Looe’s Lifeboat Operations Manager retires after 32 years of voluntary service

Dave Haines, Looe RNLI’s volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager is stepping down as the station’s Lifeboat Operations Manager after first volunteering for the charity as crew when the inshore lifeboat station was re-established in Looe on 15 June 1992.

When the RNLI decided to re-establish an inshore lifeboat station back in 1992, Dave Haines was one of the first members of the community in Looe to volunteer as boat crew. Dave quickly progressed to helm the D Class inshore lifeboat until he reached the age of 45, which, at that time was the age volunteer crew had to step down. Dave stayed on with the station volunteering as a Launch Authority and shore crew. Twenty years ago in 2004, shortly after the Albatross boathouse was opened, Dave was asked to take on the station’s Lifeboat Operations Manager and has undertaken this role until his retirement last Wednesday, 30 October 2024, his 70^th birthday.

To celebrate Dave’s birthday and recognise his contribution to the RNLI, Looe Lifeboat Station and the community of Looe, our volunteer crew organised a surprise birthday party at the Lifeboat Station. When Dave entered the crew room to cheers, he was greeted by members of his family, our current crew, former crew members, members of the station fundraising groups who have worked with Dave over the years and the Naismith family.

Tom Mansell, regional lifesaving lead for the RNLI in the South West has had a long association with Looe Lifeboat Station and was disappointed that he could not attend in person, but via a video link Tom joined the celebration to personally thank Dave on behalf of the RNLI for his 32 years of voluntary service to the RNLI and community of Looe. Tom recalls “back in 2004 he was the RNLI divisional inspector for Looe and when the previous Operations Manager left he “twisted” Dave’s arm to act as caretaker Operations Manager until someone was appointed and the rest as they say “is history”.

Senior helm Clive Palfrey, who will be taking on the Lifeboat Operations Manager role after Dave retires continues the story. “During Dave’s 20 year tenure as Lifeboat Operations Manager, he has accepted 3 inshore lifeboats into the care of the station, The D Class Ollie Naismith in 2010, in 2016 the Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and the Ollie Naismith II in 2022”. Clive goes on to record that “during Dave’s 32 years of service the lifeboats in Looe have been launched on service 1027 times, crews have assisted 826 people and saved 65 lives and this “saving lives at sea” legacy is something that Dave can be very proud of”.

Shore crew member, Carol, presented Dave with the station’s One Moment One Crew photograph signed by our crew, together with an “IOU” from the crew for a weekend away to relax after switching off his pager.

In thanking Clive, Tom, and everyone in the room, Dave recalled the early days, when before they had a quad bike or tractor, they had to push the D Class down the beach to launch and says “it was heavier to push back up the beach afterwards”. He remembers with pride receiving the 3 inshore lifeboats, moving the station to Middleton’s corner, opening the Albatross boathouse, welcoming his Majesty the King, when he was the Duke of Cornwall, to the station back in 2014 and representing the station at Westminster Abbey for the RNLI 200 service earlier this year. Dave thanks the crew for supporting him over the years and mentions several in the room, Nick, Toby, Dave, Brian, Jeff and John, who also volunteered as the station reopened and still have connections with the station.

Dave’s time as Lifeboat Operations Manager must draw to an end due to his age, but he is not severing his ties with the RNLI or Looe Lifeboat Station. He said: “I have accepted the important role to chair the station’s Lifeboat Management Group. My new role coordinates the operational and fundraising activities of the station and represents the RNLI in our local community”.

To ensure Dave came down to the surprise celebrations he was asked by Tom Mansell to meet him by the station. As Dave waited outside, he said: “I’ve had time to reflect on my lifeboat career, over the last 32 years, and I am very proud of our achievements and all the crew, boathouse guides, shop and fundraising volunteers I have met and worked with over the years. I look forward to following the exploits of my current and future crew in the years to come under Clive’s leadership. The crew room upstairs was very quiet, and I thought the crew were concentrating on their navigation training, even when my daughter Emma came to find me, I had no idea of the complete surprise awaiting me as I walked into the crew room to a sea of familiar faces.”