Autumn 2017 No 58

April 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the official opening of Prawle Point Lookout as an NCI Station. There will be a celebration at the Pigʼs Nose in East Prawle on Saturday April 21 when we hope supporters and watch keepers, past and present, will be able to attend. Starting at noon, there will be a buffet lunch, a pictorial history of the station and a new, recently compiled video. We need to know who will be coming so please contact us if you wish to attend. Details can be found at the end of this article.

TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF NCI PRAWLE POINT

The Abandoned Old Coastguard Station

The day was blessed with bright sunshine and a brisk wind when more than 70 people trekked up to the Point to congratulate the team of thirty watchkeepers. Among the guests were HM Coastguard Sector Manager, Bill Marsh, County Councillor Owen Masters, the Salcombe Lifeboat crew and BBCʼs Jennie Bond. Camera teams from the BBC and Westcountry TV recorded the event and the Western Morning News conducted a telephone interview earlier in the day. John Baverstock, who remembers hacking through brambles to gain entry before work began, became the first Station Manager. Jonathan Ansell, an ex-auxilliary coastguard, was appointed manager in 1998 and served until 2002. Captain Trinick became both watchkeeper and first treasurer and Val Turner fulfilled the role of secretary.

The Lookout was closed down as a Coastguard Station in 1994, along with many others and lay abandoned until 1997 when Captain Starling Lark, who first initiated the setting up of National Coastwatch at Bass Point in Cornwall in 1994, signed a lease agreement with landowners, the National Trust. Retired sea Captains Christopher Trinick, who lived in East Prawle, and fellow founder member John Chapple then set up a volunteer local work force to reinstate the building as Devonʼs first NCI Station. Left exposed to the elements, this familiar landmark had become semi-derelict with doors and windows broken, the roof leaking and without water, electricity or equipment. The volunteer group donated time, money and equipment for cleaning and painting.

The Early Days as a Lloyds Lookout Station

Generous funding from local people, companies and organisations and an enthusiastic workforce of volunteers and local contractors transformed the building allowing watch keeping to resume in August 1997 and an official opening to be celebrated on April 5 1998.

Equipment in those early days comprised just VHF radio monitoring emergency channels, high-powered binoculars and charts. The station was manned every day from 9am to 5pm to extend to 12 hours during the summer. Jonathan Ansell, interviewed by Westcountry Television, said “This has been a team effort right from the word go. I cannot praise highly enough the effort put in by such a reliable group of members who saw what was needed and turned up in all weathers during the winter to get down to the job of getting the lookout open.” He also undertook the full training required to ensure station watchkeepers were suitably qualified, ably assisted by Isobel Waterhouse as training co-ordinator. Journalist and watchkeeper, Joan Gross began editing the station newsletter, producing No:1 in Spring 1998 which reported an incident where four divers were missing off Start Point. The lifeboat recovered two nearby but watch keepers spotted the others drifting south west of Prawle Point and gave a bearing enabling rapid recovery. The value of “eyes and ears along the coast” was thus demonstrated in less than three weeks from the start of watchkeeping at Prawle Point. By summer 1998, the station gratefully received a ʻstate of the artʼ radar set from Roger and Sally Lean, keen local sailors who believed an operational station to be of paramount importance to seafarers. Also donated was a set of wind instruments from Navico Ltd. of Margate.

The Fully Restored Lookout in 1998

In October of the same year, ten highly motivated volunteers from Raleigh International (Oxford Division) spent a weekend washing and painting the exterior lookout walls and returned the following May for another two days with twice the number of volunteers to help with painting, glazing, woodwork and concreting. Sleeping quarters were provided in the Pigʼs Nose hall, the very place in which, twenty years later, our celebration is to be held!Fundraising soon flourished with astonishing generosity among local supporters at hog roasting in Frogmore, cream teas in East Portlemouth, a donation from Bigbury Fun Run, stalls manned at Aveton Gifford and Frogmore Regattas, the Vintage Machinery Show and Chillington Summer Fair. Money in collecting tins at the lookout totalled £1000 that autumn and visitors, including several from far distant countries entered complimentary remarks in the visitorsʼ book. Fundraising has continued to this day as it costs in excess of £10,000 per annum to keep the lookout operational and properly equipped.

Please spread the word to anyone you know with connections to NCI Prawle Point as we are hoping to involve as many ex-watchkeepers and supporters as possible. Please email prawle.point@nci.org.uk or phone the Lookout on 01548 511259 between 10am and 4pm if you would like to come along.

