Our coastline has been battered by four storms since December. The most recent, storm Henk, created very challenging conditions. Wind speeds of 68 knots or 78 miles per hour were recorded at the lookout.
During this violent storm our watchkeepers became aware of 2 adults and a dog clinging on to the lookout in the lee of the wind. They were visibly distressed and were eventually assisted into the station for shelter. The Boscastle Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) had been aware of two walkers on the Coast Path but with whom contact had then been lost. Boscastle NCI were able to advise Boscastle CRT that the walkers were safe in the lookout using the dedicated Coastwatch Ch65 VHF radio. The walkers safely returned to the village once the wind abated and the Coastguard informed. Boscastle NCI are the “Eyes Along the Coast” alerting the Coastguard when people get into trouble whether at sea or along our beautiful coastline.
We are delighted to share recent news of a partnership between the National Coastwatch Institution and the South West Coast Path. The 24 NCI stations along the South West Coast Path are now “Coast Path Passport” stamping point partners. The new partnership means that visitors to the Trail can now stop off at NCI stations along the 630-mile route to collect different ‘stamps’ in their Coast Path Passport and find out more about the valuable work of both charities.
There is a long tradition of villagers living along the Cornish coast risking their lives to save people and vessels in distress at sea. On a stormy night on the 20th December 1893, the sailing vessel Iota was smashed on to the great Lye Rock in Bossiney Cove. Local villagers rushed to the scene to attempt to save the 11 man Italian crew who were transporting coal from Wales to the Caribbean. Locals saved the lives of 9 of the crew but two drowned, including a fourteen year old cabin boy, Domenico Catanese, whose body was recovered from the sea. He is buried in the windswept graveyard of St Materiana Church Tintagel, where a wooden cross and a lifebuoy bearing his name and ‘Iota, Napoli, 1893’ still marks his grave.
Watchkeepers from NCI Boscastle attended a service at the church to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the bravery shown on that stormy night. Two songs were performed by local artists; Steve Winchester and Jon Woode, reflecting on the short life of Domenico Catanese, whose grave is regularly decorated with flowers by the respectful local community.
*National Coastwatch Institution is a registered charity. NCI watchkeepers provide the eyes and ears along the coast, monitoring radio channels and providing a listening watch in poor visibility. When people get into trouble, we are there to alert HM Coastguard and direct the appropriate rescue services to the casualty. All our members are volunteers and come from all walks of life, offering a wide range of skills and experience. It is not necessary to have a maritime background in order to become a watchkeeper, as full training will be given. Each volunteer undergoes a full and detailed training programme which includes chartwork, incident reporting and marine radio certification. Most importantly they are taught how to Spot an incident, Plot its position and Report it to HM Coastguard’. Once training is completed, our volunteers are formally assessed to ensure they meet the rigorous standards approved by HM Coastguard. They are then able to join more than 2,500 colleagues already keeping their ‘Eyes Along the Coast’. Anyone interested in finding out more about Boscastle National Coastwatch Institution should contact the Public Relations Officer peter.lakie@nci.org.uk
