Pennod 4 Bad Achub Porthdinllaen

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-Porthdinllaen

-is on Lleyn's northern coast.

-It has been a RNLI lifeboat

-station for almost 150 years.

-It's the focal point

-of the Morfa Nefyn area.

-Builders, carpenters,

-a postman and even a milkman.

-The volunteers are ready to risk

-their lives when the call comes.

-It's been an exciting year of

-changes, a new home and a new boat.

-This is first time...

-..that a milestone for the RNLI

-Porthdinllaen is chronicled.

-It's January 1, 2013.

-All that's left of the old

-boathouse are pieces of the roof...

-..and a mound of rubble.

-But where is everyone?

-To raise funds

-for the Porthdinllaen lifeboat...

-..hundreds of people flock to Morfa

-Nefyn beach for a unique event.

-We're holding a New Year Dip today.

-Local people and holidaymakers

-are joining the crew...

-..to swim in the cold sea.

-The crew's wives and friends

-are making soup, tea and coffee...

-..to warm everyone up a little.

-A lot of people come. Up to 150

-people usually go in the sea.

-This is the fourth year

-we've done it.

-We've raised

-up to 1,200 every time.

-For one hour, it's worth it.

-It's very popular.

-We compete with Abersoch.

-It's been a big event

-in Abersoch for some time.

-But we're growing every year.

-A lot of teams dress up to go in,

-like those pirates and Smurfs.

-They've made an effort

-with their costumes.

-Good afternoon.

-Can everybody hear me?

-Shall I speak Welsh or English?

-Just Welsh, or a bit of everything?

-Five, four, three, two, one!

-APPLAUSE

-No-one stays in the water for long.

-It's the taking part that counts.

-There's a medal for everyone.

-It's great to see so many people.

-The best way to start the new year!

-There are even medals

-for some of the crew.

-The winter months are fairly

-quiet as regards to calls...

-..for all the lifeboats.

-So the John D Spicer,

-Porthdinllaen's lifeboat...

-..has come to Pwllheli Marina

-to have its hull cleaned.

-But how on earth is a 32 ton boat

-lifted out of the water?

-Four orange slings,

-attached to the mobile crane...

-..can lift up to 50 tons.

-Pwllheli Marina invested

-in the 140,000 machinery...

-..partly because of the new

-Porthdinllaen lifeboat...

-..so they could lift heavy boats

-out of the water fairly easily.

-But nevertheless,

-a great deal of care is taken...

-..when lifting a boat

-that cost 2.7 million.

-It's lifted every three months.

-The bottom is cleaned

-and everything checked.

-It's nice to get

-to know the whole boat.

-She's a totally different shape now.

-We've no boathouse now.

-She's in the water all the time.

-She gets dirty, is slower

-and uses more diesel.

-So cleanliness is important.

-It's easier as the weather improves.

-In winter, we might not get

-to the boat for three or four days.

-Things can deteriorate.

-We have to be constantly watchful.

-We've brought her to Pwllheli...

-..because it's only

-ten minutes away.

-We can do odd jobs.

-I want to clean the inside today and

-some jobs I can't do on the mooring.

-I'll give it a day's work.

-I use fresh water on the boat

-to remove the salt water.

-Walking around, you can see

-salt water sticking to everything.

-It's stainless steel, but there's

-some rust and it gets discoloured.

-Fresh water and polish

-make a difference.

-I'll start at the bow and work back.

-Although I'm facing downwind...

-..I want to get some fresh

-air where the Y boat is.

-The quiet winter period...

-..means that Mike has plenty

-of time to clean the boat.

-Winter's long, without calls.

-Calls keep everyone on their toes.

-People get tired

-of doing exercises all the time.

-Although it's quiet

-on the call front...

-..that doesn't mean that the

-Porthdinllaen lifeboat crew is idle.

-Thanks for coming out tonight

-for our final session.

-We'll do a refresher

-of what we did last night.

-Some of the crew

-are on a radar course.

-Peter Gale from the RNLI

-college has come to teach them.

-Has anybody done

-something like that before?

-The new lifeboat

-is full of computers.

-So it's even more

-important to know the basics.

-Everyone has a chance

-to revise techniques.

-This is why I can use radar

-to help me to get up the anchorage.

-Electronic radar is a great help

-when steering at sea.

-It's like another pair of eyes,

-watching out for ships and land...

-..in all weathers.

-Your course is zero five zero

-degrees. Your speed is 18 knots.

-But when technology fails...

-..they must go back to pencil,

-paper, watch and compass.

-How do you know

-that your CPA is there?

-Two point six?

-Mine was two point seven.

-A few have already

-done the course several times.

