Pennod 2 Bad Achub Porthdinllaen

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-Porthdinllaen

-is on Lleyn's northern coast.

-It has been an RNLI lifeboat station

-for almost 150 years.

-It's the focal point

-of the Morfa Nefyn area.

-Porthdinllaen

-is a Welsh-speaking station.

-I'm proud of that.

-I'd had numerous invitations

-to join, and then I became hooked!

-Builders, carpenters,

-a postman and even a milkman.

-The volunteers

-put their lives at risk...

-..when the call comes.

-They jump out of bed at 3am

-for no pay.

-They'll go out

-whatever the weather.

-You need guts to do that -

-a lot of guts.

-It's been an exciting year

-of changes...

-..a new home and a new boat.

-This is the first time...

-..that a milestone for the RNLI

-Porthdinllaen is chronicled.

-We only live once.

-I've had the chance

-to be a member of the lifeboat crew.

-Nobody can take that away from me.

-It's very, very special.

-Subtitles

-It's mid-September, and

-the Porthdinllaen lifeboat crew...

-..prepare for an exercise on

-the new lifeboat, the John D Spicer.

-Caryl, do you want to change?

-And Ems?

-The local men and women

-are RNLI volunteers.

-The new boat is too big

-for the old station.

-It's anchored in the bay

-for the time being.

-A new boathouse

-will be in operation in early 2014.

-We've moored the new boat.

-We reach her on a little boat.

-It's an added logistical problem.

-It's not as easy jumping on

-and going down the slipway.

-There are minor issues to overcome.

-It's not a big problem.

-Second coxswain Robat Jones,

-from Morfa Nefyn, is in charge.

-I've been on the crew

-for 28 years...

-..and the second coxswain

-for 20 years.

-I wouldn't swap places

-with anyone in the world.

-I'm responsible for taking her out

-when the coxswain is off.

-When Mike is the coxswain

-he chooses his crew.

-When Mike is off, I run the

-deck after he's told us what to do.

-Everything has to be learnt

-from scratch on the John D Spicer.

-We have to forget the old methods

-and start anew.

-Everybody has done well.

-The second engineer

-is Gareth Williams.

-He's been a member for 29 years.

-Born and bred in Morfa Nefyn,

-he's an engineer by trade.

-I left Pwllheli school

-before the fifth form.

-I joined the HMS Indefatigable

-in Menai Bridge.

-I wanted to be

-a marine electronic engineer.

-I turned down an offer

-to go on a submarine.

-I chose this side of the work.

-It's been in the blood for years and

-I'm happy with the choice I made.

-I make sure

-everything is in working order.

-I watch the engine display panels.

-If there's a problem,

-they look at me and say, "Fix it."

-The new boat runs on SIMS,

-a central computer system.

-Some of the seats have a computer

-screen to control navigation...

-..the radar and machines,

-as well as powering the boat.

-We use a bridle...

-..to tow a yacht

-that hasn't got a bollard.

-Regular exercises are imperative

-to keep up with the new technology.

-OK?

-It's dangerous

-to become too relaxed.

-We have to treat

-every day as the first day.

-Everybody enjoys

-one exercise in particular.

-We drop the stern of the Tamar

-to get the inflatable boat out.

-Only two are needed to push it out.

-Once it's closed, we switch on

-the engine and put it in reverse.

-The lifeboat carries a smaller boat.

-This allows the crew

-to get closer to the coast...

-..or to a place where

-the large lifeboat can't reach.

-The conditions are favourable.

-When we returned,

-I made sure the angle was right...

-..to bring her in.

-Did you enjoy that?

-Did you enjoy that?

-

-Yes.

-Why?

-Why?

-

-I'm bringing her in.

-The exercise ends,

-but the lesson isn't over.

-We learn something new

-every time we're out.

-We'll be training for a year

-to get it right.

-Every call is different.

-I always think, "Why didn't

-I do it that way or that way?"

-That's how we learn.

-Nobody knows

-when the calls will come.

-They were called out

-later that night.

-The John D Spicer

-was called out at 4.40am.

-The Lady K fishing boat...

-..ran into trouble ten miles

-off Lleyn's north west coast.

