River Aln Boat Club 

June 2025

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Old Sailors Revisit Newbiggin

50 years ago three young sailors left Alnmouth in a small boat bound for the the USA.  One of them, John Hall, kept a diary. On the first day it records: "we watched, with some growing alarm, a lifeboat rapidly bearing down on us from Coquet Island. They were only coming to give us a wave however, not to rescue us. It was the ‘Mary Joicey' from Newbiggin."

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When they reached the Caribbean later in 1975 they founded the River Aln Boat Club which is 50 years old this year.  The RABC has turned John's diary into a book and hosted a  50th anniversary party.  John agreed that the funds raised should go to the RNLI.

 

In June 2025 the two surviving sailors visited Newbiggin Maritime Centre where the restored RNLB Mary Joicey is on display. They were shown around and then enjoyed a large afternoon tea in NMC's Breakwater Cafe.

 

They then made their way to RNLI Newbiggin, the oldest operational lifeboat boathouse in the UK, where they were entertained by the volunteers before presenting the RNLI with a cheque for  £1,421.48.  This rounded off a great day out for John whose 86th birthday it was.

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