A well loved lifeboat leaves Weston-super-Mare
The Coventry and Warwickshire, an Atlantic 75 class RNLI lifeboat, bought with money raised in the Midlands, has retired after a hugely successful career saving lives at sea
In its first year of service the Coventry and Warwickshire, as the new lifeboat was called, had one of its busiest years; 30 calls with at least 4 lives saved from imminent death.
B-769 Coventry and Warwickshire was built at the RNLI’s Inshore Lifeboat Centre at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight and entered service at Weston, though not before she had travelled by road to Kenilworth in Warwickshire for a formal handing-over ceremony.
Throughout its life, B769 launched 302 times, saved: 17 lives and rescued 239 people. However the lifeboat has had, as for all its fellows, a rough time. Launched not only in shouts but often twice a week on training, into the heaviest weather conditions, the sea and general wear and tear took its toll. To make matters worse the Weston volunteer crew have had to operate out of a temporary station for the last five years resulting in the lifeboat been kept outside subject to wind and waves on the seafront. The time has thus come when Coventry and Warwickshire can no longer be considered in good enough condition to protect its crew and save lives. The RNLI charity keeps a series of used lifeboats as relief boats. One of these, the Paul Alexander, has been nominated for the Weston station at least until the new boathouse is built.
Last week, on Wednesday the Paul Alexander arrived and Coventry and Warwickshire went off to a well deserved retirement.
Mike Buckland, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Weston RNLI station said; ‘ Many times my team and I have trusted our lives to B769. She has been a magnificent boat and served us well. We will miss her but the new boat will be a worthy successor and we will keep doing what we do. Saving lives at sea.’
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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives.
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