Cromer Lifeboat Ruby and Arthur Reed II ON 1097

Ruby and Arthur Reed II
Career
Owner:	Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Builder:	Fairey Marine, Cowes, Isle of White
Official Number:	ON 1097
Donor:
Station	Cromer
Cost:	£2.5 million
Launched:	1985
Sponsored by:	£1.23m Bequest of Derek Clifton Lethern of Southfields, London
Christened:	Monday the 8th of September by HRH The Duke of Kent.
General characteristics
Type:	Tyne class
Tonnage:	31.5 tonnes
Length:	52 ft 5 in (15.98 m) overall
Beam:	18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)
Draught:	1.35m
Installed power:	Twin turbo Diesel engine of 1,015 bhp (757 kW) each
Propulsion:	2 X fixed pitch 5 blade propellers
Speed:	25 knots (46 km/h)
Range:	10 hours at 25 knots (46 km/h)
Capacity:	4,600 litres/1,000 gallons
Crew:	7 crew including a doctor

Ruby and Arthur Reed II (ON 1097)^[1] was a Tyne-class lifeboat stationed at Cromer in the English county of Norfolk^[2] from the 16th of December 1985^[3] and was the No 1 lifeboat between various relief’s^[4] until she was replaced after 21 years service by the Tamar-class Lester ON 1287 in December 2007. During the time that the Ruby and Arthur Reed was on station at Cromer she performed 120 service launches, rescuing 102 lives including 3 dogs. Nearly 50% of her launches took place during the hours of darkness and 17 of them saw her facing Gale force 7 winds. Her service launches included helping 48 merchant and fishing vessels and 47 pleasure craft.

Design and construction

Ruby and Arthur Reed II was designed as a fast slipway boat (FSB) and featured a semi-planning hull fabricated from steel^[3]. This hull had a shallow draught and a long straight keel with a flared bow above the waterline. To protect the propellers they were housed in tunnels^[3] with substantial bilge keels, and a straight wide keel ending at a hauling shoe enabling winching for the boat when it was returned up the slipway back into the boathouse^[3]. The wheelhouse had a low profile so as to fit into existing boathouses. Amidships there was a flying bridge with a separate cabin aft of the upper steering position^[3].

Equipment

The lifeboats power came from twin General motors GM6V92TA DDEC turbo-charged marine two-stroke diesel engines which could develop 525 brake horsepower (391 kW). These engines could push the lifeboat to a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h). At full speed there was enough diesel fuel in the tanks for ten hours service. At lower speeds the endurance was significantly increased. The engines were computer-managed, with data being displayed on twin screens which was viewed at both the Mechanic’s and the Helm position in the wheelhouse. Within the wheelhouse there were six seats for the crew plus a jumper seat for a doctor. Ruby and Arthur Reed’s equipment included satellite navigation apparatus interfaced through a PC to a visual chart display. Daylight viewing radar was used both for navigation and to search for casualties. There was VHF radio direction-finding equipment for locating vessels in trouble. The lifeboat also carried the latest DSC digital radio equipment for the vital radio communication used in search and rescue missions. The lifeboat was equipped with three VHF radios one of which was portable, together with an MF `long range`set. On the deck were powerful searchlights, and the lifeboat was also later equipped with image-intensifying night sight equipment. Ruby and Arthur Reed carried a large amount of first-aid equipment including both oxygen and entonox.

Notable Rescues

Yacht Phaedra

During the early hours of the 29th September 1988 a gale with winds in force eight to nine had occurred. Caught in this gale where the husband and wife crew of the yacht Phaedra out of Whitby. The skipper had no idea of his position and with the help from power from a car battery had used his VHF radio to call for help to the coastguard. The coastguard using the transmission to gain a bearing for the Phaedra placed her as thirty miles north east of Cromer. The coastguard called out the Ruby and Arthur Reed and within seven minutes of the call she was underway. In the meantime Rig stand-by vessels Desirade, Stout Truck and Vulcan Service were attending the yacht and stood by as she drifted in the relentless weather conditions. To save time reaching the yacht coxswain Richard Davies decided to take the Ruby and Arthur Reed across sandbanks. The coxswain reported that the lifeboat had handled well in the broken waters above the banks and 20 to 25-foot (7.6 m) waves had come aboard the lifeboats deck. At 2.30am the Ruby and Arthur Reed found the stricken yacht going round in circles with all sails set. At Davies request the sails were lowered and the yacht was taken into tow. The weather conditions made it impossible for the husband and wife to be taken of the yacht or for a lifeboatman to be put aboard. The decision was taken to tow the yacht in a southerly direction towards Bacton, a task that took the lifeboat seven hours. By 10am the lifeboat had towed the yacht to the lee of the land were conditions had improved. Now a crewman was put aboard the Phaedra and with increased speed the vessel was towed into Great Yarmouth by 12.30pm. The adverse conditions however, prevented the Ruby and Arthur Reed from returning to her station for several days.

Award

For this exceptional and difficult service the thanks of the Institution on Vellum was accorded to Coxswain Richard Davis.

