The Hoylake RNLI lifeboat The Lady of Hilbre returned to the station on Thursday after a refit and was back in action just a day later. Crew member Ian Davies reports:

A 34ft Yacht on passage from Douglas in the Isle of Man to Liverpool with 3 persons on board, became disabled after its steering gear failed, Liverpool Coastguard tasked RNLI Hoylake and New Brighton Lifeboats to the casualty which was drifting in the Crosby Channel approach to the port of Liverpool.

New Brighton Lifeboat was first on scene and put a crew member aboard and then took the vessel in tow as the casualty was in the middle of the River and there was a significant amount of traffic in and out of the River Mersey at this time.

The weather was West North West 6 – 7, and after the tow line parted, Hoylake Lifeboat “Lady of Hilbre” under the command of Coxswain Dave Whiteley made fast their tow rope with the assistance of the member of the New Brighton crew and towed the casualty to the safety of Liverpool Marina.

With the Yacht safe, RNLI Hoylake Lifeboat returned to station at 0110 12/06/2010, RNLI New Brighton Lifeboat was tasked to another incident further up the River Mersey.

Ian Davies (Hoylake RNLI) sends in news of a final refit for The Lady Of Hilbre and a hoax call.

On 31/01/2010 as Hoylake Lifeboat The Lady of Hilbre was launched to undertake a passage to Holyhead for a refit, her replacement also a Mersey class RNLI Lifeboat Royal Shipwright was just entering Hoylake Lifeboats patch, with the transfer of call sign and equipment completed, Royal Shipwright now assumed the guise of Hoylake Lifeboat and continued on her way to Hoylake Lifeboat Station.

As the recovery procedure was just beginning, Rhyl RNLI Lifeboat reported hearing the spoken words Mayday and Quebec One, Rhyl Lifeboat was tasked to the River Dee along with West Kirby inshore Lifeboat. Hoylake and New Brighton RNLI Lifeboats were tasked to Quebec 1 which is a navigational buoy at the entrance to the River Mersey where both rescue craft were designated search patterns by Liverpool Coastguard who were coordinating the search.

After searching for 3 hours with nothing being found or heard again it was decided to stand the four RNLI lifeboats down and assume that this call was a hoax.

Royal Shipwright is expected to be stationed at Hoylake for the next 3 months while the 19 year old The Lady Of Hilbre has her last refit of her operational life and then completes sea trials before returning to station as Hoylake Lifeboat.

It has been announced that an inaugural Service of Remembrance is to be held at Hoylake Lifeboat Station on Tuesday 22nd December 2009 at 11.00a.m (all are welcome to attend).

The Service is to be led by The Rev’d Martin Flowerdew Vicar of Hoylake and Lifeboat Chaplain. Music to be provided by Port Sunlight Lyceum Brass. The Hoylake Lifeboat and West Kirby Inshore Lifeboat are expected to be on show and Refreshments are available in the Boathouse after the service.

This service will commemorate the bravery of 8 men who perished on the 22nd December 1810 whilst going to the aid of the people on board the ship Traveller which had been driven on shore in the Mersey.

Whilst the rescue and subsequent loss of life had been local knowledge passed through the generations, it is only through research carried out in 2004 that the details of the event and the names of those who died have been verified. The dead men, all local to Hoylake, or Hoose as it was then known, were John Bird aged 40 years, his sons Henry Bird aged 18 years and John Bird aged 16 years, and nephew Henry Bird aged 18 years. In addition Joseph Hughes aged 38 years, his brother Richard Hughes aged 36 years and Richard’s son Thomas Hughes aged 16 years also died. It has not been possible to verify the identity of the 8th man who drowned.

The Service of Remembrance which will also the mark the official opening of the Hoylake 1810 Memorial Fund, which has been set up with the purpose of providing funds for the installation of a permanent bronze memorial to these men who so bravely gave their lives in order to save others. The memorial is to be sited outside the new Hoylake Lifeboat Station on a plinth which is already in situ and it is planned that this will be installed prior to a further dedication ceremony to be held in December 2010, on the 200th anniversary of the event. Any donations to this fund would be much appreciated.

Cheques should be made payable to “Hoylake 1810 Memorial Fund” and should be sent to one of the two trustees of the account, Mr. John Curry, 15 Devonshire Road, West Kirby, Wirral CH48 7HR.

Ian Davies, a crew member at Hoylake RNLI and a regular contributor here at HoylakeJunction.com has been in touch to let us all know about a memorial service taking place this week that has links to Hoylake.

(Ellan Vannin  is Manx for Isle of Man)

Ian says:

[there is]  a memorial service taking place this Thursday (3rd December) to remember all those who lost their lives on the SS Ellan Vannin disaster in 1909 (more news here).

The connection to us at Hoylake Lifeboat is that we attended the disaster in the NNW hurricane and we actually have a picture of the lifeboat returning in full sail from that unsuccessful service 100 years ago on show as part of our history in pictures. The Ellan Vannin sank in the area roughly looking between the last two turbines (east or right looking from Hoylake promenade) of the Burbo Bank wind farm at the entrance to the Queens channel. The ferry service departs Liverpool landing stage @ 10:00HRS on Thursday.

I happened to be driving along the prom yesterday lunchtime when I spotted the Lady Of Hilbre lifeboat sat in the sand. But she wasn’t beached …it looked like the crew were testing out a launch and recovery rig/trailer type thing (excuse my poor nautical knowledge).

Somewhat larger than the other boat that’s still sat in the sand a bit further along the beach.

The above letter dropped through our letterbox this morning and presumably did so through many others. The appeal is for the funding of a replacement lifeboat. The aim is to replace the current boat Lady Of Hilbre with a more modern and importantly, faster boat. The latest class of boat are capable of speeds of up to 25 knots, surpassing the 16 knots for the current Mersey class boat. Of course, faster speeds mean quicker arrival to the scene of an emergency out at sea. So, best of luck to the fund raising team!

By the way, if you haven’t yet visited the new lifeboat station then you should make the effort. You’ll be able to see both the new station, the Lady of Hilbre and the view from the promenade outside isn’t bad either.