Lifeboat Engine Failure

As 2nd Coxswain of Sheringham Lifeboat in the late 1950’s there was a strong probability of me taking charge of the ‘Foresters Centenary’ when 1st Coxswain, Henry ‘Downtide’ West was unavailable. The first time I acted as Coxswain was in May 1958. This call should have been a straightforward medical evacuation from the Dudgeon Light Ship.

The Dudgeon Light Ship

However this service did not go according to plan, as you can see.

At 09.50 Hrs on 31 May 1958 Cromer Coastguard asked the Honorary Secretary for the Sheringham Lifeboat to be launched to take a Doctor to the Dudgeon Light Ship, 19 miles from our station, to take off a sick man.

Route:
Sheringham to the Dudgeon avoiding Sheringham Shoal








  
As ‘Downtide’ West was out of town I took charge and the Lifeboat was launched at 10.15 hrs. The weather was good although hazy as there was no wind and the sea at half ebb tide was smooth.

Sheringham Lifeboat 'Foresters Centenary' Launching

We reached the Dudgeon Light Ship, at 13.10 hrs and Dr. Cowper Johnson, who had volunteered to go out with the Lifeboat, went aboard. Shortly after he called for the assistance of one of the Lifeboat crew as the patient was being un-cooperative. The doctor gave the patient a strong sedative. 

At 14.15 hrs we left the Light Ship with patient and doctor on board. Our 1st Mechanic Teddy ‘Lux’ Craske radioed Cromer Coastguard that our ETA back at Sheringham as 17.30 hrs.
 
At about 16.40 hrs, about 9 miles out and within view of the coastline there was a problem with the Lifeboat’s engine and Teddy Craske went below. He came back up to tell me “Henry, I can only give you another 10 minutes from the engine as the gears for the oil and water pump have failed”.

Engine Room of ‘Foresters Centenary’ with AE6 Petrol Engine

There was insufficient wind to sail so we tried waving for attention from the shore; to send a boat to tow us in. There was no response from the lifeboat house, although I did hear later that they saw us and wondered why we had stopped.

As Acting Coxswain on RNLI service and with a sick man on board, I had no other option but to ask Teddy Craske to radio Cromer Coastguard for Cromer Lifeboat, to tow us in.

Cromer Lifeboat brought along a cameraman to record the event. I heard that this did not go down too well at RNLI Head Office.

'Foresters Centenary' being towed by Cromer Lifeboat
Mechanic Teddy Craske on the left.





At 19.10 hrs the Sick Man was landed and removed to hospital by Ambulance. Police and Trinity House Welfare Officers were notified.

Sick Crewman from Dudgeon Light Ship landed by Sheringham Lifeboat

The station’s Honorary Secretary made the following remarks in his report to RNLI Head Office:

“In the absence of the Coxswain, the 2nd Cox ‘Joyful’ West handled the boat efficiently and made excellent navigation.

That the engine broke down is most regrettable fortunately the sea was smooth. This is the THIRD time this same failure has occurred. The boat was only out on a machinery test on May 14th.”

Lifeboat CE6 petrol engine which failed on my first call as acting coxswain

‘Foresters Centenary’ was not the only single screw Liverpool class lifeboat which experienced engine trouble at this time. By the 1960’s the same type of engine in Caister Lifeboat ‘José Neville’ was, according to their mechanic Jack ‘Skipper’ Woodhouse, becoming a problem. This was due to a shortage of spares and increasing unreliability, “which caused the Institution much concern”. Even the engine on the lightly used Cromer No. 2 lifeboat ‘Harriot Dixon’ had, by 1964, become unreliable.

Not long after, the local RNLI committee presented me with an engraved cigarette lighter as the ‘Unluckiest Lifeboatman’, due to engine failure when acting coxswain.

However, the engine failure did help Sheringham Lifeboat station to be awarded the second of the revolutionary new ‘Oakley’ class lifeboat designs. So every cloud has a silver lining.