Freshwater Independent Lifeboat (FILB) took delivery of a new Atlantic-85 class lifeboat last week, that they hope will help them save lives at sea for at least another 10 years. Having been built back in 2006, the boat – named Lydia MacDonald – saved lives up in Macduff in Scotland for some 16 years before being replaced in 2022.
The vessel purchase was offered to FILB as part of the RNLI asset disposal program, with the purchase price including full a refit of the vessel, which took place during Autumn 2023.
Works on the vessel including a re-spray, re-wire and the installation of 2 new engines has been undertaken by the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre in East Cowes. It is hoped that the new boat can be used for, at least, the next 10 years. A spokesperson from Freshwater Independent Lifeboat has said:
“We hope to have the vessel and launch equipment in operation by the end of Spring 2024.”
Boat owners should be forced to pay for the lifeboat, they shouldn’t be jumping on elderly people coming out of supermarkets.
A lot of people won’t support these taxi services anymore.
Took me some time to realise that you meant donation askers jumping on people at supermarkets, and not boat people.
SJB is demonstrating the fashionable disregard for proper use of English, as displayed on social meeja and downmarket newspapers and widely tolerated even in schools.
Luckily most normal people realise that lifeboats also save the lives of swimmers, paddleboarders, floating flamingos, divers, walkers, cliff jumpers the list is near endless.
Why don’t the lifeboat crew go up and down the beaches and cliff tops with a rattling coin tin collecting money.?
No, it’s far easier to target the elderly who are shopping in a supermarket and have no means to visit the beach or who could afford to buy a boat.
It’s wrong.
I agree that some boat/yacht owners should make a donation, lots already do by the way. Everyone using the sea should donate.
A lot boat/yacht owners who brake down will not call A recovery service it will cost them money they call RNLI say someone not well and get towed in free