station throughout in order to recover the lifeboat when she returned.

Everyone at Sennen Cove Lifeboat Station, management, crew, and fundraisers would like to send their congratulations to our second coxswain, Philip Shannon on his being awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.  It is a very fitting recognition of his long and outstanding service to the RNLI at Sennen Cove.  He joined the crew of the Susan Ashley  in the late 1960s and has since taken part in hundreds of services from the Cove in conditions ranging from the idyllic to the horrendous, and we are proud that he still has a major role in crewing our new Tamar class lifeboat.  If you asked him he would probably say that highlights of his career would be the Silver Medal Services to the Union Crystal  and the Tungufoss  and that the loss of friends and colleagues who went down with the Solomon Browne was hard to bear.  Philip was in the crew of the 37ft Oakley class lifeboat which launched from Sennen Cove that fateful night in an attempt to get round Land's End in impossible conditions.  Over 40 years of total dedication to the lifeboat service is a rarity indeed and it means that he is the longest serving crewman still in harness in the RNLI.  In today's world it is a shining example to our younger generation.

Working in the Lifeboat Shop is always a very rewarding experience, not least in terms of the interesting people you meet.  Recently an elderly gentleman came into the shop to make himself known to us.  It turned out that his name was Mike Wright, and he was on the verge of completing a walk from Minehead to Land's End.  Mike who comes from near Barnstable had set off on 20^th June to make the walk in aid of the RNLI and injured jockeys. He is confident that he will have raised £1500 for each of the two charities.  This is an excellent achievement and we congratulate him.

Make sure that you have entered Sunday 29^th August in your diaries.  That is the date of Sennen Cove Lifeboat Day.  Besides all the stalls, raffle , and tombola, it is another opportunity to look around our new Tamar class lifeboat City of London III.  You will be able to talk to the crew and, weather and operational requirements permitting, see an exercise launch.  In the evening there will be a special concert in the harbour given by the St Buryan Male Voice Choir - a treat to anticipate.

This year we are rather short of cake bakers, and would appreciate volunteers.  Baking a cake for sale on Lifeboat Day is a fine way to support the work of our lifeboats.  Please contact Marion Simpson on 871631 if you would like to help.