On Friday 1 May, Appledore’s new Shannon Lifeboat arrived home for the first time escorted into the Torridge Taw estuary from Bideford Bar at around 6.30pm, led in order by Appledore RNLI’s inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Glanely and Appledore’s current Tamar all weather lifeboat Mollie Hunt. The new nautically dressed Shannon was followed in by Ilfracombe’s Shannon The Barry and Peggy High Foundation, and Clovelly RNLI’s lifeboat crew in their Atlantic 85 lifeboat Toby Rundle, in flotilla welcoming her to her new base in North Devon.
Over the last few days a crew from Appledore RNLI, accompanied by RNLI trainers, have brought the lifeboat by sea around from the RNLI’s Lifeboat Support Centre in Poole. The station’s Tamar class lifeboat will remain on operational service while the volunteer crew continue an intense training period to convert their existing all weather lifeboat knowledge to a Shannon class lifeboat. Once training is complete, the Shannon will become Appledore’s official all-weather lifeboat and the Mollie Hunt will leave the area to join the charity’s relief fleet.
Crowds packed the coast at Greysands on Northam Burrows, Hillcliff Terrace and many other vantage points around the estuary, including Appledore Quay at the end of which the flotilla turned back to the lifeboat station. The crew were particularly touched as they entered the estuary by a salute by local gig boats.
Bob Mellor, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at Appledore says; ‘Our volunteer lifeboat crew have already committed a significant amount of time to their training, travelling to the RNLI Lifeboat College in Poole to complete some of their training, enhancing this while on passage from Poole. All the crew who have so far had a chance to begin their training on her are so impressed.
RNLI coastal trainers will base themselves at Appledore for the next couple of weeks and work around the crew’s availability to provide structured practical and theory-based training for all crew, with specialist training designed for different roles on the lifeboat.
‘I am really impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm in which the crew have embraced this challenge. As volunteers, everything they do is in their own time, away from work and away from their families. It will be fantastic to see them all progress over the next few weeks as they get some focussed training on station with the hope that we will be operational on the Shannon in June.’
The change from a Tamar class lifeboat to a Shannon is part of the RNLI’s wider fleet strategy which was announced in October last year. The charity has reviewed and adjusted its lifeboat fleet and placement of lifeboats to meet the changing nature of lifesaving.
From Appledore, the Shannon all weather lifeboat will be in a strategic position to provide all weather lifeboat cover to flanking inshore lifeboat stations at Minehead, Ilfracombe and Clovelly and Bude, respond to major incidents on the North Cornwall, Devon and Somerset coasts, and provide lifesaving cover up to 75 nautical miles offshore into the Bristol Channel. There is also a Tamar at Padstow and all-weather boats on the South Wales Coast.
The Shannon is the first modern all-weather lifeboat to be propelled by waterjets instead of traditional propellers, making her the RNLI’s most agile and manoeuvrable all-weather lifeboat yet. At Appledore the Shannon will increase the crew’s ability to cross the Bideford Bar, a stretch of sand that is exposed at low water at the mouths of the rivers Torridge and Taw.
RNLB Ruth and David Arthur was built at the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat centre during 2018-9 and entered the RNLI’s relief fleet where she has been deployed to various lifeboat stations, ensuring they remain operational, when their own lifeboats are undergoing maintenance.
Once RNLB Ruth and David Arthur is fully on service there will be a Service of Dedication during Appledore RNLI’s Sea Sunday on Sunday 12 July.