Today, the Fully Equipped Lookout and Visitor Centre

INCIDENTS TO DATE 04.06.17Two persons seen in a white rib diving off Langerstone Point possibly on fisherman's pots. South Devon and Channel Shellfishermen informed, also owner of pots.11.06.17One of a group of walkers fell close to the cliff edge. They came to the Lookout and we arranged for a taxi to pick him up from the Coastguard Cottages.30.06.17 South Hams District Council phoned to report member of the public had seen a patch of oil at Horsley Cove. This cove is not visible from the lookout but we agreed to monitor and report if anything seen.  Prawle Mobile tasked to scene. Sample taken to Pollutions Officer.08.07.2017Roughly 10 Bottlenosed Dolphins near Prawle Point for 15 minutes. Brixham Seawatch informed.12.07.2017Pan Pan Yacht Adelaide with engine failure due to flat battery. Yacht visual at 3.5 miles. Salcombe AWLB launched and towed her into Salcombe.27.07.2017 Heard sailing vessel Casarca II calling Pan Pan. They were dismasted, all crew OK and heading for Salcombe. Rang UK Coastguard to check whether they had heard it. Negative, they then asked the vessel for its position. Coastguard launched Salcombe Lifeboat, found her off Starehole Bay and escorted her into Salcombe.16.08.017Yacht Island Spirit radioed on Channel 67 to say her anchor had deployed accidentally with rope round her keel and was drifting. We informed the Coastguard that she was visual. Later reported to be free and continuing to Plymouth.21.08.17Member of public arrived to report boy in Elender Cove with fish hook in his foot. We reported to HM Coastguard Falmouth and Prawle Point Coastguard Rescue Team was tasked to the cove with our grid reference. Salcombe RNLI sent the Inshore Lifeboat and the boy was transferred to Salcombe Medical Centre.24.08.2017Family reported having seen a cow with its leg entangled in wire. Message left for the relevant farmer. Once off duty, the watch keeper traversed the field, found nothing untoward but called in at the farm to confirm message received.25.08.2017Member of public reported 2 males in a small wooden launch taking fish from pots. Reported to IFCA.31.08.2017Motor launch Rebecca asked Salcombe Harbour for assistance with a rope round their prop. Salcombe's boats cannot go beyond the Harbour limits, so Rebecca called HM Coastguard Falmouth and the fishing vessel Tenacious offered assistance to tow them in. We informed Falmouth we had the vessels visual and were asked to report when incident resolved.04.10.17Watchkeeper coming on watch found three ladies on coast path, one on mobility scooter stuck on steep slippery path. We informed HM Coastguard Falmouth who called out the Prawle Point Coastguard Rescue Team. With assistance from our watchkeepers, the lady and her scooter were safely recovered to her vehicle.

FUNDRAISING & PRSarah Procyk, our PR Officer has completed an impress ive year of fundraising by organising NCI Prawle Point stands at Kingsbridge Estuary Boat Club on August 6, the Celebrate Start Bay Festival on August 13, Frogmore Regatta on August 20 and the Kingsbridge Agricultural Show on September 2 when Watchkeeper, Jo Lapthorn was Show President. Collecting outside Morrisons Supermarket in Kingsbridge took place on July 29 and August 25. At these events our fundra is ing is augmented by awareness and opportunities for recruiting new Watchkeepers. Currently nine new members are undergoing an autumn training programme and five have submitted names on a waiting list for 2018.On August 5 several Watchkeepers, partners and friends attended a charity dinner hosted by Malcolm and Claire Church at their newly acquired pub in Chillington - The Bear and Blacksmith. The Old Gaffers Shantymen entertained and NCI Prawle Point was proudly one of the beneficiaries.

On September 1, four children, who were staying on holiday in one of the coastguard cottages, not only wrote their compliments in the book but, on their last day, left a tub of Hero chocolates, one for each watchkeeper they had counted from the framed display of mug shots on the wall. Daisy, Violet, Reggie and Joe had counted out the exact number- 67. Their entries in the visitorsʼ book were: “We loved our visit. I liked everything. Know a lot about boats.” Unfortunately the address was not decipherable so we are unable to respond.

VISITORS TO THE LOOKOUTThe visitorsʼ book at the lookout is often worth a browse. Comments convey interest and support in the work we do and appreciation of the friendly and informative reception given by those on duty. Just occasionally there are surprises. Carefully written in a child's hand, an entry of last summer- “We thought you were a cafe and came in for an ice-cream.”

MIKE ATFIELD, THE LAST TRADITIONAL WOODEN BOATBUILDER RETIRESOn Sunday August 20 2017, a most moving and impressive tribute was paid to Mike Atfield commemorating his lifeʼs work in Salcombe as a builder of wooden boats produced to the highest standard of quality workmanship, professional design and superlative finish. Mike and his wife, Jean were summoned to the Yacht Club Watchhouse by 16.00 hours to witness a sail past of as many Atfield built boats as could be mustered, together with supporting craft including rowing club gigs, Salcombeʼs all weather lifeboat, Baltic Exchange III and two ex-lifeboats, City of Bradford and Oniros. Hooters, horns and bells, eagerly waving arms, cheers and shouts, a myriad flags all signalled respect and recognition as the lengthy procession passed. There were Salcombe yawls, local traditional launches and small rowing boats which must have challenged Mike and Jeanʼs recall of names, dates and memories of construction. Foul weather could not spoil such an occasion, only emphasise the high regard in which the couple are held, as so many were happy to brave the elements in open craft on such a windy, wet and misty day.

