Solent Independant Lifeboat Blast - 10th July

[mhill]

I’ll be driving down and kipping in the van on Friday night so more of a convenience on launching & sleeping.
Any recommendations or suggestions greatly received.

Not got any contacts at Poole any more, you?

[treerat]

Originally Posted by mhill

I’ll be driving down and kipping in the van on Friday night so more of a convenience on launching & sleeping.
Any recommendations or suggestions greatly received.

Not got any contacts at Poole any more, you?

Alas no, was there in 98 so been a while and the team I set the beach rescue project up with are long gone.

There are a couple of camp sites in the area with slipways I think, there is a thread on here on camping options from last week that'll help.


https://www.rib.net/forum/f8/campsit...way-86347.html

[treerat]

Two more club bios added in this week and the location of tea, cakes and toilets

https://fb.me/e/26yK1MDG4

[treerat]

The next stop after tea and cake is my own GAFIRS - some where I've been a member for over 20 years

If you haven't cleared the diary yet - you probably should be so that you can join the biggest cruise in company that this year will see.

https://fb.me/e/26yK1MDG4

[treerat]

Contents

Introduction
Cruise in Company
Timings
COVID
Radio communications
You are responsible for your own actions and safety
Be prepared
Weather



Introduction
Firstly, a great big thank you for attending this social cruise in company. We’re off to visit a massive number of the lifeguard and lifeboat clubs / teams and units that help keep us safe both on and off the water in the Dorset and Hampshire areas.

The independent element is a nod towards the RNLI and to show that not all rescue teams have a massive funding and corporation behind them and really do rely on local contributions, tin rattlers and other fund raising methods to ensure they can help us.

This cruise was put together to raise the awareness of these volunteers and to help water users understand where their local teams are. The weekly club bios should have given a really good base of knowledge on each club to be visited along with web links to learn more.



Cruise in Company
Internet forums provide a useful and convenient method for like minded people to gather together in groups, both small and large, to enable a cruise in company to take place

When a cruise in company take place anyone acting as an "organiser" is doing no more than facilitating the event. Anyone who chooses to participate does so on the understanding that they themselves have sole responsibility for their actions and wellbeing.

These cruises have no rules that need to be followed, as they are not the traditionally organised event but guidelines have been produced by the industry to guide attendees.

Timings
The Solent Independent Lifeboat Bash will be a cruise in company of approximately 80nm end to end taking in 13 lifeguard and lifeboat units. The flotilla should assemble from 1100 off Brownsea Island, Poole.


For those that navigate by What 3 Words, use; stuff.backs.meant

Timings from this point on are approximate.
1130 depart Poole,
1400 arrive Hamble,
1430 depart Hamble,
1500 GAFIRS and Southsea
15.45 Shanklin and Ryde
16.30 Freshwater at the Needles

COVID
Covid restrictions are still in place and should be followed. It is recommended that you take a lateral flow test the before attending and should you receive a positive test, follow Health England advice, and do not attend. Tests can be ordered on line, arrive in 24 hours and are free.

Symptoms – should you or any of your bubble / crew have any of the well-advertised covid symptoms, please do not attend and follow the Health England guidelines.

Social distancing rules are easy to follow when at sea as all attendees are either on their own boats, or those of people in their bubbles, support groups or within the rule of 6. Please remember to monitor your distancing when ashore, at the tea and wee stop (Hamble), fuel barge (Gosport) or when rafted.
Face masks are required, so we understand, when ordering at the Hamble café and using the toilets. Please remember that the staff there will suddenly find 40 odd people turning up so be patient, wear your mask and enjoy the tea break.

Tasking allowing Hamble Rescue will be supplying tea and coffee for the flotilla as well. We understand that there will be no charge for this, but please do add a contribution to their Tea tin.

Radio communications
Unless notified otherwise the cruise will utilise channel 6 for communications. Should a global message be required please listen out for ‘lifeboat cruise flotilla’. As with all boating activities channel 16 should be monitored during the cruise as well where possible.
The call sign of the lead boat will be ‘Nutkin’, a black 6m Highfield. However this is likely to change as those more local take over the lead through the areas of their knowledge.
You are responsible for your own actions and safety
This is exactly the same as if you are using your boat on your own. In a group there is likely to be support and guidance readily available (after all that’s why people cruise in company) but ultimately it is up to you to make sure that you are competent and prepared. In a big gathering it's often helpful to make your own arrangements to buddy up with someone else either in a pair or a small group. Ask on the forum / page, and try to arrange something before the day itself.

