An event marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Cowes independent lifeboat service and the 10th anniversary of the replacement RNLI operation took place last weekend.
Two men said they'd been lent the canoe by a man in a pub and had been using sticks instead of paddles. They claimed they'd ended up aground because of the unwelcome attentions of a seal!
A collection of eight lifeboats, both RNLI and independent, gathered in Cowes from all parts of the Solent area on Saturday for an annual get together.
The final hurdle in Jason's elevation from ordinary crew member to lifeboat commander was assessed under the experienced eye of RNLI assessor Tom Pedersen.