Swanage Lifeboat 13-13, lucky for us!
Some may consider 13 an unlucky number, however with the new Swanage Shannon class lifeboat being a 13 metre long vessel this number is lucky for the volunteer lifeboat crew at Swanage who have just accepted their brand new Shannon class lifeboat.
The Swanage volunteer lifeboat crew knew that their new lifeboat would bear one ‘13’ as the first part of the boat number denotes the length. However the crew were not aware that Swanage’s new lifeboat would be the 13th Shannon class lifeboat to go on service and therefore be lifeboat 13-13!
It has become apparent that the Swanage Lifeboat Station coincidently has a number of other links to the number 13.
The George Thomas Lacy is the 1320th all-weather lifeboat to be built by the RNLI and the 13th lifeboat to be stationed at Swanage when considering both all-weather and inshore lifeboats that have been on service at Swanage.
The Swanage lifeboat also has two 13 litre engines, two 13 hundred litre fuel tanks, 13 electronic switches onboard and a total horse power of 13 hundred!
With the arrival of lifeboat 13-13 it seemed only fitting to re-introduce crew number 13 that was previously omitted.
Having only been on service since the 20th of April the new all-weather lifeboat has already be lucky for some, assisting with a number of rescues and is set to be busy over the summer months helping save lives at sea.
Notes to editors
Photograph of the Swanage lifeboat, the George Thomas Lacy, on its mooring, credit Becky Mack (RNLI)
RNLI media contacts
For more information contact Becky Mack, volunteer lifeboat press officer at Swanage RNLI, at [email protected] or 07812 558487 or Emma Haines, RNLI Public Relations Manager, on 07786 668847 or [email protected]
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
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.