It is the responsibility of each skipper to ensure that:
• the vessel has the correct insurance cover
• all crew have suitable clothing and safety gear- it is strongly
recommended that lifejackets are worn at all times
• kill switches are working correctly and are used at all times
• the vessel has sufficient fuel to complete the trip – 80 nm approx.
• the vessel has the appropriate navigational information to complete the trip unassisted

Be prepared
Know how to handle your boat, and have pride in doing it well. "Seamanship" may seem like an old fashioned concept, but there's a lot to be said for it. Avoiding looking like a clueless rabble is useful for a group. Know where you're going, or if you do decide to follow someone else, be sure that they know where they're going. As well as carrying the normal basic equipment think about what else you're likely to need. For instance if you know that you'll be rafting up as part of a large group (eg at Hamble), then extra long lines to reach the quayside make mooring up easier for everyone.
Weather
Ensure you check the weather forecast and confirm it’s within your comfort zone. There is nothing wrong with expanding your experience in a different / larger sea and using the experience of those around you to learn from, but as a skipper you need to be responsible for you and your crews comfort as well as safety.
The cruise is unlikely to take place in winds above a F4, wind forecasts at present show a F2/3 with some drizzle late morning.

Be considerate
Large groups of RIBs an make quite an impact in any harbour, and we want to be welcomed back rather than just tolerated. Please follow instructions from harbour authorities and berthing masters - remember they have to juggle the needs of a wide range of different users.
Don't try to dodge your mooring fees - these people tend to have remarkable memories and although you might begrudge a few quid for a short stay it's not much on the overall costs of the day. Be nice to yachties and give them extra space - when you're blasting along at 20+ knots it's easy enough to alter course to keep well clear.
Look back from time to time to check the effect of your wake. If there are a bunch of RIBs using a slipway, don't hog it. Try not to hold other people up (especially locals), maybe even letting them go ahead before it's their turn! Please try to be a good "ambassador" for RIBS.

[Sye]

Brilliant! Been waiting for something like this and am down in Lymington with my Capelli Tempest 500 this weekend. It had its first run ever out in the Solent last weekend after a few months being made shipshape again by Scott at Rib Repair. As has spent the last 12yrs from new sitting in a very mineral heavy Thames. Having others around will give me the confidence to really put her through her paces and see what she’s really capable of 😁

[treerat]

Originally Posted by Sye

Brilliant! Been waiting for something like this and am down in Lymington with my Capelli Tempest 500 this weekend. It had its first run ever out in the Solent last weekend after a few months being made shipshape again by Scott at Rib Repair. As has spent the last 12yrs from new sitting in a very mineral heavy Thames. Having others around will give me the confidence to really put her through her paces and see what she’s really capable of 😁

Nice to oblige - be good to see you as we're expecting a goodly number of ribs for the run.

https://fb.me/e/26yK1MDG4

[paulbrown22]

If anyone is aiming to launch at Cobbs, be aware that the Blandford Road currently has a closure on it for the next few weeks, meaning there's no road access from Poole town over either of the bridges to Cobbs - you need to go around the top of Holes Bay and down into Cobbs.

Wish I could make it, but sadly am only here for a couple of days holiday, and leaving by then - enjoy!

[Harleyrib1]

https://youtu.be/2mOSVe4gsMo

[Fender]

Originally Posted by treerat

If you haven't cleared the diary yet - you probably should be so that you can join the biggest cruise in company that this year will see.

https://fb.me/e/26yK1MDG4

Saw a handful of RIBs Saturday midday heading east down the Solent towards Southampton, I'm assuming this was the Lifeboat blast? hope you had a good day and avoided the rain

[Sye]

I was out at the needles when I saw you guys come past and met up at hurst castle but managed to follow two other ribs into Yarmouth 🙈😂 quick dash over to Beaulieu and joined in over to Calshot. However my gauge went from half to empty 🤷*♂️ So had to go and persuade a very helpful guy on the Hamble fuel berth to fit me into a slot to fill up. I saw you guys all over at Hamble but didn’t want to intrude so headed back across to Lymington. Hope the rest of the trip went well.

[Sye]

https://youtu.be/s_FkGFTQ_Nk

[treerat]

Originally Posted by Sye

I was out at the needles when I saw you guys come past and met up at hurst castle but managed to follow two other ribs into Yarmouth 🙈😂 quick dash over to Beaulieu and joined in over to Calshot. However my gauge went from half to empty 🤷*♂️ So had to go and persuade a very helpful guy on the Hamble fuel berth to fit me into a slot to fill up. I saw you guys all over at Hamble but didn’t want to intrude so headed back across to Lymington. Hope the rest of the trip went well.

Hello - should have popped up and joined us for tea. It was good fun all round.

[treerat]

Hi all

Many thanks to those of you that braved the early weather Saturday, as we were rewarded with a great (dry) day out covering 130 nm or so.

