Lough Swilly RNLI names new inshore Atlantic 85 class lifeboat, Davdot

At the start of today’s proceedings, Joe Joyce, Lough Swilly RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager welcomed guests and had a special mention for Richard and Jennifer Kendrick who were in attendance to represent the donors of the lifeboat which has been on service since April. Richard and Jennifer then handed the lifeboat into the care of the charity.

RNLI Trustee Paddy McLaughlin accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI before handing it into the care of Lough Swilly Lifeboat Station.

The honour of accepting the lifeboat on behalf of the station and crew went to Liam Magee, President of the station and John McCarter, chair of the Lifeboat Management Group.

Rev Mel Niblock, Mr Michael Roulston and Fr Francis Bradley led the congregation in the Service of Dedication for the noble purpose of rescuing those in danger on the sea.

A special rendition of the lifeboat song, Home from the Sea, which is penned by Phil Coulter, was sang by the lifeboat crew. They were accompanied by the Trad Lads who provided the music for the ceremony.

Richard and Jennifer Kendrick then formally named the lifeboat Davdot, as the gathered crowd of well-wishers including family and friends of the station, watched as a bottle of the local craft beer Kinnegar, was poured over the side of the lifeboat at the end of the ceremony.

Speaking about the event, Joe Joyce, Lough Swilly RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, said it marked another significant milestone in the station’s history: ‘As one of the Launch Authorities, I have the responsibility to authorise the lifeboat’s launch when requested, and to send a message to the crew asking them to get to the station as quickly as possible. We know thanks to the generosity of the donors and the commitment and dedication of our volunteers, that Davdot will help ensure we continue to provide an effective lifesaving service.’

The Davdot replaces the Minnie and Ernest George Barry which during its almost 19 years at Lough Swilly RNLI, launched 265 times, with its volunteer lifeboat crews rescuing 233 people, five of whom were lives saved.

The Atlantic 85 lifeboat is one of the fastest in the RNLI’s fleet with a top speed of 35 knots. The lifeboat design allows room for four crew members and is powered by two 115 horsepower engines. The radar allows the crew to operate effectively in poor visibility, and it also comes with VHF direction-finding equipment.

The lifeboat has a manually operated self-righting mechanism which combined with inversion-proofed engines keeps the lifeboat operational even after capsize. The lifeboat can also be beached in an emergency without causing damage to its engines or steering gear.

The Atlantic 85 which was introduced to the RNLI fleet in 2005, carries a full suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, as well as a searchlight, night-vision equipment and flares for night-time operations.

Since Lough Swilly RNLI was established almost 40 years ago, the station’s lifeboats have launched more than 1,000 times with its volunteer crews coming to the aid of 895 people, 42 of whom were lives saved. One such call out came at the end of this afternoon’s ceremony when volunteers were requested to launch the station’s all-weather Shannon class lifeboat. The call out transpired to be a false alarm with good intent.

Ends

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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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