North Berwick RNLI name new lifeboat during weekend of celebrations

The new lifeboat, D-891, has been named SUNIJO by donors Nigel and Patricia Dewar Gibb in a ceremony attended by the donors, volunteers past and present as well as local dignitaries, community groups and business leaders. The brand new lifeboat arrived on Tuesday (2 July) and will serve the town for the next 10 years.

SUNIJO replaces Evelyn M (D-758), who after 11 years had come to the end of her service life. Saving 9 lives and rescuing 157 others in over 200 launches along with repeated exposure to the harsh North Sea had taken its toll, Evelyn M has now been retired.

The naming Ceremony was led by crew member Vikki Selby with Fiona Fell, Deputy Chair and RNLI trustee accepting SUNIJO into the RNLI’s care, and handing her over to Ricky Martin, North Berwick’s Lifeboat Operations Manager.

Rev. Neil Dougall, Rev. Dr David Graham, Rev. Simon Metzner then led the service of dedication and blessing of SUNIJO following a tradition that has seen thirteen RNLI lifeboats named at North Berwick since 1860.

During a gap in the rain showers Nigel and Patricia Dewar Gibb named SUNIJO with a splash of uniquely labelled whisky for the occasion from a quaich presented by the North Berwick Lifeboat crew as a gesture of their gratitude.

A cry of “three cheers for SUNIJO” rang through the assembled crowd before North Berwick’s Pipe band led the newly anointed lifeboat down the slipway and into the water.

Helm Rhona Meikle, alongside crew members Nicole Lennock and Gavin Midlemiss put SUNIJO through her paces in a demonstration of her capabilities for the crowd.

Stewart Auld, Chairman of North Berwick Lifeboat said; “Crew members grow attached to their lifeboats, so whilst we are sad to see Evelyn M retire, we look forward to the next decade with SUNIJO. We thank Nigel and Patricia, on behalf of the town for funding our new lifeboat and promise to take good care of her”.

Sir Hew Dalrymple, honorary President of North Berwick RNLI extended his thanks to the donors for the generous gift to the town and to the members of the local community whose support for the RNLI has been unwavering since the first RNLI lifeboat was launched in North Berwick in 1860.

In the sixty years that D-Class lifeboats have been serving in the RNLI the basic design has changed very little. The modern D-class carries sophisticated navigation and communication equipment, including an automatic identification system (AIS) which provides the crew information about other vessels in the area and advanced first aid equipment and medicines. A new shock-mitigating mattress on the floor of the lifeboat means lifeboat crews are kept safer in the rough conditions they are often called out in.

The Naming ceremony was followed the next day (Sunday 7 July) by an Open Day, a chance for the town to come and meet their new lifeboat, and for the crew to raise lifesaving funds through various summer fête stalls and games, accompanied throughout the day by music from sea shanty group the Grumpy old Grandads, Gullane Community Ceilidh Band and North Berwick Pipe Band.

Ricky Martin, North Berwick Lifeboat Operations Manager said: “The support of the local community and businesses over the last few days has been overwhelming. SUNIJO was the big attraction on the day, but we’d like to thank all the businesses and groups who supported us, the money we raised with your support will help train and equip crewmembers here in North Berwick.”

About the Donors

Nigel and Patricia Dewar Gibb have three children; Susannah, Nigel and Joanna, who have inspired the name SUNIJO with the first two letters of their names.

Whilst Nigel and Patricia don’t live by the sea, their three children have often taken to the water, and they admire the RNLI’s lifesaving operation, especially the volunteers who they have seen in action on the popular BBC Programme “Saving Lives at Sea”.

When Nigel and Patricia came into a position where they were able to donate a significant sum of money to the RNLI, it was suggested that they fund North Berwick’s new D-Class lifeboat. They were delighted that it was North Berwick that needed support as it is a particular favourite destination for the family.

Nigel and Patricia consider themselves to be very lucky to be able to fund a lifeboat for the RNLI, particularly in 2024 which sees the RNLI celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea.

Notes to editors

• In 2023 RNLI lifeboats from 238 stations across the UK and RoI launched 9,192 times saving 355 lives, RNLI Lifeguards saved a further 151 lives, North Berwick launched 21 times.
• It cost £1,400 a year to train each crew member in the lifesaving skills they need to answer the call for help
• 97% of the RNLI’s frontline lifesavers are volunteers including over 5,700 lifeboat crew members.
• In 2022 it cost the RNLI £188M to run its charitable lifesaving service, 6 in 10 of the lifeboat launches were funded be generous supporters leaving the RNLI a gift in their will.

RNLI media contacts

Matthew Gibbons, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, North Berwick, [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
24 hour RNLI Central Press Office, 01202 336789 or email [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.

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