-I did the course in 2008.

-I was rather slow at first.

-But it comes quite

-quickly, eventually.

-It's quite easy to do it in class.

-But you have to do it

-at sea, in bad weather.

-That's when you really get tested.

-It's important to know

-how to do it on paper...

-..and chart work too.

-They're electronics, basically.

-Anything can happen out there.

-But for some,

-it's a totally new experience.

-Pete.

-I've just had...

-A brain freeze for a second!

-Mali has only been

-a crew member for a year.

-We've been doing the radar

-course for three evenings.

-The first night, I thought,

-"What on earth am I doing here?"

-I was with six crew members

-who have years of experience.

-I was rather panicky at first,

-wondering if I'd cope.

-The radar work I've done...

-..is electronic radar,

-using computers.

-This meant going back to basics.

-You have to plot

-on the chart plotter.

-It's more important

-than ever to know the basics.

-It is a challenge.

-I'm coping so far.

-We'll see if I succeed

-in getting the certificate.

-But even experienced crew members

-sometimes scratch their heads.

-It did my head in last night.

-The moment I see figures...

-..my head goes to pieces.

-I did silly things and didn't

-know why I couldn't get it.

-It came back after looking

-at it for three sessions.

-It's interesting. It makes you work.

-Last night we looked at using

-radar for collision avoidance...

-..to avoid crashing into things

-or things crashing into us.

-It's important.

-It makes you think how we managed

-in the past, without the new radar.

-You had to work out where you were

-and your speed with a watch.

-This boat goes very fast...

-..almost twice

-the speed of the old one.

-You have to be on the ball

-with the navigation and plotting.

-Everyone seems to be benefiting

-from the course. What about Mali?

-Why did you put me

-on the course this week?

-Because you've done

-almost everything else.

-We just want to finish the package.

-So I can sit in every seat.

-So I can sit in every seat.

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-That's about it.

-As the night closes in...

-..the crew has some way to go

-before the lesson ends.

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-It's 9.00am.

-A group meets near

-the Porthdinllaen RNLI office...

-..for a twelve

-and a half mile walk...

-..from Morfa Nefyn to Aberdaron,

-to raise money for the lifeboat.

-Five years ago,

-I lost my dad to the sea.

-We've been fundraising for the

-Porthdinllaen lifeboat ever since.

-Today is to commemorate

-the fifth anniversary.

-You've got other charities

-for illnesses and things.

-This hits here.

-And it always will do.

-Ready, steady, go!

-Ta-ra!

-Maldwyn Williams, Dawn's father...

-..was a local fisherman.

-He lost his life at sea.

-Porthdinllaen lifeboat was out

-looking for him for many days.

-Ever since, Dawn and her mother Viv

-have done a lot to raise money...

-..for the RNLI.

-They have raised

-more than 30,000...

-..for a charity that's

-very close to their hearts.

-The fundraising continues.

-No-one's safe from these ramblers.

-Hello!

-Good morning!

-Here you are.

-Thank you.

-Ta-ra!

-The walk is one of many

-events planned this year...

-..as Porthdinllaen RNLI tries

-to reach a target of 100,000...

-..to contribute to the costs

-of building the new boathouse.

-My legs are starting to warm up

-and my fingers have defrosted.

-It's going well.

-CAR HORN

-We stop a few cars.

-People are generous.

-The walkers have reached Tudweiliog.

-They have a rest and lunch before

-resuming the journey to Aberdaron.

-It's going well.

-We're doing it in good time.

-We all go at our own pace.

-My feet are fine at the moment.

-We'll have a rest

-and a cuppa in Aberdaron.

-Dawn's father was my uncle.

-We're supporting her.

-We do something every year.

-We've received quite a lot of money.

-Someone just gave us 10.

-It's nice to see

-people supporting us.

-I'm supporting Dawn...

-..and my husband and daughter

-who are in the Porthdinllaen team.

-We're supporting Dawn

-for her hard work all year.

-She does various things

-to raise money for the lifeboats.

-It's only right to support her too.

-At the pier in Trefor...

-..the Porthdinllaen RNLI shore

-crew are waiting for the lifeboat.

-One of them is Dylan,

-who works for Gwynedd Council.

-My job title

-is Commercial Waste Manager.

-I work at the Commercial Waste

-Unit for Gwynedd Council.

-We provide businesses

-with a waste and recycling service.

-Dylan has been a member...

-..of the Porthdinllaen

-RNLI crew for 28 years.

-Like many village lads,

-it was always an ambition to join.

-As lads, we wanted

-to join the lifeboat crew.

-Many of us wanted to join

-the crew when we were older.

-When the opportunity arose...

