Issue 8 - Marham Matters Online

Thames diamond
jubilee pageant
The RAF Sailing Association have three Safety Boats in total; two are based in RAF Henlow and the other based in RAF Odiham,
which are used by the RAFSA Safety Team to provide Safety and Rescue cover to Military and Civilian waterborne sporting events.
The organisers of the Thames
Diamond Jubilee Pageant requested
RAFSA Safety to provide personnel
and assets to assist with the
Manpowered fleet as the Pageant
made its way down the Thames from the
muster points to the dispersal area. It was an
honour to be involved in this historic event.
Back in mid 2011, I received along with
a few other personnel from RAF Marham a
request from the RAF Safety team co-ordinator
a tasking to participate in and help manage
the safety element of the manpowered fleet
for the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.
We were asked if we could provide a number
of boats and crews, and contribute to the
planning and team briefings leading up to the
event. The safety team managed to organise
the use of eight boats in total one of which
was the RAF Marham Dive RHIB (Rigid Hull
Inflatable Boat) a 5.5 metre Rib craft boat with
115hp engine on the back to push it along.
The boat itself has been sat dormant for a
number of years so after a good brush down
a test drive I had the confidence that it would
do its job during this prestigious event.
Friday 1st June - the gathering began,
the two RAFSA RHIBs housed at Henlow
were joined by another from Rutland, then
late evening one from 38 Bde NI. Saturday,
three more boats arrive including me with
the RAF Marham’s Dive Club Boat and thus
four RHIBS became seven. At 13:00hrs the
convoy of seven boats rolled out of Henlow
for a three hour journey round the M25
bound for Richmond on the outskirts of
London. Our base for the next three days
would be Thames Young Mariners (TYM),
a Surrey County Council Outdoor Centre.
By 16:30 seven safety boats became sixteen
as more RHIBs arrived at our base camp. We
now had a total of eight RAFSA crewed and
eight civilian boats from other organisations
at the campsite. The first priority was to get
the tents up and a brew on, then prepare
the boats for launching. The launch site was
nearly two miles away and needed careful
coordination to get the boats on the water
and then trailers recovered back to TYM.
The launch operation took over four hours,
but by 9pm we were back at the campsite
just in time for the rain to start and to get our
heads down for some well deserved rest.
After a good rest, the following morning, the
team started to assemble; kit check, id, security
passes, spare clothes, food, and fuel. Half an
hour later 16 boats slipped their moorings and
started downstream. The mist rising slowly
off the water adding to the eerie quiet as the
boats motored at a leisurely four knots.
Once past Richmond lock we started to
come across a flotilla of motorboats, canal
boats and motor cruisers all moored ready
for mustering later in the day. We travelled
past Putney Embankment where Dragon
Boats and Gondolas were preparing to launch;
the crowds were already starting to build.
Our first stopping point was at Wandsworth
River Quarter Pier where 16 safety boats now
became 55. With the Safety Fleet briefing
imminent, we first had to go through security
checks, collect accreditation flags and briefing
packs. The briefing gave us the expected
number of boats, security considerations
and most importantly the weather forecast,
overcast to start, and then rain, rain and
more rain to follow. It also gave the crews
a chance to group into their squadrons and
go through individual action plans relevant
to the fleet that they were managing.
With the briefing over, and the Safety
boats dispersed to pre arranged locations to
cover the launching and muster of Waterman
Cutters, Viking Longboats, Gigs, Skiffs,
Kayaks and Trinity 500s and many more. RAF
Marham’s RHIB Coxwained by me and another
RAFSA team member were tasked to cover
the lead pack of rowing boats these being the
Waterman Cutters a long rowing boat crewed
by 10- 15 rowers. The muster area stretched
from Battersea Bridge to Putney with the
powered boats mustering from Putney to Kew.
At 14:30 on Chelsea Bridge, with the steam
locomotive Princess Elizabeth giving a long
blast on its whistle and generating a great
cloud of steam, 325 boats started rowing,
interspersed with Safety and Marshall boats
to make sure there were no mishaps. The
task was to maintain a steady four knots and
keep moving until
the dispersal point
after Tower Bridge.
