"William said he was moved to support the RNLI appeal because Bembridge village, and the lifesaving work of the charity, is very dear to his and his family’s heart: ‘You’ve heard of Three Men In A Boat – well we’ve dubbed this Three Maltby’s In A Boat! We have a real history with Bembridge. We are the third generation of our family to spend holidays on the island and our respective children are the fourth generation to do the same. Consequently, we are all aware of what a fantastic job the RNLI volunteer crews do, and of the desperate need for the new lifeboat station and boathouse. ’Indeed, the new station will enable crew to achieve faster response times to emergencies, and will house the Tamar, the latest and most powerful class of lifeboat in the RNLI fleet.
A keen sailor, William, 49, explained how the trip down the River Thames will be anything but plain sailing: ‘This style of boat, a scow, is often considered something of a learners’ vessel. It’s essentially a dinghy; it’s fibreglass, it’s heavy and quite slow, and it’s an absolute pig to row! It’s really only built for small distances and we fully anticipate there will be times when there just isn’t enough wind and we have to resort to rowing.
That said, it will be an adventure and a real return to roots. I am a qualified yacht master and we will observe all the essential safety advice and precautionary measures that the RNLI advocates, including lifejackets, means of communication, and ensuring the boat is full safe and fit for purpose. And that’s another reason why we admire the RNLI so much – as an authority on marine safety, we will follow their guidance to ensure we stay safe on the water.’"
Photo by Hammo Thorneycroft
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