The Shantymen in Full Voice Watchkeepers and Friends

The Kingsbridge Show

'Celebrate Start Bay'

Frogmore Regatta

Kingsbridge Estuary Boat Club

Please help us to maintain this valuable service by making a donation and becoming a Supporter of NCI Prawle Point, or becoming a Watchkeeper. If you are interested in either, please contact The

Secretary on PO Box 58, Kingsbridge TQ7 2ZQ. We are most grateful for your support.

Not content with this, Daisy and Violet followed with a greetings card “Dear Coastguards (sic) Thank you for telling us all about the boats”.

There was just time to dry off and change out of wet clothing before everyone reassembled in the yacht club for further accolade and congratulation. Leaping upon a table, Chris Winzar, Coxswain of Salcombe Lifeboat, was the first to formally wish Mike and Jean a long, happy retirement from admirable and fulfilling work. He thanked them for bringing so much pleasure to proud owners and everyone who appreciates watching classic wooden boats at sea; a total of 119 craft built, not only represents a huge achievement of skill and craftsmanship over 55 years, but earns an important part in Salcombe's history.

Main organiser of the event, Mark Dowie, referred to the admiration and affection in which the couple are held and presented a splendid oil painting of their boatyard viewed from across the creek. Their evident pleasure and the good wishes of so many friends made a memorable event very special with highlights, filmed in the watchhouse and earlier in the boatyard, relived on local television the following evening. Markʼs organising of the “Atfield Fleet Sail Past” deserves mention- detailed instructions, circulated well in advance - where each of the four divisions of craft should assemble -yawls and other sailing vessels, rowing boats, regatta boats and gigs, Atfield built motor vessels and all other motor craft- and orders of procedure according to prevailing wind at the time, where to loiter, where to turn, when to listen for signals. All Atfield vessels were to display the special yellow “A” burgee, the gigs were told to remain a close fleet -“it is not a race!” and pass the watchhouse with oars raised, everyone to dress up, decorate and wave - a brilliant, spectacular send off, so well deserved. Modest as ever, Mike was taken by surprise. “It was lovely and quite humbling,” he said. “You never think, when youʼre doing your job in a little shed down in the town, that youʼre making an impact on anything.”

A Yorkshireman by birth, Mike moved to Salcombe and in 1962, at the age of fifteen, began an apprenticeship with Edward Cove which was to lay a sound base of knowledge and expertise. He has astonishing memories of exploring an oak wood near Harbertonford, climbing a chosen tree and being directed by Edward to paint circles above and below a certain growth of trunk or bough which most closely matched a template of the curvature needed for a specific part of the boat under current construction. The desired section, cut by foresters, was then ready for collection; natureʼs creation extracted directly for boatbuilding creativity.

So ends Salcombe’s long, illustrious history of timber boat construction from trading vessels of the nineteenth century to pleasure craft in the twenty-first.A tribute to this master craftsman can be read in the November 2017 edition of Classic Boat.

Television crew and spectators also braved wind, mist and rain to watch the sail past

Photograph by Lyn Darch

Wishing to establish his own enterprise, Mike began work in the bedroom of his Fore Street flat, sign-writing, carving shipʼs names, making household furniture and, afloat, converting the MFV Sweet Promise for chartering. He moved first to a workshop at Brewery Quay, Island Street and thence to the well known boatyard and slipway down a narrow alley with a notice “Mike Atfield, Wooden Boats, Salcombe Yawls.” Between the first boat Tiger, a 16ʼ launch and the last, named Twenty Two, completed last July, Mike built 30 of the existing 189 Salcombe Yawls, several traditional Salcombe launches from his own drawings, many rowing boats, Salcombe Sailing Club prams, six regatta boats, Porchester Ducks and various cabin cruisers; the completed vessels all sanded, painted and varnished by Jean to an immaculate finish that truly delights the eye. Jeanʼs invaluable work also includes lending the vital extra hand for riveting operations. During this time Mike also replaced the mahogany structure and wheels of 24 gun carriages for the Royal Navy.

Mike and Jean Atfield observing the sail past from Salcombe Yacht Club Watchhouse with Malcolm Darch (left, seated)

Photograph by Lyn Darch

Prawle Point NCI Newsletter edited by Jenny Brown, compiled by Andrew Northrop Prawle Point NCI Charity Number: 1159975. Call us at Prawle Point NCI on VHF Channel 65.

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This year we have Prawle Point NCI calendars and Christmas cards on sale at the Lookout. For orders please contact Sarah Procyk on 07714 211543 or sarahjaneprocyk@hotmail.com

Grateful thanks to Marchand Petit Estate Agents, Fore St Kingsbridge TQ7 1PP, for printing this Newsletter Tel: 01548 857588 email: kingsbridge@marchandpetit.co.uk