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 90 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 £2.7M, 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 £2.7M 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"as the entire Eastbourne RNLI lifeboat community prepare for their annual regatt
a, wh
For information on the August Bank Holiday
Eastbourne Lifeboat Regatta
please click here
www.eastbournernliregatta.org.uk
Local schoolboy pedals for the RNLI
Local schoolboy 11 year old Huw Curry, having decided he wanted to raise funds for his favourite charity the RNLI, set about organising sponsorship for himself to cycle 15K round Eastbourne with his Dad.
Huw, a pupil of Ocklynge School, bullied teachers and friends to contribute to the fund which eventually totalled £150. Huw with mum Sandra and dad, also called Huw, visited Eastbourne all-weather lifeboat station on Sunday to meet some of the crew and to present the money, which will be used to help run the station, to station mechanic Dan Guy and Operations Manager Paul Metcalf.
In receiving the cash Paul congratulated Huw for his magnificent effort and hoped that he may return one day in the future to complete his Duke of Edinburgh award and maybe even join the volunteer crew.
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The 2010 Eastbourne RNLI Regatta
launches its own Website :-
www.eastbournernliregatta.org.uk
BBC weather girl brings a ray of sunshine to Eastbourne RNLI lifeboat crew
During the winter of 2000 the volunteer crew of Eastbourne RNLI’s inshore lifeboat were mobilised to assist in the evacuation of the people of Lewes and Uckfield who had become trapped in their homes following severe flooding. The BBC is currently producing a new documentary to be called ‘Wild Weather of the South East’ and was keen to interview crew members who were present that evening, and what better place to speak to them but on the foredeck of the station’s all-weather lifeboat?
Following a viewing of BBC archive news footage the lifeboat put to sea and Kaddy listened to crew member’s memories and anecdotes of what proved to be a long and ground breaking service.
In the wake of the floods the RNLI set up a dedicated Flood Rescue Team specifically designed to respond to emergencies such as the Uckfield and Lewes floods and, more recently, those that affected Cumbria earlier this year.
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15 Members of Eastbourne 32 Round Table
3 Peaks Challenge at the top of Ben Nevis
helping to raise money for Eastbourne's RNLI Lifeboat.
