End of an era as Margate RNLI’s much-loved lifeboat Leonard Kent finally retires

Five years after leaving Margate Leonard Kent has now finally retired from life saving duties and was recently launched from Newcastle for the very last time, manned by the station’s own volunteer crew and bringing to an end the era of the RNLI’s Mersey class lifeboat.

Leonard Kent was replaced by a B class inshore lifeboat at Margate in 2021 but continued to save lives at sea as the permanent station lifeboat at Newcastle in Northern Ireland, replacing its own Mersey class lifeboat which had been withdrawn.

During its 30 years of lifesaving duties at Margate Leonard Kent responded to 419 service calls, saved 21 lives and aided 599 persons and the volunteer crew at Margate who took delivery of the brand new lifeboat in 1991 have fond memories of the boat which, compared with the previous Rother class lifeboat transformed the mission of saving lives at sea at Margate.

Peter Barker, at the time the station’s full-time coxswain/mechanic when the new lifeboat entered service recalls the period: “The Mersey was a huge change - twice the speed and with more than five times the power of the Rother its capabilities were in a different league including an enclosed, watertight and heated wheelhouse with a seat for everyone and at the time, state-of-the-art navigation equipment.

“When it left Margate in 2021 Leonard Kent still looked in showroom condition and it is a tribute to the crew at Newcastle that after 35 years of active service, they have looked after the lifeboat, maintaining it in that same condition and it is also an honour that our old faithful friend has achieved the role of being the last remaining Mersey class lifeboat in service of which 37 were built for the RNLI” said Barker.

Derek Amas, Lifeboat Operations Manager, RNLI Margate said: “Having stood down from seagoing duties on the departure of the Mersey I accepted the role of Lifeboat Operations Manager to lead the crew and station into a new chapter in our history with the Atlantic 85 lifeboat.

“The crew have adapted well to the new lifeboat including complex rescues in challenging conditions. I am sure the crew at Newcastle will do the same in the time-honoured tradition of the RNLI.”

Notes to editors

· Margate lifeboat station has been operating since 1860. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/margate-lifeboat-station

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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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