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A music fan has put the Sheerness RNLI in his will to thank rescuers for saving Radio Caroline DJs from the sinking Mi Amigo 40 years ago.
Alan Watts was listening live when the drama unfolded in March 1980, after the boat found itself in a violent force 10 storm in the Thames Estuary.
In a daring rescue which lasted 12 hours, the crew of the Sheerness lifeboat saved the lives of everyone onboard – including the ship’s canary.
Now, 66-year-old Mr Watts, who has been a fan of the station since he was 10 and is a part-time host for the radio, based in Strood, has decided to leave money to the charity in his will.
Radio Caroline had been broadcasting wall-to-wall pop since Irish businessman Ronan O’Rahilly hit upon the idea of breaking the BBC’s monopoly of music on Easter Sunday, 1964.
Mr Watts said: “Growing up in the sixties radio was our biggest source of music.
“We didn’t have our own personal stereos or record players or any other way of listening to music and at that time Radio Caroline came on the air I was became hooked on it.
“The pirates were something we never really experienced before. There was a little bit of charm about the fact they were bobbing up and down on the ocean.
“I was at home listening as I always do when everything happened. We just thought it was a normal storm and things would blow over and everything would be fine the next day, we had no idea what was coming.
“It was very emotional and very worrying.
“The RNLI guys who went out, the crew from Sheerness, they had to make several attempts, I think around 13, to actually get the crew off the ship, onto the lifeboat, plus the canary. It was a dangerous shout for the RNLI to actually carry out.”
Alan is currently working part time on the Radio at his home in Hampshire due to Covid-19 restrictions, but has been to the station’s old studios in Maidstone and it’s current one in Medway many times.
He added how the Sheerness team’s actions that day inspired him to become a supporter of the charity.
“Supporting the charity and becoming more aware of how it operates and also how the funding mechanisms work I became aware that legacies are a bigger source of income than donations and memberships and it just made me think when I was preparing my will several years ago that now is the time to include the RNLI.”
Asked why he chose the RNLI specifically, he added: “I think it’s the fact that it’s saving lives, by people who risk their own lives, for no financial reward. I think that is very reassuring.
“We are a proud nation when it comes to giving our time up for the good of our fellow citizens and the RNLI is a big part of doing that.”
Alan is hoping the money from his will can go towards something like a new boat or station.
He added: “We are a proud nation when it comes to giving our time up for the good of our fellow citizens and the RNLI is a big part of doing that.”
Part of Radio Caroline’s last message to listeners on the boat said: “Well we’re sorry to tell you that due to the severe weather conditions and also to the fact we’re shipping quite a lot of water, we are closing down and the crew are at this stage leaving the ship.
“Obviously we hope to be back with you as soon as possible, just for the moment we’d like to say goodbye.”
Following the incident Charlie Bowry, who was leading the operation from the RNLI, was presented with the Institute’s coveted silver medal.
