Eastbourne RNLI Lifeboat Station’s new
£2.7 million Tamar lifeboat
With the imminent arrival of Eastbourne RNLI’s new Tamar class lifeboat on station, crew training has begun in earnest.
Following last week’s successful familiarisation exercise on board ‘Diamond Jubilee’ involving Coxswain Mark Sawyer, Mechanic Dan Guy with volunteer crewmen Richard Larmour and Tim Guy, all station mechanics are currently attending a week long intensive training course at the RNLI College in Poole.
Photo forwarded by
Bob Jeffery Lifeboat Press Officer).
When the mechanics return to station the second part of what is known as
pre-commissioning training continues with other senior crew attending specialist training at the college and on board the new boat. The training will culminate with rough weather and night passages to the Channel Isles, on to Salcombe and then back to the Solent in the company of RNLI inspectors and examiners. Assuming all goes well the newly qualified crew will bring Diamond Jubilee to Eastbourne for the first time on Tuesday 29th May. Full details of the arrival will be announced when confirmed.
The current station allweather lifeboat The Royal Thames will remain on service until such time as all remaining crew have completed their training on the new boat, it is anticipated that this will be towards the end of June.
Photos donated by Tim Guy
The new Tamar Lifeboat Diamond Jubilee (16-23)
outward bound from Guernsey to the UK
Photo's donated by Tony Rive
Eastbourne RNLI lifeboat station crew one of the busiest in 2011
Author: Tim Ash, Divisional Media Relations Manager
Crew members at Eastbourne RNLI lifeboat station launched their lifeboats a total of 128 times in 2011, making them one of the busiest in the whole of the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Of the 235 Royal National Lifeboat Institution stations across the charity, Eastbourne, in East Sussex, was the fourth busiest lifeboat station, according to statistics released today (Tuesday).
And within the RNLI’s East division, which incorporates a total of 41 stations, Eastbourne was the busiest coastal lifeboat station – only two lifeboat stations, on the River Thames in London, launched their lifeboats more times.
Fundraisers for the charity hope the annual statistics - which show that, overall, the RNLI had its second busiest year ever - will swell support for the current public station appeal to raise funds for the new Tamar lifeboat which the station will receive in May.
The new Tamar lifeboat, named Diamond Jubilee, replaces the current all-weather lifeboat, which is almost 20 years old. With a top speed of 25 knots – a crucial factor when lives are at risk – the Tamar enables the charity to save lives at sea even more effectively. The cost of the £2.7 million lifeboat has been funded by two generous legacies and other local fundraising efforts, but the RNLI still needs to raise the final £300,000.
Collectively, the lifeboat crew members spent a total of 805.30 hours on the water on official services – figures made all the more impressive considering the crews are mainly volunteers who give up their time for free.
Overall, lifeboats from the RNLI’s 235 stations in the UK and Republic of Ireland launched a total of 8,905 times 2011, an increase on the 8,713 lifeboat launches in 2010. Crews assisted a total of 7,976 people, a slight decrease on the 8,313 people assisted in 2010.
Breaking the figures down, close to 18% (1,641) of lifeboat call-outs last year were attributed to machinery failure, of this 978 (60%) launches were to powered pleasure craft, 383 (23%) to sail pleasure craft and 217 (13%) to fishing vessels.
Andrew Ashton, Divisional Inspector for the RNLI East Division, said: ‘These figures show our lifeboat crew at Eastbourne were once again involved in a great many rescues on the seas around the south east of England – more than 100 incidents where people were in distress.
Donations may be made online by using the link below
Virgin Money Giving | Fundraising | RACHEL'S JUMP for 'DIAMOND' JUBILEE
Donations may be made online by using the link below
www.mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/alantriplechallenge
Double royal appointment for new RNLI lifeboat, Diamond Jubilee
Eastbourne RNLI Lifeboat Station’s new
£2.7 million Tamar lifeboat
which will be named Diamond Jubilee in honour of RNLI Patron, Her Majesty The Queen – took to the water for the very first time (Monday 6 February); 60 years to the day that The Queen ascended to throne.
The new lifeboat will also be among the highlights of the Diamond Jubilee River Thames Pageant this summer.
The charity’s new lifeboat, Diamond Jubilee, will be one of 1,000 vessels making their way along the River Thames on Sunday 3 June to celebrate The Queen’s 60-year reign. The Pageant is set to be the largest flotilla in modern times on the River, with boats of all shapes and sizes stretching for an estimated 12.5 miles.
