Amazing Max celebrates four decades of volunteering at Selsey Lifeboat Station

He would also accompany the boat crew out on the Canadian Pacific lifeboat to the then manned Owers Light vessel to deliver their Christmas turkey.

Max eventually joined the Selsey crew seventeen years later in 1983 when he was 27 years old and for the next 38 years he volunteered on the station’s inshore and all-weather lifeboats until 2021 when he hung up his wellies from life on board.

However, Max was determined to continue volunteering for the charity that saves lives at sea and became a Deputy Launch Authority (responsible for helping to launch the lifeboats) as well as remaining as the station’s Lifeboat Press Officer (a role he began in 2014), publicising the crew’s shouts and stories in the local media and station’s social media channels.

Max said: ‘During the sixties I spent most of my school holidays down on the beach, mainly in the lifeboat station, if there were jobs to do, I’d do them.

‘I especially remember cleaning the brass, alongside the mechanic Ron Wells, as the old boats had loads.

‘All I ever wanted was a Guernsey sweater with RNLI across the chest, but I was told it was only for crew.

‘So, my reward was trips out on the lifeboat on courtesy visits and the Owers light ship.

‘In 1969 I even got to go to Littlehampton to pick up the new lifeboat Charles Henry O.N 1015, but we never got there as we were called to a yacht in trouble off the Bill and ended up towing it to Chichester Harbour.

‘I eventually got my sweater and went on to proudly serve on the crew for 38 years with some truly memorable times with some great fellow crewmembers.’

Max recently marked 40 years of volunteering for the RNLI and was awarded with a long service medal by the station’s Lifeboat Operations Manager Tony Delahunty.

Tony said: ‘Max has an incredible record of service for Selsey, not only as a crew member on a variety of lifeboats, but also in his role as DLA and as the station’s press officer. As far back as I can remember he was always taking photos for the station and has had a massive impact working with both local and national media. He has also embraced all the social media channels with his usual enthusiasm’!

When Max first joined Selsey he served on the Tyne class lifeboat, City of London, which, as its number indicated, was the first of its class - 47-001. He also served on the station’s new Shannon lifeboat Denise and Eric 13-20 which was a big change. He also served on the inshore lifeboat until he was 55 and remained a crew member on all-weather lifeboats until 2021.

Max has also received the Freedom of the City of London for his service to Selsey RNLI.

Max has been involved in numerous rescues over the years, including some of the most notable, such as the 36-foot yacht Shropshire Lady, which was 28 miles south of Selsey, a rough and taxing shout resulting in a tow of nearly 10 hours.

The May 27 2007 call to the yacht Pakaa, which was 19 miles south-west of Selsey in rough seas, 9-10 SW winds and torrential rain, resulted in the lifeboat being out for 12 hours. The October 4 2008 service to Rhiannon a 12 metre converted pilot cutter, that had suffered a fouled rudder and was taking on water, 15 miles south of Selsey in F9-10 south-westerly and very rough seas, led to a 28-mile tow to Shoreham Harbour.

In his years on the crew he has built up an impressive collection and history of the station including an uninterrupted record of all shouts and services since he joined in 1983. Max was instrumental in ensuring the volunteer crew had a means of recording what they did by making sure that a camera was placed on the boat for recording purposes. Since the advent of digital camera and the trusty helmet camera, he has become even more vocal in ensuring that the crew take the cameras to show what we do as an organisation

Max has always been the unofficial station photographer and there are not many times when you have seen him without a camera handy. Over the years he has built up a great working relationship with both local and national media outlets, helping to raise the profile of the RNLI and Selsey lifeboat in particular.

He has also forged good ties with other emergency service organisations such as the SAR flight at Lee-on-Solent, and military units that we have worked with.

He received the Freedom of the City of London after 20 years’ service, and close association with the Guild of Freeman and has also been awarded ‘Excellence in Volunteering’ by the RNLI Executive for his assistance in the latest series of Saving Lives at Sea, shown on the BBC.

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Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.