Joint Training with Eastbourne Lifeboat

The MVS East Sussex Sovereign Harbour Unit recently joined with Eastbourne RNLI in a training exercise in which our vessel East Sussex 1 took on the role of being lost and disabled, with only a hand bearing compass and VHF radio available onboard.
The lifeboat crew were to locate ES1 and take the vessel under tow.

ES1 was told to drift off Beachy Head and for MVS crew to take compass bearings of coastal features and relay them by VHF to the lifeboat.
This scanty information enabled the lifeboat crew to practice finding a casualty by three-point bearing fixes and to use their radio direction finder (RDF) on the casualty’s VHF transmissions.

Once the lifeboat crew had fixed the position, they headed out to take ES1 under tow.
It was a rare opportunity for Eastbourne lifeboat to practise towing a large, heavy vessel.

MVS Skipper Tim Apps thanked all the MVS members taking part and said: “It was a good training session for the MVS crew”.
The RNLI has thanked the MVS for our assistance.

Photograph: Elaine Bowdery