-At 32 foot, she's

-a fairly big scallop fishing boat.

-It's an iron boat.

-She lost diesel from her tanks

-into the bilges.

-We towed her back

-into Porthdinllaen.

-When boats break down,

-things can go from bad to worse.

-We try to help people

-who have broken down.

-There's no way out if they're

-stuck in rough seas, ten miles out.

-In stormy weather, we put

-a heaving line on the towing rope.

-This lighter rope can be

-thrown closer to the casualty.

-The Lady K situation was tricky.

-We attached a heaving line

-to the towing rope...

-..and he caught the heaving line.

-He pulled it on his boat.

-There's a bollard or a stanchion

-on large fishing boats.

-They can hook it on that.

-In stormy weather...

-..we extend more rope to take

-the spring out of the rope.

-The distance

-of the rope is important...

-..to prevent it from jerking.

-When we tow, one or two

-crewmen act as look out.

-We can respond if something happens.

-If the towed boat sinks

-we have to cut the rope.

-There's an axe on board the

-John D Spicer to chop the rope...

-..if there was ever need to do so.

-The RNLI Porthdinllaen...

-..is mostly called out

-to tow broken down boats.

-In Britian, the purpose of the RNLI

-is saving lives at sea.

-Since it was established in 1824...

-..the RNLI has saved

-more than 140,000 lives.

-Training is all-important.

-The RNLI headquarters is in Poole...

-..on England's south coast.

-There is also a training college.

-Caryl and Mali from Porthdinllaen...

-..are attending a course

-every lifeboat member must complete.

-Today, we'll do

-the fire side of the course.

-There were 18 of us.

-Some have come

-from Ireland and Scotland.

-We all belong, in a way.

-We're members of a lifeboat crew.

-It's nice to compare notes.

-There are more than 4,000 lifeboat

-crew members.

-They attend

-the training course every year.

-You don't think

-of a fire on a lifeboat.

-It's more important to save lives

-than extinguish a fire.

-We are not firemen.

-We're members of a lifeboat crew.

-It's a chance

-to do something more practical.

-Keep yourself nice and low.

-Hold it further up, there you go.

-Aim for the fire. Do you see

-that blanket starting to foam?

-I'd never used a fire extinguisher.

-I've seen them all over the place

-but I've never actually used one.

-I wasn't sure how powerful it was.

-We learnt various aspects, such as

-what fire extinguisher to use.

-When am I going to use this?

-When am I going to use this?

-

-When you're in distress.

-I have used flares in the past.

-It wasn't new to me.

-He mentioned situations

-when flares are used.

-It was hands-on.

-Perhaps some of us

-hadn't used a flare before.

-It was great that we all had a go.

-Mali clearly enjoyed the course.

-The day ended with a trip

-out to sea on the training boat.

-It's been a brilliant course,

-so far. I've learnt a lot.

-At the end of the day,

-we will be saving lives at sea.

-We're training to help us cope

-with different scenarios.

-It will help us

-in a real life situation.

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-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

-In Nefyn's Nanhoron Hotel...

-..they've gathered

-to pay tribute to the Hetty Rampton.

-The lifeboat served

-the RNLI Porthdinllaen for 25 years.

-She's embarking on her final voyage.

-Many of the crew,

-past and present, are here.

-They've given years of service

-to the RNLI.

-It's a family affair.

-The father was on the boat.

-The son wants to go.

-And today,

-the girl wants to go, too.

-Taid, Dad and Dad's brother

-were members of the lifeboat crew.

-It runs in the family.

-We only live once. I've

-been a member of lifeboat crew.

-Nobody can take that away from me.

-It's very, very special.

-Someone could be in danger

-and need our help.

-That's why I wanted to volunteer.

-Volunteers or not...

-..every new lifeboat crewman

-needs to be trained.

-Back in the college in Poole...

-..the girls learn what to do...

-..if the D-class lifeboat capsized.

-It's taking place

-in a swimming pool.

-The wind and wave machine simulates

-the conditions at sea.

-The first step

-is turning the boat around.

-Caryl and her crew

-manage effortlessly.

-Mali and her crew get into trouble.