Service and rescues

Date	Casualty	Lives saved
1986
January 24	Tanker Orleans of Lowestoft, gave Help
January 24	Rig standby vessel Boston Sea Stallion of Lowestoft, escorted
August 29	Fishing vessel Nicholas of London, saved vessel	2
September 26	Yacht Blythe Andora, gave help
1988
February 8	Tug Anna B, gave help
June 15	Fishing vessel Sparkling Star, saved vessel	3
July 10	Yacht Kass-A-Nova, saved yacht	4
July 15	Coaster Luminance, gave help
July 17	Lost diver, gave help
July 23	Fishing vessel Two Sisters, saved vessel	1
August 4	Fishing vessel Ever Hopeful of Great Yarmouth, gave help
August 29	Skin Divers, landed 5
September 19	Fishing boat G.N.D. of Great Yarmouth, escorted boat
September 29	Yacht Phaedra of Whitby, saved vessel	2
October 1	fishing vessel Courageous of Inverness, gave help
1989
February 14	RoRo cargo vessel Tor Gothia of Sweden, gave help
May 30	Fishing boat, escorted vessel
June 30	Yacht Serena, saved yacht	2
June 30	Yacht Martlet, saved yacht	2
October 10	Fishing vessel De Vroun Melanie of Lowestoft, stood by vessel
1990
May 6	Motor vessel, escorted boat
June 20	Yacht Meander, gave help
August 6	Standby safety vessel St Mark, saved 2 boats
August 30	Floating drifter rig Rowville, gave help
September 16	Fishing vessel Mar Tigre, stood by vessel
November 21	Cargo vessel Stavroula, gave help
1992
January 12	Motor boat Sara B, escorted boat
February 19	Vessel Bressay Sound, landed a sick man
June 10	Yacht Tassella, gave help
July 20	Yacht Illyria, saved yacht
July 29	Yacht Cherokee II, gave help
August 21	Gas survey vessel Fortissimo, Landed 3 and saved vessel
October 14	Fishing vessel Isobel Kathleen, saved vessel	4
October 24	Barge Rock, gave help
December 5	Yacht Milford of Otley, saved yacht and 2 dogs	1
1993
October 13	Yacht Happy Bear, saved vessel	5
November 5	Cargo vessel Daniella, gave help
December 7	Rig stand by vessel, stood by
1994
July 28	Motor cruiser Heather Down, gave help
July 30	Two skin divers, gave help
September 22	Cargo vessel Nescio, took out doctor and landed injured man
1995
March 12	Cargo vessel Nordstar, in collision, escorted vessel
June 27	Salvage vessel Putford Puffin, took out doctor and landed a sick man
July 5	Diving support ship Ocean Stephaniturm, stood by ship
1996
April 1	Fishing vessel Juliet, 1 person and craft brought in
April 23	Motor cruiser Blue Lancer, 2 person and craft brought in
July 21	Two divers, gave help
July 24	Yacht Giselle, saved craft	2
August 15	Motor cruiser Ocean Diver, saved craft
1999
July 10	Six divers, six persons brought in after being saved by another lifeboat
July 10	Dive support craft Desert Moon, 8 people and craft brought in
September 10	Yacht Halcyon Oak, 2 people and craft brought in
October 3	Yacht Lady Patience, gave help
December 16	Powerboat Samphire of Wells, gave help
December 22	Body in sea, gave help
2000
March 11	Passenger ferry Norstar, stood by
May 27	Yacht Coquette, escorted vessel
June 16	Dive support craft Crusader, 4 people and dog landed, craft brought in
July 10	Ex-trawler Excelsior, saved vessel	9
2001
January 14	Tug Golden Cross, 4 people and vessel brought in
February 16	Rowing boat Maximum Exposure, 1 person and craft brought in
February 25	Tanker Zanita,escorted boat
May 17	Rowing boat Maximum Exposure, saved boat	1
June 5	Powerboat Whirlwind, 2 people and craft brought in
2002
January 9	Fishing vessel Zuider Zee, gave help
2003
May 7	Ketch Ngataki, 3 people and craft brought in
May 24	Yacht Rambling Rose, gave help
September 7	Sloop Just Joia, gave help
2004
February 15	Fishing boat Lisa Diane, stood by
March 3	Fishing vessel Serene Dawn, 2 people and craft brought in
June 27	Yacht Suli Suli, person and craft brought in
June 28	Yacht Suli Suli, craft brought in
July 7	Yacht Marie-Louise, 2 peolple landed and saved craft
July 19	Motor cruiser Orovida, gave help
August 15	Motor cruiser Dooby Soo, gave help transferred casualty to helicopter
August 27	Motor cruiser Fiddlers Green, escorted vessel
2005
May 16	Motor cruiser Jester, 3 people landed and craft brought in
May 28	Motor cruiser Scooby Doo 2, 2 people and craft brought in
June 18	Dive support craft Wreckless, 4 people and craft brought in
August 7	Yacht Arosa, 3 people landed and craft brought in
October 23	Rig support vessel Iona, Landed an injured man
2006
February 18	Turkish coaster Willow, gave help

References

1. ^ The Cromer Lifeboats, by Bob Malster & Peter Stibbons,:Poppyland Publishing, ISBN 0 946 148 21 X
2. ^ OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East. ISBN 978-0-319-23815-8.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} Cromer Lifeboat, A pictorial history, By Nicholas Leach & Paul Russell, Pub; Landmark Collector’s Library, ISBN 9781843063636
4. ^ "Cromer Lifeboats 1804-2004, Leach, Nicholas & Russell, Paul, Pub: Tempus Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-7524-3197-8