We'll launch from Porlock Weir
January 12, 2024 1:40 AM Subscribe
Tonight marks the 125th anniversary of an epic RNLI feat to provide succour to the Forrest Hall a full rigged ship rudderless in the Bristol Channel. With adverse waves at their station, Jack Crocombe, the Coxswain of the Lynmouth lifeboat elected to haul their 10 ton 10 m boat Louisa through the storm, at night, 13 miles = 20 km across the moorland, and launch from Porlock Weir 11 hours later.
The journey (along today's A39) included a 1-in-4 descent down Porlock Hill. The ship and crew were saved.
Mr. R.H Fry, owner of the Forrest Hall, donated £75 towards the costs of the silver watches and chains presented to each crew member of the Louisa Lifeboat. Coxswain Jack Crocombe and Second-Coxswain George Richards got gold watches with gold chains. Each crewman received £5. The costs for repairing the Exmoor stone walls, and the corner of Porlock cottage, plus flood damage caused to the Lynmouth lifeboat station totalled £27-5s-6d.
In 1999, there was a re-enactment - with tractor [2 min news item]. Another re-enactment tomorrow morning "A welcome party will be held at Porlock Weir in conjunction with The Bottom Ship Pub, featuring shanty punk group Skinny Lister [2½ min ♬ ♪ ♫], Bridgwater Sea Cadet band and Lynmouth Shanty Crew"
The journey (along today's A39) included a 1-in-4 descent down Porlock Hill. The ship and crew were saved.
Mr. R.H Fry, owner of the Forrest Hall, donated £75 towards the costs of the silver watches and chains presented to each crew member of the Louisa Lifeboat. Coxswain Jack Crocombe and Second-Coxswain George Richards got gold watches with gold chains. Each crewman received £5. The costs for repairing the Exmoor stone walls, and the corner of Porlock cottage, plus flood damage caused to the Lynmouth lifeboat station totalled £27-5s-6d.
In 1999, there was a re-enactment - with tractor [2 min news item]. Another re-enactment tomorrow morning "A welcome party will be held at Porlock Weir in conjunction with The Bottom Ship Pub, featuring shanty punk group Skinny Lister [2½ min ♬ ♪ ♫], Bridgwater Sea Cadet band and Lynmouth Shanty Crew"
RNLI => Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Our volunteer lifeboat crews provide a 24-hour rescue service in the UK and Ireland and our seasonal lifeguards patrol busy beaches. RNLI crews and lifeguards have saved over 144,000 lives since 1824.posted by Mitheral at 5:19 AM on January 12 [2 favorites]
And the crews are largely unpaid volunteers.
I find it scary just thinking about the conditions in which they put to sea. they are a big deal where I am since we are surrounded by water, and one of the local crews lost their lives while trying to save the crew of a vessel back in 1981. They really do an unbelievable job, which is why it fucks me off so much when dickheads like Farage complain that they save migrants from drowning too.
Their beach lifeguards so some pretty horrible work too. One of their more senior guys I spoke to said a high fraction of the people they pull from the sea are dead, some for a while.
posted by biffa at 6:33 AM on January 12 [3 favorites]
I find it scary just thinking about the conditions in which they put to sea. they are a big deal where I am since we are surrounded by water, and one of the local crews lost their lives while trying to save the crew of a vessel back in 1981. They really do an unbelievable job, which is why it fucks me off so much when dickheads like Farage complain that they save migrants from drowning too.
Their beach lifeguards so some pretty horrible work too. One of their more senior guys I spoke to said a high fraction of the people they pull from the sea are dead, some for a while.
posted by biffa at 6:33 AM on January 12 [3 favorites]
The video linked states that the lifeboat weighed 3.5 tons, Greg_Ace.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 11:49 AM on January 12 [1 favorite]
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 11:49 AM on January 12 [1 favorite]
Clinker-built or lapstrake wooden vessels are, in fact, remarkably heavy. Now think about rowing one, in the dark, in a raging gale.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:23 PM on January 12 [2 favorites]
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:23 PM on January 12 [2 favorites]
Forty years ago, I lived just across the Cornish border in Devon, where I came across a book telling this tale. I've been convinced ever since that there's a movie in it. Fisherman's Friends meets Fitzcaraldo, if you like. Mark "Bait" Jenkin to direct.
posted by Paul Slade at 12:36 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
posted by Paul Slade at 12:36 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]
Avast shipmates, I claimed "10 tons" in good faith because that's what RNLI claims in the 1st link. That weight is widely propagated (in Wikipedia; BBC grandfather witness testimony; numerous local sources), some specifically including the carriage in the scales. But we all know that the internet is bloated with serial propagation of error. I wonder if there has been some conflation by landlubbers with the boat's "tonnage" or carrying capacity which = ((len - beam) x beam x beam/2)/94 all measurements in feet. For Louisa that's ((34 - 8) x 8 x 4)/94 = 8.9 tons; obvs excluding the waggon. I now shrug out of my oilskins and settle back on the sofa.
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:37 AM on January 13 [3 favorites]
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:37 AM on January 13 [3 favorites]
I've been convinced ever since that there's a movie in it.
My first thought on reading this was to look for the descriptive sea shanty. It seems like that also needs to be written.
The RNLI is one of very few organisations- especially those with “Royal” in their title, that operates over the entire British Isles: a testament to it being a good idea I think. I once spoke to an RNLI station inspector who found himself looking at the log book of a remote station in the West of Ireland. The volunteer crew had launched on a shout, in very stormy conditions, from a yacht in trouble somewhere about 300 miles out into the Atlantic. They sailed out, found the yacht, rescued the crew and towed the vessel back to port. All in near hurricane conditions and over 3 days. The full event was summarised in rather less text than I’ve written here.
posted by rongorongo at 5:03 AM on January 13 [2 favorites]
My first thought on reading this was to look for the descriptive sea shanty. It seems like that also needs to be written.
The RNLI is one of very few organisations- especially those with “Royal” in their title, that operates over the entire British Isles: a testament to it being a good idea I think. I once spoke to an RNLI station inspector who found himself looking at the log book of a remote station in the West of Ireland. The volunteer crew had launched on a shout, in very stormy conditions, from a yacht in trouble somewhere about 300 miles out into the Atlantic. They sailed out, found the yacht, rescued the crew and towed the vessel back to port. All in near hurricane conditions and over 3 days. The full event was summarised in rather less text than I’ve written here.
posted by rongorongo at 5:03 AM on January 13 [2 favorites]
The book I mentioned is The Overland Launch by C. Walter Hodges. Seems to be available in the US too.
posted by Paul Slade at 9:01 AM on January 13
posted by Paul Slade at 9:01 AM on January 13
« Older Tone!!! | Paleolithic Feminist Praxis Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
And they are still working tirelessly to save lives.
Welsh-born musician, Ren Gill, raised L21,000 in donations this year in recognition of their tireless search for his friend. As a volunteer group in a land where services are limited, they serve as an incredible resource.
posted by mightshould at 5:01 AM on January 12