-It's not as easy as it looks.

-They finally succeed.

-If this really happened...

-..they would swim under the boat

-to get the flares and VHF radio.

-The kit was extremely heavy.

-It was tough to pull myself down.

-The lifejackets kept us up.

-The helmet got stuck in everything.

-The next step

-was turning the boat back up.

-But once again,

-it wasn't easy for Mali's crew.

-I don't know what was going wrong.

-I'd straightened my arms and body.

-When one slipped off,

-the rest followed like dominos.

-We tried it about six times.

-Finally, the instructor came up.

-We turned the boat over eventually.

-We've learnt

-it's quite a dangerous job.

-It has underlined the sea's power

-and how important our work is.

-Our lives are just as important

-as the people we will be saving.

-I'm knackered after that.

-It was a terrific experience.

-It was a bit scary at times.

-I couldn't see and it was hot.

-I'm weak. It was good, mind.

-We've never done

-this in Porthdinllaen.

-I'm looking forward to a hot shower.

-While the girls

-warmed up with a cuppa...

-..bigger lifeboats

-were being turned over.

-They were put back

-with the help of airbags.

-Apart from the D-class boats...

-..every lifeboat can turn back up

-if it ever capsized.

-Porthdinllaen's new lifeboat,

-the John D Spicer...

-..has already proved this.

-Once the doors are closed...

-..it acts like a huge airbag.

-The lifeboat can turn around...

-..despite weighing 32 tons.

-But the new boat's arrival...

-..signalled that it was time

-to say goodbye to an old friend.

-I was lucky to take Hetty Rampton

-away for the last time.

-It was a stormy day.

-Peter Jones, the former coxswain,

-served on her from the start.

-Glynne was the second coxswain...

-...and the third coxswain, Harry.

-After I'd launched the lifeboat,

-I handed them the wheel.

-It was in their hands

-for the last run.

-In the old days,

-we only had a radar and compass!

-The old lifeboat could

-only manage seven to eight knots.

-That's where I learnt

-about navigation.

-Then the Hetty Rampton arrived

-and she can reach 17 knots!

-We had to double

-the navigation speed.

-I was slow enough on the other one!

-The Hetty Rampton came to

-Porthdinllaen in April, 1987.

-During her lifetime,

-she was launched 315 times.

-She saved almost 400 lives in seas

-off the north west coast of Wales.

-Remember when we first had a GPS?

-We were out on an exercise.

-"Have you got faith in this?"

-you asked me.

-"I don't know," I said.

-You went to the top deck.

-I watched the radar

-and played with the GPS.

-We couldn't see a thing.

-But it was spot-on.

-We didn't understand it.

-The lifeboat's journey

-from Porthdinllaen to Caernarfon...

-..through the Menai Straits

-and to Conway marina...

-..is almost 40 miles.

-It was quite rough in Caernarfon.

-After that, we had the shelter

-of land along the Menai...

-..and under the bridges.

-We navigated around Puffin Island

-and into Conway.

-That took three hours.

-She was taken to Conway

-to be kept as a reserve boat...

-..for the West Division of the RNLI.

-I've been on three lifeboats.

-I was on the wooden Kathleen Mary

-for two years...

-..then the Hetty Rampton...

-..and now John D Spicer.

-I've been lucky to have experienced

-three boats in Porthdinllaen.

-But at times, even the best crew

-need to call for the lifeboat.

-I remember bringing my second

-fishing boat here from St Ives.

-I hadn't had a chance

-to get a proper mooring.

-There was a fierce gale

-and she began to drag the mooring.

-I went to her and she capsized.

-I heard maroons going off!

-We were in News of the World.

-"Lifeboat Rescues Its Own Crew."

-At last,

-Hetty reaches the journey's end.

-It was quiet when we arrived

-in Conway.

-There was a stillness there.

-It was sad to leave her

-in Conway for the last time.

-I'd ran to the lifeboat station

-so often, day and night...

-..and gone out in horrendous storms.

-It was strange

-to see her on the quay.

-It was quite emotional.

-A chapter ends.

-A new and challenging chapter begins

-for the RNLI Porthdinllaen crew.

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead

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