New lifeboat to be trialled at Dart Lifeboat Station

Dart lifeboat station currently has a single engined smaller D class inshore lifeboat but following a review at the start of 2017 it has now been decided that the station will receive the larger twin engined lifeboat on trial to test its suitability for the area.

The B class lifeboat is the fastest in our fleet, with a top speed of 35 knots. It’s designed as a very capable fast response craft able to operate in more challenging sea conditions and has a greater night capability than the smaller D class.

Dart’s current D class lifeboat operates, often at night, in very challenging and diverse waters with strong wind and tide conditions. So the addition of the faster and larger B class lifeboat will benefit the station in being able to meet the demand of the rescues they face.

Simon Crayfourd, Area Lifesaving Manager, says: ‘This is an important change for the RNLI in Dart as we continue to improve the lifeboat service around the coast. The capability and standards of our lifeboats are constantly developing and improving; resulting in safer, more advanced lifeboats for our volunteer crews.

‘The review has indicated a potential need for a B class lifeboat stationed at Dartmouth based on the number and type of incidents that the station has responded to over the last five years. The current lifeboat is sometimes operating close to the limit of its capability so the larger lifeboat increases the effectiveness of our response to a casualty.’

The review considered the number and types of rescues carried out by each lifeboat, changing trends and water use within the area, search and rescue demands, costs, as well as future needs. As part of this review, both Dart and neighbouring Torbay and Salcombe lifeboat stations were involved in feeding into the review to help build an all-round picture for consideration.

The trial will start later this year, with a review taking place after two years looking at the success of the trial and whether a B class will be placed permanently at Dart lifeboat station.

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· Stock picture attached of an RNLI B class lifeboat. Credit RNLI

For more information contact Carrie Garrad, RNLI Regional Media Officer on 07786 668847 or [email protected] or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

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Carrie Garrad

Regional Media Officer

[email protected]

Tel: 01752 854457

Mob: 07786 668847

For more information on the RNLI visit our News Centre or the following;

@RNLI

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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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