Full report to follow but highlights are: We started with 8 boats, being led out of Dorset by Poole Lifeguards.

Found a few more ribs at Hurst to take the numbers to 14, lost a few on the way to Solent Rescue (they went Yarmouth for coffee), lost a couple more on the way to Hamble and left there, after tea and hot dogs with three.

One stopped to help a kite surfer so 2 finished the adventure.

We certainly had great fun and hopefully raised the profile a bit.


Press releases to come ��

[Lee argyle]

We managed to join you for a quick blast from west of Hurst castle and on towards central Solent - unfortunately we had another commitment so couldn’t continue on towards the Hamble, looked a lot of fun, glad you had a great day 👍

[treerat]

On the 11th July 2021 Poole Lifeguards had planned to host the 30th Brownsea Island Swim, a charity swim around Brownsea Island in Dorset. The swim was first held in the spirit of self belief and madcap adventure, started by the few who wondered if they could “swim around Brownsea Island”, not so much a race but a voyage of discovery!
The Swim is primary source for RLSS Poole Lifeguards and it funds the clubs activities. These include training people in life saving techniques and providing safety cover for swimmers in the area and at other open water events.
In order for the swim to run safely a number of lifeguard and rescue clubs attend to provide the ring of safety required at a modern day event. As the event runs on just the one day a plan was put together to make use of the Saturday for those travelling to assist the event and to help raise awareness within the boating community of the activities clubs such as Poole carry out.

After being involved with lifeguard and rescue clubs for some 35 years it’s clear to see that there is often a lack of knowledge by water users that assume that all that help, when afloat, comes from the RNLI and it was obvious that as we moved out of Covid restrictions England's water ways were going to be a busy place in 2021. In order to hep raise awareness a plan was formed and a social cruise was instigated.

The cruise was designed to share the independent lifeguard / lifeboat story detailing the safety and rescue teams and clubs; and visiting each unit along one of England’s busiest water ways – Dorset and the Solent.

Each couple of weeks one of the clubs along the route was highlighted, via social media, to the boating world, sharing their history, their structure and most importantly their rescue capabilities to those that use their areas of patrol.

The 10th July 2021 saw the first Independent Lifeboat Bash, a social cruise in company, starting off in Poole and heading to Portsmouth.

At 11.30 on a damp, misty morning 8 ribs met up off Brownsea island to begin the cruise. Due to the overnight weather and the morning’s sea state a number of visiting ribs hadn’t made the journey, but those that had were met by Poole Legacy – Poole Lifeguards inshore rescue boat, and it was this craft that led the flotilla out of Poole Harbour and into the bay. The initial plan was that the group would be met by the IRBs from Branksome, Bournemouth, Boscombe, and Southbourne lifeguard teams as they passed into each club's area, with the club boat taking over the lead boat and those cruising saying hello to each club. As the flotilla moved through the bay it was clear that the clubs had also been beaten by the weather but to make the trip work the flotilla visited each lifeguard club’s headquarters and took some great pictures whilst discussing the club’s locations.

As the group continued East towards Hurst castle a further 5 ribs joined the flotilla, a quick wave to Christchurch Lifeguards and Solent Rescue ( at Leap) was taken before the group was met by another joiner as they met the team from Stanswood lifeguard team launching their rescue skies at Calshot. The skies then escorted the flotilla over to see Hamble Rescue and to find the tea pot.
The cafe was open and served tea and cake and the flotilla were given a tour of Hamble recue and received a great talk on their rescue capabilities and were able to look over their rescue boats.

After a good break the flotilla thanked the team at Hamble for their hospitality and were escorted, by the Independent Hamble Lifeboat back out into Southampton water, where they were met by Gosport and Fareham Independent Rescue Service (GAFIRS). The crew of Gosport Lifeboat were well known to the event organisers so a training run was completed with the attending boats traveling in formation back to their base for yet more pictures.

GAFIRS then provided the escort to the flotilla as it headed to Portsmouth to visit Portsea Rescue before heading over to Ryde Rescue , waving at Sandown and Shanklin lifeboat whilst crossing the Solent before heading down to the needles to meet Freshwater Lifeboat before finally heading for home.

The event was designed to raise the profile of the Clubs along the route, and with both a wide social media presence before the event and a varied group of users attending there are a now a massive number of boat users from across the Country that recognises that RLSS clubs, SLA clubs and fully independent clubs supply the safety and rescue services that they need in times of distress.

On the day the flotilla completed a 140 round trip, visiting 12 lifeboat and lifeguard clubs and waving at 2 others as they passed. Those present enjoyed both the day and the reason for the attendance - building that awareness.