Naming ceremony for new Redcar RNLI lifeboat

Media opportunity

When: Saturday 7 May 2016, 10.45am for 11am start prompt

Where: Redcar RNLI lifeboat station, Esplanade, Redcar, TS10 3AG.

Opportunity: The naming ceremony of Redcar RNLI’s new D class lifeboat Eileen May Loach-Thomas. Film and photograph the ceremony and interview members of the lifeboat crew and other RNLI supporters. The lifeboat will give a brief demonstration launch following the ceremony.

Contact: To attend or for more information contact Dave Cocks, Lifeboat Operations Manager, on 07894 558483 or [email protected], or Alison Levett, RNLI PR Manager, on 07786 668912 or at [email protected]
 
The volunteers at Redcar RNLI are preparing to formally welcome their new inshore lifeboat on Saturday 7 May 2016.
 
The naming ceremony will be held in the charity’s lifeboat station when volunteer crew and their families will be joined by join RNLI supporters and colleagues from neighbouring lifeboat stations to celebrate the arrival of the new lifeboat and to formally accept the vessel into their care.
 
The D class lifeboat, called Eileen May Loach-Thomas, went into service at Redcar late last year and has already been called upon on ten occasions for incidents ranging from the rescue of stranded dogs to searches for missing people. The funding for Eileen May Loach-Thomas was made possible thanks to the bequest of Nick Thomas, a Shropshire engineer. The lifeboat is named after his first wife, whom he met during the war, and who died during the 1970s.
 
Redcar RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Dave Cocks, said: ‘The naming ceremony is always a very special day for everyone involved with the RNLI in this area. The christening of each new lifeboat at Redcar means we can say on that day the town officially has the world’s newest lifeboat and the world’s oldest surviving lifeboat, the Zetland, at the same time.
 
‘Redcar was one of the pioneering RNLI lifeboat stations in 1963 when we trialled the prototype craft from which this new boat has evolved. It has already been put to good use and our volunteer crew has put in a lot of extra time to train with the new navigation and communications equipment. They are all delighted with its performance.’
 
The ceremony will include a service of dedication conducted by Reverend Rachel Harrison from St Peter’s Church and musical support will be provided by the Marske Fishermen’s Choir.end Rachel Harrison from St Peter’s Church and musical support will be provided by the Marske Fishermen’s Choir.
 
Please note that because this is an indoor event attendance is by invitation only for safety reasons.
Photographs of the ceremony will be available after the event. 
 
Picture caption
Redcar’s new D class lifeboat at sea. Credit RNLI/Dave Cocks
 
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Dave Cocks, Lifeboat Operations Manager, on 07894 558483 or [email protected], or Alison Levett, RNLI PR Manager, on 07786 668912 or at [email protected]
 
More information on the RNLI D class lifeboat
The D class lifeboat, first introduced into the RNLI fleet in 1963, was designed to be launched quickly and easily, providing a rapid response to distress calls close to shore.
 
It is a fully inflatable craft built of a polyester material coated with ‘hypalon’ – which is impact and abrasion resistant. The hull is divided into seven compartments so that, should one become punctured, the lifeboat will remain serviceable.
 
The design of the lifeboat has continued to evolve since it was introduced and was completely re-engineered and updated between 2000 and 2003 following extensive consultation with lifeboat crews. The production version of the new D Class, Inshore Boat 1 (IB1) was introduced in August 2003 with improved manoeuvrability and equipment. The lifeboat has an endurance of three hours at full speed (25 knots). Normally the lifeboat carries a crew of three and can be manoeuvred in shallow water, making it ideal for operating round rocks and cliffs.
 
The new model was the work of the RNLI’s in house engineering team, who are responsible for the design and development of all the lifeboats in the RNLI fleet.
 
 

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.