Equipment trials

Pip the big boss has come up with some new incident officer jackets, they are still being worked on, but as usual the Swanage team took the trial on and tested the jacket for every occasion.

Would the pocket take a whole packet of biscuits? Thankfully yes, now just got to find where to put the torch!

Walk

Yesterday morning some of the operations room staff at Portland met up at Durlston and began a coastal walk to Studland. With Austen as their guide they headed off to Peveril Point and then to Swanage Lifeboat house for a tour of the boat and a talk by the Operation Manager Capt. Hardy.
On wards to the pier and then for a coffee and tour of the station where I took over and Austen had to sit down having worn his legs out.
We then headed down Burlington Chine and the beach to look at the landslips before heading up Sheps Hollow where the party headed to Ballard whilst I went to pick up the vehicle !

We all met up again between Handfast point and Old Harry and from there it was a stroll to the finishing point at the Bankes Arms Studland which strangley is a pub and most had a fine lunch and then to be taken back to Durlston and their cars.

An excellent morning and great to see our colleagues from the Ops room.

Water

Last weeks rain caused a rather large puddle out the front of the station. Yesterday the project manager for the building came to have a look and make her final report before handing the building over to the MCA, the water was a big issue.

Hopefully someone will think a new drain is required but in the meantime its out with the brush to sweep away the mud.

Last night was training which will feature on another blog along with our new radios

Austen being prepared

We know we have been having pager problems over the last week, but clearly Austen has taken matters just a little to far?

When Gareth and I returned from patrol we found Austen at the station and for some reason he had two pagers on? (We added a third for the photo!)

So Austen what was this all about? Battery failure we were told?? Hang on two pagers, and stood outside the Coastguard Station with the radio on......your not going to miss much are you!

All quiet

It's been a rather quiet weekend....so far

Danger Mines Part 3

Research continues into the tragic events of 13Th May 1955 and on Friday night I spent several hours with the team at the Swanage Museum who kindly gave me access to some old records from the war.

The files were fascinating , and have given me a lot more information on the event prior and after the incident. Above is a poster I found in the file warning the public of the dangers prior to the bomb disposal team coming back to sweep the beach again.

The Pager part 2

Austen is in trouble............

Last night he texted me to say he was going to carry out a pager test to ensure every one's was working.

Ok I replied, does everyone know?

Yes he said I've text them........OK

Pager then goes off, great they are all working.

Sadly not every one got the text in time and thought the pager was going off for real.

Tom left his pint in the pub, running out the door to phone Portland only to discover the text from Austen, dam, walks back in pub to find his drink missing!

Gareth, eating his tea, leaps up , heads to the station, only to find this was a test! Walks back home to discover tea finished by wife! Gareth still waiting for the text from Austen.

Well I guess we know the pagers worked, just have to work on the communication skills now!

The Pager

The Coastguard Pager, the vital piece of equipment to tell the team member they are required, coming in different colours (Swanage's are all green) and with HM Coastguard written on the front in case we forget who we belong too.

The other night, for some reason the pagers failed, this could be a number of reasons.
1) Finger error at the MRCC (pushing keys can sometimes go wrong, some poor person else where got a rude alarm call at 23.50!)
2) Technology failure,
3) Little gremlins in the system

Anyway whatever the reason, we have tested the pagers and all seem to be working again so we will never know.

3rd time unlucky?

The incident the last night was to a yacht 4 miles east of Old Harry, it began for us with a phone call as for some reason our pagers failed to activite.

"Evening its Portland Coastguard we have a job for you",
"O the pager didn't go off",
"Well we sent it " said Portland Coastguard"Its to the yacht Kite",
"again" I replied, "this is the 3rd time we have dealt with the yacht"
"We know, Swanage Lifeboat has launched but communications are poor can you get up Old Harry"
"On my way"

Now don't get me wrong getting called out to anyone in distress is why I'm a Coastguard, once is unfortunate, twice ......er ummmm but three times ????

Lets say the matter is being looked in.

Spoilers

Following a complaint that earlier in the week I gave away the plot line for ‘Hound of Baskervilles’ I’ve decided to be mean and spoil some more endings:-

Jaws – It’s a shark the does it.
Jaws 2 – Same story different shark.
Jaws 3D – Yup, same story again, another shark but in 3D
Jaws 4 – They trot the rubber shark for a fourth and final time; Sir Michael Cain puts in an equally rubber performance.
Sink the Bismarck- They sink the Bismarck, the Germans are not best pleased.
Piranha - Guess what it’s Piranhas that do it.
Alligator – Yup an alligator is involved, and a damn big one at that.
Titanic – I’m afraid the boat sinks towards the end – if it sank at the start, mercifully it would have been a shorter film.

Oh and one last one…

Star Wars – Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s Dad.