RNLI Lerwick Lifeboat returns home from the South Coast after major refit

With five crew aboard, the Severn-class lifeboat travelled back from the South Coast of England, leaving Poole last Thursday and taking overnight stops to rest and to refuel at RNLI lifeboat stations at Dover, Lowestoft, Tynemouth and Peterhead. Averaging around 20-25 knots on the journey northwards, the crew have covered around 760 nautical miles in five days.

Lerwick lifeboat crew travelled south with the vessel in March this year, and this major refit will see the vessel continue to save lives at sea for years to come.

During this refit, all systems and equipment have been checked and replaced as necessary. Among the many items of work done, both 1,600 horsepower MTU engines and propeller shafts were removed and replaced, new shock-absorbing seats have been fitted, all outside lighting has been changed to LED, the hull and compartments have been repainted, and a new satellite phone has been installed.

The cost of the work on Lerwick lifeboat has been met by public donations, fundraising and legacies to the RNLI – the charity that save lives at sea. The charity operates a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service around the British Isles and Ireland, and which saw the Lerwick lifeboat station opened in 1930.

The RNLI All-Weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole, Dorset opened in August 2015, bringing the process of building and maintaining lifeboats in-house and under one roof. This is the first time that RNLB Michael and Jane Vernon has returned to South Coast since being built and launched in 1997 at Cowes in the Isle of Wight.

Relief Severn-class lifeboat RNLB Fraser Flyer (17-17) has provided cover in Lerwick in recent months and will soon move on to another RNLI station.

RNLB Michael and Jane Vernon is currently the only Gold-medal Severn-class lifeboat in service in the RNLI fleet, after the rescue of the crew of the cargo vessel Green Lily in November 1997.

Stephen Manson, Coxswain said: “It’s been a long trip and we’re pleased to have brought our lifeboat home after this major refit at the RNLI’s specialist facility. The upgrades and work done have given our Severn-class lifeboat a new lease of life, so we can continue to save lives at sea for years to come.”

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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