Llandudno’s all-weather lifeboat comes home after essential boatyard maintenance
The third anniversary of Llandudno's Shannon William F Yates marked with a return to station and active duty.
On 3 September, almost exactly three years after arriving at station, Llandudno's Shannon class lifeboat William F Yates (13-18, O.N. 1325) was passaged to Holyhead Boatyard under the command of one of Llandudno's Coxswains, Les Jones, for a minor hull repair and for the re-coating of her hull beneath the waterline.
The intensive training regime on her arrival, and over subsequent months with exercises and services calls, had resulted in the boat being launched and recovered over 100 times during the three-year period. Llandudno's harsh shingle beach had over that time subjected the keel to an expected, but nevertheless a telling level of wear and tear which inevitably required maintenance.
For four weeks William F Yates was relieved by Reg (13-07, O.N.1314), brought to Llandudno from Fleetwood under the command of Paul Archer-Jones from our flanking station in Rhyl.
William F Yates returned to Llandudno on 6 October under the command of another of Llandudno's Coxswains, Andy Jones, almost three years to the day since she was declared 'operational'. Reg was returned to Fleetwood to continue the duties of a RNLI relief lifeboat.
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For more information please contact Jonathan Coe, Llandudno Lifeboat Press Officer on 07910 861193. Alternatively contact Eleri Roberts, RNLI Media Officer on 01745 585162 / 07771 941390 or email [email protected].
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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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