This site is a tribute to Henry John. He is much loved and will always be remembered.

Grandpa shared this story on his facebook and in person why The RNLI was so important to him

It was late afternoon in early October when we left Brest, aboard the yacht Pleiades of Rhu, bound for Poole. The forecast was for an Easterly wind up to force 5. We set our trysails, storm jib and storm mains'l, but to start with, as we passed Ushant. the wind was astern and we carried our spinnaker until dusk. During the night the Easterly wind gained strength to the point that we were being knocked flat, and the storm jib imploded in shreds. into the pocket of reduced pressure in its lee. It made a noise like a very close cannon shot. Then the storm mains'l carried away, and quite suddenly the wind dropped completely but the sea remained very agitated. Our deck lights lit up the waves which were leaping up since they were no longer driven by the wind.It was a very strange experience. The wind then veered round to the West South West and blew even harder. My two companions were on the helm, and I had started to man the pump sometime before. In the chaos down below I couldn't find the handle for the more efficient rotary pump so I was using the 2" lift pump. The disadvantage with that was the strum box filter beneath the engine down below kept being clogged and I had to repeatedly scramble down the companion , reach down in the surging water to clear the problem.
However, even without sail we were making good progress running before the storm, since the hull was easily driven, and the mast was 60' with 3 cross trees We became concerned that we might fetch up between The Needles and St. Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight. We streamed our longest warp astern in a loop. but it did not appear to slow us. Our mains'l had come adrift from its lashing and was thrashing about, so we attached it to another warp, cut the remaining lashings and streamed that behind us. When I looked astern at it; on the huge waves; it looked no bigger than a handkerchief, although it was about 60' x 20'. As it was getting dark the visibility improved a little and we were able to see Round Down, above the Dorset Coast.By this time we were in the Race off Anvil Point and we were being pooped by house size waves that were breaking right over us. I remember the first wave cracked like a pistol shot and when I looked astern I was amazed at it's height.I very vividly recall how the boat shuddered under the weight of water before we came back to the surface. There used to be a pub called the Tilly Whim Inn .overlooking the sea, at Durlston. Someone was drawing the curtains for the night and looking out said "It's a dirty night out there, I'm glad I'm in here".Then he saw us, called the Coastguard and the Life-boat was launched.We weren't aware this until she arrived off to starboard, where at times they were almost disappearing in the wave troughs They managed after several attempts to throw a line to us and get us under tow but the first warp parted. It was a difficult tow, since we were surfing up on the waves and almost over running the Life-boat. I was in the pulpit having secured the towing warp and as the waves passed under us, I was high above the Life-boat, looking down at the Coxswain, who was looking up at me over his shoulder.As the next wave lifted our stern the bow would go under so that I only had my head above water.The crew had to surge the towing warp to prevent it parting again.It was a rescue that demanded exceptional seamanship. Bob Brown was the Lifeboat Coxswain at that time, and he told me sometime later that it was the worst sea that he had been out in during his 42 years experience. I had been pumping without a break from about midnight until 4pm.

We left behind the painted buoy
That tosses at the harbour mouth;
And madly danced our hearts with joy,
As fast we fleeted to the South:
How fresh was every sight and sound
On open main or winding shore!
We knew the merry world was round,
And we might sail for evermore...........
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Voyage