Leafy's Art Blog: January 2017

West Mersea Lifeboat News.
by Leafy Dumas, Lifeboat Press Officer.

We welcome in the New Year with a new page in the lifeboat logbook. Here are the entries for last year's shouts.

West Mersea Lifeboat had 62 calls for help in total. Some shouts are weather and tide related, some involve human error or illness and some are due to engine or kit failure. Some days we have multiple shouts, some days we have none. Most end happily, but devastatingly some are tragic.

Record of Services, 2016.

1. 10 Feb Car stuck on Strood when tide over road. Lifeboat stood down as no danger.
2. 19 Mar Small yacht aground – Bradwell. Re-floated and towed to Mersea.
3. 25 Mar Speedboat broken down with 6 POB - Jaywick. Casualties & vessel taken to Osyth.
4. 02 Apr Assist Navy Bomb Disposal - St Peter’s Flats. Depth Charge detonated.
5. 06 Apr Yacht OCEAN DREAMER prop fouled – Bradwell. Vessel moored & crew taken ashore.
6. 10 Apr Semi-sunken yacht to be investigated – Osea. Nothing found.
7. 21 Apr Fishing vessel with engine failure – Lawling Ck. Casualty towed to Blackwater Marina.
8. 22 Apr Jet ski with engine failure – Steeple. Casualties landed at Steeple Bay.
9. 06 May 16ft powerboat with engine failure – Raysand Ch. Towed to Burnham by Burnham ILB.
10. 15 May 17ft powerboat with engine failure - Mill Beach. Casualty towed to Mersea.
11. 27 May Red flare sighted – River Colne. Searched but nothing found.
12. 30 May Jet ski with engine failure – Blackwater. Casualty assisted by another vessel.
13. 30 May Kayak capsized with boy in water – Mill Beach. Lifeboat assisted in recovery.
14. 04 Jun Outboard dinghy reported in difficulties – Thirslet. Searched but nothing found.
15. 05 Jun Medical casualty to be transferred to mainland. Lifeboat stood by but not required.
16. 05 Jun Medical casualty – Mersea, tide over Strood. Transferred Paramedic to Mersea.
17. 07 Jun Man in dinghy stuck on mud - Cocum Hills. Casualty recovered back to Mersea.
18. 21 Jun Upturned vessel reported – off Waldegraves. No POB. Vessel towed to Mersea.
19. 28 Jun Report of something falling off fishing boat. Vessel found laying oysters.
20. 02 Jul Yacht aground with damaged prop – Bradwell Ck. Casualty towed into marina.
21. 10 Jul Person in the water – Stone. Casualty rescued by others.
22. 17 Jul Jet Ski broken down & crew in mud – Lawling Ck. Casualty towed to Mersea.
23. 17 Jul Report of paraglider crashing – South Mersea. False alarm.
24. 20 Jul Windsurfer missing – Stansgate. Self-recovered before ILB arrived.
25. 22 Jul Windsurfer reported drifting – Blackwater. MFV wreckage recovered.
26. 22 Jul Dog stuck in mud – North Osea. Recovered before ILB arrived.
27. 25 Jul Skipper of yacht had a stroke – off Bradwell. Casualty treated. Handed to ambulance.
28. 07 Aug Yacht & powerboat aground – River Colne. Powerboat towed to Alresford Ck.
29. 07 Aug Windsurfer with broken mast – River Colne. Casualty taken to St Osyths.
30. 07 Aug Jet ski broken down – River Colne. Casualty towed to Brightlingsea.
31. 07 Aug Report of 2 sailing dinghies in difficulties – Nass. False alarm with good intent.
32. 14 Aug Packing Shed launch aground – Cobmarsh. 7 persons taken ashore.
33. 14 Aug Jet ski missing – Blackwater. Casualty found Stansgate taken ashore.
34. 17 Aug Capsized catamaran – Mill Creek. Casualty self-recovered.
35. 18 Aug Powerboat with engine failure – East Mersea. Casualty towed to Brightlingsea.
36. 18 Aug Tasked to Yacht aground – West Mersea. No help needed, others assisted.
37. 18 Aug Powerboat with fouled propeller – Sales Point. Casualty towed to Bradwell marina.
38. 20 Aug Search for missing windsurfer – Blackwater. Casualty recovered deceased.
39. 21 Aug Car broken down in water – Strood. Stood by until tide receded.
40. 21 Aug Yacht BRIGHTSIDE aground – Tollesbury. Vessel towed off mud.
41. 23 Aug Swimmer in difficulties – Mersea beach. Casualty ok. Launch cancelled.
42. 26 Aug Person missing from yacht at night – Mersea. Casualty located and returned.
43. 27 Aug Yacht with broken mast – Blackwater. No assistance required.
44. 27 Aug Yacht BELINDA with rope round prop – Nass. Casualty towed to mooring.
45. 31 Aug Angling boat with engine failure – Osea. Casualty towed to Steeple bay.
46. 03 Sept Yacht HORNBLOWER aground – Lawling Ck. Landed crew ashore.
47. 04 Sept Yacht HORNBLOWER aground - Lawling Ck. Assisted casualty to mooring.
48. 04 Sept Windsurfer in difficulties - Bradwell. Casualty and board brought ashore.
49. 05 Sept Small dinghy reported drifting – Blackwater. No occupants. Craft brought ashore.
50. 15 Sept Jet ski broken down – Mill Beach. Casualties and Jet ski recovered.
51. 24 Sept Small motorboat with steering failure – Ray Ch. Casualty towed to Mersea Causeway.
52. 24 Sept Catamaran with fouled prop – Tollesbury. Unable to clear prop. Left in location.
53. 25 Sept Motorboat with steering failure – Blackwater. Casualty towed to Bradwell marina.
54. 02 Oct Transfer paramedic to Mersea – tide over Strood. Paramedic taken to casualty.
55. 02 Oct DSC alert received from yacht – Bench Head. Casualty towed to Bradwell marina.
56. 04 Oct Investigate yacht adrift – Blackwater. Vessel towed to mooring at Stone.
57. 07 Oct Transfer medical casualty ashore – Brightlingsea. Casualty taken to ambulance.
58. 12 Oct Motorboat with engine failure – East Mersea. Casualty towed to Brightlingsea.
59. 13 Oct Report of drifting yacht – Blackwater. Yacht found not to be in trouble.
60. 16 Oct Person fallen in water from yacht – Strood Channel. Casualty recovered to boathouse.
61. 16 Oct Yacht with engine failure – Waldegraves. Casualty towed to Tollesbury
62. 19 Oct Person in water calling for help – Waldegraves. Lifeboat stood down after launch.

