Our full time residence in Devon is a delight. After 40 years service in the Royal Navy, when I lived where I worked, either afloat or ashore as directed by their Lordships of the Admiralty. My thoughts concentrate on the admiration I have for the coxswain and crews of the two Plymouth lifeboats, both moored in the Millbay marina. Their base at West Hoe is in the old custom house building - the last structure to survive of the dock system built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, which in its day, made our city the key terminal for the ocean liners to discharge passengers and freight for carriage to London by the Great Western railway. Our lifeboat crews give their time and energy to be ready 24/7 to sail on life-saving missions to save those in peril on the sea. A lifeboat was first based here in 1803, two years before the battle of Trafalgar. Designed by William Woodhave, and one of 31 similar craft stationed around Great Britain. Twenty years on in 1824, a great storm drove 25 ships ashore below Teats Hill battery – no wonder the site was known as Deadman's Bay from that day forward. In that year, what we now call the RNLI was founded by Sir William Hilary, who was a member of the Douglas, Isle of Man lifeboat. His family motto was: "With courage, nothing is impossible." Our lifeboat crews exemplify those words, but they would hesitate to utter them. Our present boats on station, Sybil Mullan Glover and Millennium Forester provide a high speed reaction at 25 and 35 knots respectively, out into the English Channel as well as up the river systems of Tamar, Plym and Yealm. A while ago when most of us were tucked up in bed, both boats were deployed in a southerly gale to the assistance of a yacht severely holed in the bow, which had managed to beach herself in Barn Pool. Both the crew members were rescued and then began an epic tussle to stop the leaks, pump out the hull and tow her to safety at Mashford's Yard. A superb job, all safe, and of course it didn't feature in the newscasts since we all understand good news is no news. Next crisis for us who live in Millbay Marina village is a planning application for 94 flats on a ground area that had approval for 57 in 1988. Soon this scheme will be subject to the judgement of the city councillors who sit on the planning committee. Here's hoping they secure a reasonable way forward. First and foremost is the need for our lifeboats to fulfil their mission of saving lives at sea.
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