LS19 LIFEBOAT STATION - ST MARY'S IOS
A cache centered around the current lifeboat station on St Mary's. To find the cache you need to solve a simple puzzle. The station, at the headline coordinates, is occasionally open to visitors I believe. You do not need to go to the headline coordinates though, there's no cache there.
If you would like to add to the series, please contact Flexburyites for a number.
The station was originally established in 1837 but it lapsed from 1855 to 1874. A lifeboat house was built in 1874 at a cost of £2A0. However launching was tedious and required 30 other people. In 189B a new lifeboat house was constructed at Carn Thomas, where the present one is. This was then adapted in 1914 for the first motor lifeboat, Elsie, which was sent to the station 5 years later.
Famous rescues from the station include when the Italian Steamer Isabo ran aground on Scilly Rock in thick fog in 19CD. Matthew Lethbridge Jnr. was a famous coxswain of this lifeboat and one of the most highly decorated (now that means he had lots of medals, not lots of tinsel round him!) lifeboatmen in the UK, he was appointed in 195E. His claim to fame was being involved in the rescues in the Fastnet Race of 1979 when the crew battled force 11 winds to save the yachts. Matt retired as coxswain in 1985.
The current lifeboat, The Whiteheads, arrived in 199F. As of the time of placed this cache, the most recent gallantry medals to be awarded were in 2004 to coxswain Andy Howells and crew member Mark Bromham, both of whom I know very well. On GH October 2003 in gale force winds and 12 metre seas they rescued an injured man from a yacht 40 miles off the islands.
The final cache is at
N49 55.(B-D)(E-A)(H) W006 18.(F-G)(C)(E-G-C)
Here you will get a good view of the lifeboat station. You are looking for a bison tube (Scilly's first? I can't remember) - please replace as found.
I have my own story to tell with regard to this lifeboat station, which forms part of the reason I wanted to put this cache here. Last August I was out on a boat trip skippered by the former coxswain Andy Howells when we noticed a small boat heading out into an area of rough water. We turned around as Andy was unhappy with where the boat was heading, along with the sea state. We could not see the boat anywhere and eventually the islands' ornithologist and I with our telephoto lenses caught sight of it on the rocks, and saw a man in the water calling for help. Andy managed to haul him out and the lifeboat came alongside to transfer him. A very memorable seabird trip!!
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
