Any RNLI here?

Author
Discussion

Tom1312

Original Poster:

1,015 posts

145 months

Tuesday 13th September 2016
quotequote all
Seemed the best place to ask.

Any serving or retired RNLI or other independent life boat crews here?

I've got an open evening in a few weeks and am hoping to be successful in my application.

knight

5,204 posts

278 months

Tuesday 13th September 2016
quotequote all
Good lucksmile I would love to be a lifeboatman but I don't think it would work living 25 miles from the coast!

GBGaffer

546 posts

269 months

Wednesday 14th September 2016
quotequote all
Hi Tom,
What would you like to know?
Cheers
G

Tom1312

Original Poster:

1,015 posts

145 months

Wednesday 14th September 2016
quotequote all
Hi,

My concern is I won't be able to give enough time, I work a 24hr shift pattern of 6 on 3 off. I just wondered if anybody has any idea of the minimum hours required and also, if anybody had any good experiences with it.

GBGaffer

546 posts

269 months

Wednesday 14th September 2016
quotequote all
I'd discuss your potential availability with the Station LOM and Coxswain to see whether your shift pattern fits well with crewing needs.
Most Lifeboat stations struggle to meet crew minimums during the day during the week, so it may be that you fill a need. Obviously, you need to have an understanding employer should you be on service that runs into time when you ought to be at work.

Tom1312

Original Poster:

1,015 posts

145 months

Wednesday 14th September 2016
quotequote all
Ok,

My issue will be the only days I could do would be those I'm not at work. The police aren't massively flexible with not being able to come in!

I'll just have to have a chat and see what they say.

markmullen

15,877 posts

233 months

Tuesday 20th September 2016
quotequote all
I help run an independent.

We're very aware that everyone has different times they can spare, some during the day, others at weekends, some loads of time, others less, and just work around what's available.

As long as you can make training to keep your skills current there shouldn't be an issue.

kwaka jack

270 posts

171 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
+1 for what GBgaffer says. During the summer we got asked to help increase crew members at a station a bit further up the coast as they had no working week day time crews available. My coxswain has always said from the start that you are a volunteer, the lifeboat does not run you're life, you do what you can do. If you get any other response from that It wouldn't be a station I would want to volunteer for (providing your not taking the biscuit of course).

Huntsman

8,028 posts

249 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
Any news?

Marcellus

7,111 posts

218 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
I guy I knwo is RNLI he works about 150 miles away from teh RNLI station and works 7 days on 6 days off living away from home when he's working.

When he's not he's on RNLI Call!

Seems to work for him, (his day job as it were is as a Bosun/RIB Safety boat driver at a sailing club so it's a bit of a busmans holiday but he loves the water)

Tom1312

Original Poster:

1,015 posts

145 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Huntsman said:
Any news?
My interview is tonight.

Thank you for the encouragement chaps!

enjo

339 posts

137 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Without wishing to sound gushy, thanks for what you do in your spare time chaps.

ClaphamGT3

11,269 posts

242 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Tom1312 said:
Huntsman said:
Any news?
My interview is tonight.

Thank you for the encouragement chaps!
Can't offer any concrete help but good luck!

Tom1312

Original Poster:

1,015 posts

145 months

Saturday 1st October 2016
quotequote all
So I'm in! I passed the admittedly very informal interview and can expect to start training end of October.

I'll post in here and do a little blog if people are interested?

s2kjock

1,677 posts

146 months

Saturday 1st October 2016
quotequote all
Congrats. smile

Blog would be very interesting.

I have a cousin who was a coxswain for a while, and I would love to volunteer if I lived nearer a station and had job that could accommodate it.

Huntsman

8,028 posts

249 months

Saturday 1st October 2016
quotequote all
Tom1312 said:
So I'm in! I passed the admittedly very informal interview and can expect to start training end of October.

I'll post in here and do a little blog if people are interested?
Excellent news.

We're moving to Cowes next year and I'll be volunteering as soon as we arrive.

ecsrobin

17,022 posts

164 months

Saturday 1st October 2016
quotequote all
Huntsman said:
Excellent news.

We're moving to Cowes next year and I'll be volunteering as soon as we arrive.
Great news I can use your house as a crew house rofl

Huntsman

8,028 posts

249 months

Saturday 1st October 2016
quotequote all
ecsrobin said:
Huntsman said:
Excellent news.

We're moving to Cowes next year and I'll be volunteering as soon as we arrive.
Great news I can use your house as a crew house rofl
Not chance, I'm trying to retire so we'll be in a microflat.

kwaka jack

270 posts

171 months

Saturday 1st October 2016
quotequote all
Well done. What boats do they have at the station?

citizensm1th

8,371 posts

136 months

Saturday 1st October 2016
quotequote all
Well done chap! I used to crew for cowes inshore rescue before it became cowes RNLI

cowes inshore rescue was started by members of the island sailing club back in the 80,s and happly my boss at the time was a member of the sailing club so i had his full blessing to drop and run when my pager went off.