The banks of the
river were lined with
thousands of people,
more looking on from
balconies and roofs
of high rise buildings.
TV cameras were
mounted on bridges,
tall buildings and
on cherry pickers
swaying in the wind
(not a job for the
faint hearted).
As the first
boats passed under
Albert Bridge they prepared to salute HM The
Queen who was on The Spirit of Chartwell
moored at Cadogan Pier. Abeam Her Majesty
the first boats ‘raised oars’ in salute, but very
quickly the following squadrons were bearing
down and couldn’t maintain separation.
As more boats raised oars, Gigs mixed
with Cutters, Longboats with Kayaks and
Dragon boats, very quickly seven squadrons
became one big squadron. Not quite what
was planned but it still looked spectacular.
Further back in the fleet was the last section
to pass HM The Queen was the Trinity 500s,
a section of 55 craft manned by Sea Cadets
from all across the country. After all the
manpowered fleet had passed Her Majesty’s
boat they then moved out into the centre of the
As we approached Tower Bridge
the light rain that had been with
us for most of the journey became
a downpour, the wind increased
further making it harder for the
rowers to make any headway.
river and followed the fleet through the centre
of London. Each time The Spirit of Chartwell
neared a bridge, the Royal Marines Band on
the Herald Barge would play a Royal Fanfare.
The assembled crowds on the river banks and
bridge would respond with a massive cheer.
As we approached Tower Bridge the
light rain that had been with us for most of
the journey became a downpour, the wind
increased further making it harder for the
rowers to make any headway. After Tower
Bridge, at HMS President, The Spirit of
Chartwell docked for Her Majesty The Queen
to take the Salute from the 500 or so powered
craft that were following behind. It was also
the start of the dispersal for the manpowered
fleet. Dispersal points were situated on the
North and South banks at St Katherine’s Marina
and South Dock. Boats had to then try and
navigate through the flotilla to get to the correct
side and at the same time try and maintain
a corridor for the powered boats passing
through. Very quickly boats started queuing at
locks and docks from Shadwell basin to Poplar
Sailing Club, the safety boats maintaining
order as the now cold and wet rowers were
trying to get ashore as quickly as possible.
Our job now complete, it was time for the
Safety boats to regroup at Wapping for the
return up the Thames. The main bulk of the
powered fleet was prevented from returning
upstream due to Port Of London Authority
‘roadblocks’ at Canary Wharf until the back
markers had safely passed downstream. The
Trinity safety boats slipped past the blocks
with an official nod and proceeded upstream
to meet with the rest of the pack. After a long
wait in the rain the call came that the River
was now open again time for the safety fleet
to go home. A PLA launch, its blue lights
flashing, escorted the RHIB fleet back through
the centre of London towards Richmond.
Forty plus boats created quite a choppy
surface for those following which made the
ride back much more fun. People were still
out on either side of the River, balconies and
bridges cheering and waving as we passed.
Once past Wandsworth bridge the PLA
launch broke away and left us to make our
own way back at a more sedate pace of the six
knot speed limit. At Putney we said farewell
to the rest of the RHIBs and the original fleet
of 14 headed for Richmond. At 22:00, in the
darkness, we moored the last boat and got
the kit and crew ashore. A brew and bed
were calling and we didn’t care which order.
Each member of the team had spent over 15
hours afloat and each boat had travelled a
total distance of approximately 50 miles.
The next morning we recovered the boats
said our farewells and headed for home with
thoughts that will be with me for a number of
years. The next event for the RAFSA Safety
team sees us manning the safety boats for the
Paralympics down in Weymouth and Portland.
A big thank you must go to RAF Marham’s
Dive Club for allowing the RAFSA Safety
team the use of their Dive rib for this event.
If you are interested in joining the team,
please drop CT Duncan Cooper a line
or ring Henlow 7789. We are always
looking for new volunteers and can
provide training for RYA Powerboat
and Safety Boat certificates.
20 marham matters ISSue 8
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