-..we went to the boathouse.

-You have to give up a lot of time

-to be a crew member.

-There are more courses now

-than there were 20 years ago.

-Being a member

-takes up a lot of time.

-I admire the fire brigade lads.

-I could never go up a ladder.

-I'd rather keep my feet

-on the ground or on a boat.

-Although Dylan isn't

-one of the boat crew any more...

-..being a member

-of the shore crew keeps him busy.

-He's also the station press officer.

-I'm responsible for distributing

-news about Porthdinllaen RNLI...

-..in the local and national press...

-..perhaps even an interview

-on the BBC or S4C.

-With the arrival

-of the new lifeboat...

-..he's even more determined

-to rejoin the boat crew.

-I miss going out.

-As Arnold Schwarzenegger

-said, I'll be back.

-In Trefor, the lifeboat

-has arrived at the pier...

-..to fill its tanks with diesel.

-When we arrive, we attach

-the boat securely to the wall.

-We link the pipe and ensure

-the sea doesn't get polluted...

-..checking that the pipe's empty.

-We took 400 litres this time.

-We usually take about 1,000 litres.

-It can take half an hour.

-We usually refuel in the boathouse.

-We don't have one now.

-The boat is on the mooring.

-The only way we can fuel it

-is from Trefor pier.

-We have to come here at high tide,

-not at any other time.

-There's not enough water for the

-boat. We come here at high tide.

-It's only quarter of an hour

-from Porthdinllaen.

-The new station

-will have fuel tanks.

-We won't have to come to Trefor.

-This is only temporary,

-while the boathouse is built.

-While the tanks are filled...

-..the new boat is quite a change

-for chief mechanic, Alan Parry.

-This is the tank space,

-with diesel tanks on both sides...

-..each one holding 2,300 litres.

-It takes 4,600 all told...

-..enough to go 250 sea miles.

-This is the engine room.

-There are two Caterpillar C18...

-..1,000 horse power each.

-The boat can reach up to 25 knots.

-The boat is fitted with CCTV,

-with a camera there and there.

-When we're at sea, I can

-monitor everything from my seat.

-It's like every engine.

-But these can tell us

-if anything's wrong.

-With the old engine,

-you depended on your ears.

-You can't compare this

-to the old boat.

-They're different designs, with many

-years advancement in technology.

-It's like going from

-a Morris Minor to a Ferrari, maybe.

-Like Ferraris, lifeboats

-are expensive to maintain.

-Filling the two tanks of

-a lifeboat like the John D Spicer...

-..costs around 5,000.

-It's a lifeboat service rule...

-..that the tanks must always be full

-and the boat ready to go out.

-It might cost a lot

-to run the boats...

-..but you can't put

-a price on life.

-A person's life is beyond price.

-With its tanks full of diesel,

-the lifeboat is ready for any call.

-The boat is on its way

-back to Porthdinllaen.

-Where are the walkers now?

-After passing halfway,

-how much money has been collected?

-The buckets are quite full.

-It feels quite good.

-We've done well.

-People stopped.

-We didn't have to stop them.

-We only had to show that

-and they stopped.

-They set off

-on the last leg to Aberdaron.

-The Porthdinllaen lifeboat

-has a very important place...

-..in the hearts of Dawn

-and her mother, Viv.

-Obviously, I lost my husband

-nearly five years ago to the sea.

-This is to commemorate

-the fifth year that he's been gone.

-But it's not about being sad today.

-Today's about making

-people aware of the RNLI.

-The whole of the lifeboat

-is one big family.

-But obviously, Porthdinllaen

-is very special in my heart...

-..because they worked so hard

-that night, looking for him.

-This is our way

-of saying, "Thanks, guys."

-After walking more

-than 9,000 paces...

-..with the finishing

-line in sight...

-APPLAUSE

-..at the end of their latest

-fundraising campaign for the RNLI...

-..how did things go for Dawn?

-It was absolutely amazing!

-We're really happy at the time

-it took us to do it as well.

-We were thinking we'd be here

-by two. It's about 1.15pm!

-We're really happy.

-The amount of people who stopped

-us to put money in was amazing.

-One farmer said

-he didn't have any cash.

-He went home

-and came back with money.

-That means a lot.

-The T-shirts made a difference.

-How are your feet and legs?

-How are your feet and legs?

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-I thought they'd be worse.

-We'll have a glass of water

-in the Ship and we'll be fine.

-Water?

-Yes. It sounds better!

-It was a very successful walk,

-raising more than 5,000.

-Thanks to donations like this...

-..the Porthdinllaen RNLI

-lifeboat service...

-..can keep going

-along the coast of North-West Wales.

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead

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