High Flyers

On Saturday the 9th of May 2015, New Quay Lifeboats had their annual exercise with RAF 196 Sea King from Chivenor - these exercises are hugely important so all crew are familiar with

winching procedures and how the boats operate with the helicopter.

The weather was blowing a NW 4/5 so it was a bit choppy. Although the ILB is perfectly fine to be out in this weather, we stayed within the bay where we could format with the helicopter. The helm of the ILB is always in communications with the pilot, making sure they are in the right position for winching. Then the winchman is lowered on board the ILB and gets the crew members ready to be winched. The following picture shows the winchman onboard the ALB while two crew members are winched up to the aircraft. Similar winching procedures are followed for the ALB as on the ILB.

The picture below is the winch man using hand signals to communicate instructions with the the winch operator. Hand signals are the only way you can communicate as the noise from the helicopter rotor blades combined with the props on the stern of the lifeboat is deafening.

Winchmen are really pretty cool.

Photo courtesy of crew member, Pete Yates.

We learn how the winching procedure works with the helicopter as well as getting used to how the lifeboat operates - two separate environments. The next time we are winched up, it may be be for real and it most probably won't be in the glorious sunshine with dolphins all around.  Howling gales and rolling seas are more likely and we may have to transfer casualties, so being able to work seamlessly with the helicopter in any weather condition to ensure the quick and safe transport of sick and injured patients is the priority.

First shout for New Quay ILB...

First shout for the ILB for 2015 and for the station as well. We were tasked to a  upturned kayak  with a possibility of people in the water, I was at work in the middle of creating the worlds best Cappuccino, My pager goes off,I jumped a mile as my pager hadn't gone off in 7 months I almost forgotten what it sounds like..

I got the go ahead from the boss and ran to the station, along with my other crew mate Sarah Perry, we were met by our helm and station mechanic Ben Billingham. who had readied the ILB (Inshore Life Boat) we where warned that we would be facing a easterly wind force 5 and blowing 6 off the headland  that would be be whipping up the sea and we where going to get a pasting. But with an upturned kayak and with a risk of people in the water there was no time for changing minds. we kitted up and off we went. the sea was very deceptive and very calm in the harbor but as soon as we headed out around the headland the sea state deteriorated quickly we really where in for a pasting,
Sarah had to try and communicate with the coastguard whilst holding on. we took a wave over our starboard bow and sarah took a hit it the pod and lost her helmet visor, and I can tell you in this conditions we where in you really do want a visor. wave after wave in the face isn't the nicest! we took a brutal trip to Llangranog were we were informed by the Coastguard that the occupants of the kayak had made is safely back to shore and where out of danger. We where then requested by the Coastguard to find and recover the kayak we found it two miles off Ynys Loctin, we brought the kayak back onboard the ILB and brought it back ashore. All was well in the end everyone was safe and that makes it all worth it. Every call is a good call. even if we didn't pick the people out the water ourselves everyone was well..

New Quay Lifeboat. who are we?

New Quay lifeboat has a blog!!



Firstly I'd like to welcome you all to our brand new blog,  This is the best place to catch up on the latest events and shouts of our station. Here is where we will be posting updates on exercises and anything going on at New Quay station.  We will be posting regular photos and video clips of our boats and crew.

We are classed as a discovery station, based in a quiet fishing & tourist town 23 miles south of Aberystwyth.  Our boats are a Mersey class all- weather lifeboat and D-class inshore lifeboat, each manned by a volunteer crew:  Head Coxswain Daniel Potter has served the station for over 20 years; a dedicated shore crew, including Trevor Evans who has completed 48 years service; full time mechanic Ben Billingham, who ensures the boats are in full working order and ready to go to sea at a moment's notice; not least a dedicated group of volunteer crew, who have other jobs away from the lifeboat - some have there own trip boats, others are builders, carpenters, electricians and even boat builders.  Not everyone on the crew comes from a maritime background but, with amazing training from the RNLI, we are fully equipped to rescue those in need day or night in any weather! 

New Quay has produced a long list of notable Lifeboat Coxswains.  Perhaps the most famous of whom have been Arden Evans and his son Winston, who between them served 49 years after the Second World War.  Winston Evans was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1985, following a dramatic rescue off rocks near Llanrhystud.  Winston continues to live locally and has a close association with the town's fishing industry.  He was followed as coxswain in 1994 by Daniel Potter, another local man who continues in the post and is the great-nephew of Frederick Shayler, a distinguished Coxswain for 17 years in the 1920's and 30's.  Add to this a long line of committed volunteers, both crew and shore, and the station has a great deal of which to be proud.

All this said none of this work would be possible without the generous donations from the Public, whether from a couple of coins in buckets at the station to fundraising events, to legacies left to us by kind people who feel an affinity with our cause.  Lots of people ask if we get paid for going on shouts.  I always reply that we don't, but knowing the effort and time spent training and potentially, or actually, saving someone's life is beyond any monetary reward.