When Tracey started work for the RNLI she thought it was an ordinary administrative job.

Her main task was to organise training at the RNLI College (part of the RNLI HQ in Poole), for RNLI staff and volunteers from all around the UK and Eire.

The RNLI had different ideas. If she was going to be talking to people about the training, she had to know what she was talking about, and the best way to do this was to experience it.

She did lots of exciting training, including manoeuvring lifeboats in Poole Harbour, being passed between two moving lifeboats while on a stretcher, and learning how to escape from an overturned lifeboat and use the self-righting apparatus. The last one was the only one we were able to watch, as it's done in the purpose-built pool, and families are encouraged to come and watch.

Here's on odd coincidence. Do9ing the exercuse with Tracey were two Americans. They were members of the US Coastguard, in the UK to study how the RNLI does things. We got talking to one of the wives. She told us that they lived in Williamsburg, Virginia. We told her that we would be there in two weeks time, and we arranged to meet up. See the picture here.