Launching the Lifeboat

My job is drive the tractor that we use to launch the Mersey class lifeboat from the beach at St. Annes and to make sure that the procedure is carried out as quickly and safely as possible. If I don't get the boat to the sea, the boat can't make the rescue!

Whether for a drill or a rescue, the procedure we use to launch the boat is the same. The boat has to be towed from the boathouse to the sea, which can be anything from a few hundred feet upto two miles, depending on the tide. You may think that there is an unnecessary delay by using this launch method, but actually, I am able to tow the boat at a speed that is at least equal to the speed of the boat in the sea, approximately 30 MPH.

I have to get the boat and trailer to a depth that enables the boat to launch and this means that the tractor has to be submerged to a depth of about 6 feet, roughly to the top of the caterpillar tracks. Believe me, when the sea is rough and in the dark, this is quite scary! The coxwain directs me by VHF radio to a suitable position and the boat is then launched and able to proceed to the rescue location. I am then able to retreat to the safety of the beach until the boat returns.

After a mission, the lifeboat has to be retrieved from the sea. The coxwain will bring the boat as close as possible to the shoreline and using the tractor winch, it is guided back onto the launch trailer so that it can be towed back to the boat house.

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