The lifeboat is at the heart of every coastal community on our island nation.

We are lucky to have a magnificent boat and crew in West Mersea with a supportive lifeboat family and wider community; this means we can provide a safety net around our estuary coastline and truly help those in peril on the sea. Manned by volunteers. funded by donations, the RNLI is a noble organisation providing a vital emergency service. The crew, their families and the good people who raise the funds to enable the boat to run are all pretty amazing.

We, at West Mersea Lifeboat Station and our boat, Just George, send a MASSIVE thank you to all of you who have donated money to help keep the boat and crew ready for action. Running a lifeboat station is a dauntingly expensive operation, yet with your help we do it.

There are many of you who we would dearly love to mention but with only room for a few, here are some of the committed and wonderful folk who selflessly raise large amounts for the RNLI year after year after year:-

Mr Rix, with his countless sales from his Firs Road garden gate. The WMYC with their annual pursuit race.

The Maldon Little Ship Club with their annual sponsored row and gig race, and

The Basin Oars from Heybridge - a marvellous group of enthusiastic women rowers bursting with bonhomie.

We are grateful for every penny.

Photo, West Mersea Lifeboat.

The Basin Oars with lifeboat crew.

West Mersea Lifeboat News

by Leafy Dumas, Lifeboat Press Officer.

Crowds gathered from far and wide on the Monkey Beach at West Mersea on Boxing Day morning. The air temperature was hovering around 7 degrees Celcius but along with the windchill it felt significantly colder as hardy souls gathered in swimming attire and fancy dress ready for a chilly dip in the cold North Sea.

The Boxing Day Dip at the Monkey Beach is an annual event run by the West Mersea Lifeboat and Guild. The aim of the bracing dip in the cold North Sea is to raise much needed funds for the RNLI. This is the eleventh year of the dip at West Mersea and it is fast becoming a great Boxing Day tradition. There is not much better than a small dose of wonderfully invigorating madness for a very worthy cause!

150 swimmers braved the chilly waters in all manner of attire; there were elves and Santas, an incredible hulk, a tiger, a shark, sailors, men in tutus and even a swimming chef from the Victory. Prizes were awarded for the best fancy dress with the winners being Paul Camina from New York for his cyborg costume, Caroline Bowring for her Daffy Duck outfit and George Devonport for dressing up as Mrs Claus, Father Christmas’ wife.

Thank you to The Victory Hotel for providing mulled wine and hot blackcurrant juice to fortify the dippers, to Tesco for donating mince pies, and to marvellous Lyn and Heather from the Poop Deck who saved the day with their tea tent providing hot refreshments to sustain us all.

Two lifeboats were in attendance: our own Just George from West Mersea from which Stormy Stan disembarked, and our flank station’s boat from Clacton.

Stormy Stan entertained the crowds, along with lifeboat helmsman Jason Dale with his wonderful commentary.

Thronging with hardy souls as far as the eye could see, West Mersea beach on Boxing Day was a sight to behold! Thank you, from all of us at the Lifeboat Station, for coming.