Annual Report 2010

This page was updated on: Thursday, January 6, 2011

When three boys risked their lives to save the Labrador puppy, Pippo, from drowning when it got swept under a culvert and became trapped against the sluice gate leading out to sea.

The Daily Echo which had carried half a page about a yob who had flung his dog down the road, completely ignored this brave act.

It's no wonder British Youth has such a bad reputation abroad if the media only concentrates on their misdeeds although I am sure if we had a accident or a rescue go wrong it would be front page.

Like years ago following up on the Weymouth Bay canoe disaster, the Echo and the News of the World had a go at the Venturers describing me as "Captain Clueless with as much nautical knowledge as Capt Pug Wash putting young lives at risk" and calling for the Venturers to be closed down.

Although I held a RYA Power Boat Certificate endorsed, capable of handling a motor cruiser in all sea conditions, but not the finances to sue.

The calm weather at weekends has seen a drop in the number of rescues this year, and many are more of a AA type breakdown, with a tow to a safe Haven, but they make interesting reading.

Vessels aground 11, Mechanical problems 25, Persons in water 8, Medical incidents 6, Dinghy rescues 5, Canoes 1, windsurfer 1, Collisions at sea 2 , Vessels on fire 1, Navigational hazards

2, Causality transfers 1, NHS Responder 12, Road traffic accident 1, Animal rescue 1, Land rescue 1, First Aid cover Church Fetes and Charity events

3. A total of 81 incidents, 146 persons and 1 dog helped. However the rescue side is only to put training to a practical purpose as each incident is a test of seamanship, initiative and sometimes courage.

When 1 founded the Venturers 49 years ago with my late wife Pam, the idea was for adults to train the cadets and once qualified with Internationally recognised RYA and IYT qualifications, for them to take the leading active role as Coxswain and Crew.

That to use the challenges of the sea to develop their character, initiative and leadership qualities, which in adult life has been recognised by potential employers.

It has seen a boy from a Housing Estate gain a £5000 bursary to Royal Naval College Dartmouth and a Commission in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, another has qualified as a 3rd Engineer and is now with Carnival Line, one a Skipper with Williams Shipping, another on Tugs, one in Junior Management with Tesco.

One e-mailed to say my Venturers training gave me the courage to join the RAF Fire Service.

One just retired as assistant chief fire officer with Hampshire County Council, Another with 22 years' service and a BEM.

Two 16 year olds have just past their medical from the R.N., and others in the Navy and Royal Marines.

All of which gives me great pleasure that I have done something useful with my life. As happiness and contentment comes from what you can do for others rather than yourself.

Financially it has been a difficult year as we get no help from Youth Services who do not regard the supply of life jackets and rescue equipment as youth activities, rather than toys for boys and girls that because most of our members are under 18 we do not qualify for the grants they make to the adult Solent Sea Rescue Organisation, and applications for Lottery funding all fail with words like " Do not meet our target group " Catch 22.

We have only survived by the help from Independent Charitable Trust, who look at what we do, and not our ethnic backgrounds, however the recession has hit their own financial resources as they have lost income from investments and savings.

As result our income is down 50%, and we have used up most of our reserves, most of which came from a legacy 10 years ago.

Our main training Rib "New Forest Venturer " has been out of service all year as we do not have the funds to repair it.

After a disaster which could have cost the lives of our entire crew, but for the fact we have a strict safety check list before each launch, where the smell of petrol fumes lead to the discovery that the petrol tanks hidden below deck had sprung a leak and filled the bilge with petrol, we were about to carry out an exercise with the Coast Guard Helicopter, in which static from the hi-line could have ignited the fuel and blown boat and crew to bits.

The cost of new tanks and the work involved to bring it up to the proposed MCA Rescue boat code is about £8000, we do not have that sort of cash, so it's in moth balls, with the hope of somebody reading this Annual Report and helping, even if it's only a token sum.

The Cadets are doing what they can with a car wash, and 12 hours on a Life Raft sponsorship, but these events do not raise any large amounts, and with the price of fuel and insurance going up every year it's a worrying time, although we are making savings by purchasing fuel direct and storing it in tanks, filling the boats by cans and purchasing postage stamps in bulk before the price rise.

I am always pleased to get thank you letters from boat owners we helped, like the X Boat Skipper who wrote to compliment the crew on their professional competence in pulling it clear of the rock off Gurnard Ledge without damage, and the old lady of 70 who as a none swimmer and terrified of water, although only a tow by a 16 year old coxswain up river, the skill came in berthing the Yacht in a tight Marina berth using a 4 meter Rib.

A £500 donation from an Insurance Company for saving a 45 foot yacht with a engine room fire and drifting onto the beach.

Another wrote, we were pushed up onto the beach at Lepe and immediately spotted by your look out, your Rib arrived within minutes and I felt I was in professional hands, showed excellent seamanship and teamwork, as a expert having circumnavigated the world I was surprised your crew were so young, they performed exceptional well and are a credit to you, their training and parents.

Just a sample of many letters received this year. As the majority of our Cadets are under 18, the Coast Guard are not allowed to request our assistance, but under Solas 5" any vessel is bound to assistance any vessel in distress they can accept our offers of assistance, and such is their confidence in our crews mostly do.

We also now have a Alfa Crew over 18 to deal with any incident which might involve risk or Trauma, giving a really excellent working relationship with the Coast Guard, and regular training with their helicopter.

We also work well with Lymington and Yarmouth RNLI with mutual training exercises. This year two Cadets have been awarded MCA Internationally Recognised Ribmaster Certificates and three awarded Tender Coxswain Level 1.

Twenty five more are training hard. We do not give these awards until fully satisfied the Cadets meet our high standards, which means carrying out the same test in both calm and rough weather conditions over a period of time.

The hope is that our training boat will get the funding to get it back in service for 2011, as it has restricted our night navigational and advanced training.

Yours Sincerely

Commodore Philip Pearce-Smith MBE VSC Hon

Executive Officer 75 Long Lane

Holbury

Southampton

S045 2ND