Among the select few onboard the Diamond Jubilee on 3 June will be Eastbourne crew members Coxswain Mark Sawyer and Mechanic Dan Guy. Other crew will represent the different countries and islands of the British Isles where the RNLI saves lives at sea.
Meanwhile, The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will be onboard the Royal Barge, The Spirit of Chartwell, as the focal point of the flotilla.
The new lifeboat’s participation in the Diamond Jubilee event will coincide with the final part of Eastbourne RNLI crew’s training and familiarisation with their new lifeboat. She is expected to be placed on station in Eastbourne and ready for active service towards the end of June.
Paul Metcalfe, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Eastbourne RNLI, described the opportunity as ‘an honour’. He said: ‘Occasions like this don’t come along every day. Not only will our crew receive a new Tamar lifeboat this year, she will proudly take her place in the very special Thames pageant, which celebrates our Patron The Queen’s 60-year reign.
‘Given that the appeal for funds towards our new Tamar coincides with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, it is an honour and a privilege that the lifeboat, and some of our crew, will be onboard and taking part in this once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the extraordinary commitment of Her Majesty, our volunteers and all those who support the RNLI.’
To watch the launching of the Eastbourne RNLI Lifeboat Station’s new
£2.7 million Tamar lifeboat please click on the link below
video_detail?articleid=755212&stationid=117
Eastbourne’s new Tamar lifeboat replaces the current all-weather lifeboat, which is almost 20 years old. With a top speed of 25 knots – a crucial factor when lives are at risk – the Tamar enables the charity to save lives at sea even more effectively.
The cost of the £2.7 million lifeboat has been funded by two generous legacies and other
w, state-of-the-art lifeboat to be named 'Diamond Jubilee'
For information on the new state of the art lifeboat please click here
Eastbourne RNLI volunteers look forward to a new,
state-of-the-art lifeboat for 2012
Volunteer lifeboat crew members in Eastbourne are delighted after receiving the news that they’re set to receive a new ally in the fight to save lives at sea.
Crew members, shore helpers and the entire lifeboat community are thrilled at the announcement that the station, which has had more than 118 emergency callouts already this year, has been allocated the latest class of lifeboat, the Tamar.
The Tamar is a state-of-the-art lifeboat and the most advanced vessel in the entire RNLI fleet. At a cost of £3.3M, it hosts a wealth of new, superior technology, including suspension seats to protect crew in severe weather conditions. It also boasts an advanced onboard computer system, which allows complex tasks, such as engine and navigation management, to be carried out from flat LCD screens situated at the crew’s seats. This feature means that, in extreme conditions, the volunteer crew can monitor and operate the vessel without any of them leaving the relative safety of their seats, but equally the vessel will remain fully functional in the event of the system going down.
Paul Metcalfe, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Eastbourne RNLI,said:
‘The crew and I were aware that the station was earmarked for a new lifeboat
at some point in the future, but we were thrilled to be told that we are receiving a Tamar class lifeboat.
‘The new £3.3M Tamar lifeboat will replace the current Mersey class lifeboat, The Royal Thames, which has served us well since 1993 and has launched on hundreds of rescue missions during her operational lifetime’.
‘We will also need to construct a mooring pontoon within Sovereign Harbour to berth the new lifeboat alongside and to assist with refuelling and allow for electrical power on board, so this is a really exciting new development for Eastbourne RNLI.’
The Tamar, which was brought into the RNLI fleet in 2007, also carries a
Y-class inflatable daughter craft, which is housed in a recessed area in the Tamar’s stern. This allows the crew to access shallow water and navigate in closer quarters where a rescue demands it. The Tamar is capable of speeds of up to 25 knots and is the result of several years of research and development
by the RNLI to produce the next generation of both afloat and
slipway launched lifeboats.
Eastbourne lifeboats now have a Twitter feed
Supporters can now follow the activities of Eastbourne lifeboats at rnlieastbourne as they happen simply by ‘following’ the station from the Twitter link.
As soon as the crew pagers go off Twitter will give regular updates on the rescue to be followed up in the usual way with a detailed news release which will be added to the station and RNLI websites and distributed to the media in the usual way.
http://twitter.com/rnlieastbourne
