New Lifeboat Arrives in Stonehaven

The new B class Atlantic 85 ‘Pride of Fred Olsen’ arrived on Monday afternoon, after its long journey from RNLI headquarters in Poole.

After a week of intense training for the volunteer crew, Stonehaven’s RNLI’s new Atlantic 85 class lifeboat, ‘Pride of Fred Olsen’, was declared fully operational on Friday 1 November 2019. The new Atlantic 85 class inshore lifeboat has replaced the station’s Atlantic 75 ‘Miss Betty’ - the last Atlantic 75 inshore lifeboat still in service in Scotland. The new lifeboat will be ready to respond to emergency callouts

The new lifeboat will be an asset to the volunteer crew. The new lifeboat has several advantages over its predecessor with room for up to four crew members and considerably more rescue equipment than the Atlantic 75. The Atlantic 85 is powered by two 115hp engines, has a stronger hull and an increased top speed of 35 knots. Radar allows the crew to operate more effectively in poor visibility, she has VHF direction-finding equipment to assist in locating casualty vessels, and there is a much improved and upgraded suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, as well as a searchlight, night-vision equipment and flares for night-time operations.

Andy Martin Lifeboat Operations Manager said

“It’s a very exciting time for us all at Stonehaven RNLI. We’ve just received a new Atlantic 85 class inshore lifeboat which is now housed in our boathouse. I would like to thank the crew and RNLI staff for their time and commitment over the past week. The shore crew and lifeboat crew took part in a week of intense training to familiarise themselves with the new lifeboat. The RNLI are committed to working to the highest standards and it’s important that we as volunteer lifeboat crew are trained to deal with any situation when out 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 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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