Kirkwall RNLI Lifeboat Margaret Foster has come home
After an extensive refit, Kirkwall RNLI Lifeboat, Margaret Foster, has come home from RNLI Poole; a journey of over 600 nautical miles.
Margaret Foster made her journey south to Poole in October 2025, the volunteer crew covering a total of 813 nautical miles in three and a half days. Their average speed was 20 knots with 40 hours spent at sea.
The refit included a full overhaul of the engines and the installation of a new, state-of-the-art navigation system. New Shockwave crew seats, engineered to protect our volunteer boat crew from the shock and impact of wave loading in demanding sea conditions, will give added safety when they are training or on a shout.
The Severn class of all-weather lifeboats have a 25-year lifespan. The Margaret Foster, named after Miss M E Foster who funded her, was placed on service at Kirkwall Lifeboat Station in 1998, she will now be able to continue her service for many years.
On her journey home, four of our volunteer crew navigated Margaret Foster through the Twin Sails Bridge at Poole, berthed overnight at Newlyn and passed by the old Penlee lifeboat station and Land’s End. After a berth at Arklow (on the east coast of Ireland), the journey continued past Jack’s Hole, Bride’s Head, Dublin and Belfast.
After an overnight stop in Campbeltown, the route to Mallaig took them passed Jura and Mull, a welcoming tug and even the beautiful Waverley steamer. A penultimate leg, before returning to Kirkwall, was to take the Margaret Foster through the lochs and canal to Inverness for some further work.
Stewart Ryrie Coxswain said: ‘The crew, station volunteers and fundraisers are delighted to see RNLB Margaret Foster back in service. Whilst RNLB Roger and Joy Freeman has served us well during the refit period, it’s great to have our own lifeboat back with a modern navigation package, and new crew seats to cope with the sea conditions we encounter.’
Ali Cameron Deputy Coxswain said: ‘We were delighted to get back on board RNLB Margaret Foster and take her back to her home port at Kirkwall from Inverness. The passage went very smoothly with fresh WSW winds to start with, dying out later in the day and slight calm seas followed.
'On arrival in Kirkwall Bay, the relief lifeboat currently on station had come out to escort us in, which was brilliant. We paired up at the north of the bay for the last leg home towards Kirkwall basin and finally moored up ‘Maggie’ on her berth at West Pier Kirkwall.’
Notes to editors
The Severn class lifeboats are the largest lifeboat in the RNLI fleet, measuring 25 metres in length and weighing 42 tonnes. First introduced to the RNLI fleet in 1993, the Severn Class has built in self-righting technology.
Twin marine diesel engines give a maximum speed of 25 knots and a range of 250 miles, therefore, it can take on the most challenging sea conditions and long offshore searches and rescues. The hydraulic-powered bow thruster gives the boat extra manoeuvrability. This means the boat can get alongside other boats to undertake skilful rescues as happened in the early hours of 7 May this year.
Kirkwall Lifeboat Station is located within the Scotland lifesaving region. A total of 36 lives were saved in 2024 by lifeboat crews in Scotland and a further 881 people were aided by the brave and selfless actions of volunteer crews.
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
Erica Niven, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Kirkwall RNLI, [email protected]
Richard Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
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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