Official Naming Ceremony for the Fowey RNLI Atlantic 85 lifeboat

Starting at 3pm, over 100 invited guests and crowds of onlookers will witness the historic moment when the lifeboat is handed over from the RNLI to Fowey lifeboat station. The ceremony will start with the National Anthem, followed by an opening welcome from Fowey Lifeboat Management Chair, Adam Luck. The donor of the new lifeboat, Alan Jackson, will officially hand over Spirit of Daisy into the care of the RNLI. Paul Gamble, Fowey Lifeboat Operations Manager, will accept the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI and hand it into the care of Fowey Lifeboat Station. Fowey’s vicar will lead a service of dedication followed by the donor Alan and his wife Annette formally naming the lifeboat. Crew members Amelia Luck and Ros Jezard will deliver a vote of thanks and bring proceedings to a close. Spirit of Daisy will then launch along with Fowey’s D class lifeboat, for a display in the harbour. Lostwithiel Town Band will be playing before and after the ceremony and will accompany the nautical themed hymns.

Fowey Lifeboat Management Chair, Adam Luck, said: ‘We are extremely grateful to Alan for donating the money for our new lifeboat. Since she arrived in Fowey on 17 February 2026, followed by her first shout just four days later on 21 February, Spirit of Daisy has been kept busy, rescuing people in trouble at sea.’

Alan’s mother, Daisy passed away aged 95 and it was she who first introduced him to the RNLI. As a teenager, Alan started boating in Beer in East Devon, in a 13ft Durafloat dinghy with an outboard engine and progressed into sailing dinghies. His mother was concerned about his safety on the open sea. One of the local fishermen would keep his eye on Alan which comforted his mother. To repay his help, his mother Daisy would raise money for the RNLI, collecting in their local town Solihull during Lifeboat appeals.

Following the ceremony, Spirit of Daisy will be accompanied by Fowey’s D class lifeboat for a display in the harbour. Invited guests will be treated to refreshments, courtesy of the King of Prussia.

The last lifeboat naming ceremony to be held in Fowey was in 1997.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Cathy Baillie, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South West, [email protected]

Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for South West England, 07920 818807, [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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

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