New facilities promised for Castletownbere  Lifeboat

A delegation of senior personnel from the R.N.L.I.’s   Committee of Management based in Poole, Dorset visited Castletownbere Lifeboat Station as a part of the West Coast Review Visit which occurs once every five years. The delegation consisting of Chief of Operations, Mr Michael Vlasto, Chairman of the Search and Rescue Committee, Admiral Jock Slater, Operations Committee members, Sir John Tolhurst, Mr William Everard, and Mr Terence Johnson, visited twelve lifeboat stations on the west coast of Ireland over a five day period and were accompanied by Inspector of Lifeboats Mr Colin Williams, and former Deputy Chairperson of the R.N.L.I. , Mr Clayton Love Jnr.  The purpose of the visit was to review current Lifeboat Stations and review Search and Rescue needs for the future for the West Coast of Ireland.

On arrival at Castletownbere the group travelled to Dinish Island boarded and inspected the all weather lifeboat “Roy & Barbara Harding” . From there, they visited the lifeboat station and were welcomed by Committee members Mr D. O’Driscoll, Mr J. Nolan, Mr J. Turner, Mrs S. O’Driscoll, Mr B. Finch,  Sgt F. O’Donovan, Capt C. Dennison, and lifeboat crew Mr B. O’Driscoll, Mr B. Gonnelly, Mr M. Martin-Sullivan, Mrs J. Cross, Mr J.T. O’Sullivan , Mr M. Murphy, and Mr P. Stevens. Garda Inspector M. Walsh from Bantry was also in attendence.

In his address, Admiral Jock Slater firstly commended the Castletown station on its very successful  operation since its foundation in October 1997 and thanked all who were involved in the operation of the station and lifeboat. He went on to outline the  new initiatives  which the R.N.L.I. is currently undertaking.

He stated that the development of hovercraft rescue craft could supply a solution and help save lives in estuaries and close to shore where the terrain presents problems for water-borne craft. In addition, the R.N.L.I. launched a pilot scheme of lifeguards providing beach rescue on dangerous beaches in the U.K. and this scheme was being further expanded this summer. He outlined the highly successful placing of four lifeboat stations on London’s  River Thames and how they had responded to 286 call-outs since 1^st January 2002.

The R.N.L.I. is now providing rescue facilities  on inland waterways and the first such station has been established in Enniskillin on Lough Erne. The delegation visited this station on arrival to Ireland.

Admiral Slater stated that the R.N.L.I. is committed to continuing its Rapid Response Unit which is deployed to areas of severe flooding throughout the world. This unit is specially equipped and trained to respond to emergencies and is on 24 hour standby. In 2001, the unit did rescue work in Mozambique.  Finally, he outlined the Institution’s plans for a state of the art Lifeboat College in Poole where crews can attend for specialized training. In summing up, Admiral Slater stated that the day to day running costs of the R.N.L.I. were enormous (currently €240, 000 per day) and that without fundraising, the Institution would face great difficulties.

Chief of Operations, Mr Mike Vlasto, dealt specifically with Castletownbere lifeboat station and complimented the crew for their patience in working in less than adequate conditions. The present portacabin had served its purpose for four and a half years and but the building of a permanent station with proper facilities was now a priority. The  meeting reviewed the proposed boathouse plans and the R.N.L.I. have made a commitment that a permanent facility will be built in the near future.

In relation to the lifeboat, he said that Castletownbere’s exposed location on the west coast meant that the station faced some of the worst weather for call-outs and that speed to the casualty was vital. This, combined with the station’s excellent record to date, had meant that the station was now in line for a new lifeboat. He stated that the R.N.L.I. wanted to give Castletownbere the best lifeboat possible, and therefore it would be receiving the fleet’s biggest boat, a 25 knot Severn Class Lifeboat costing €2.5 million by today’s prices. The new boat is scheduled for delivery in 2004.

After discussion on a number of issues, the delegation was served refreshments prior to leaving the station. The visitors thanked the committee and crew for their hospitality and hard work and Sir John Tolhurst stated that “it was excellent to end the Coastal review on such a high note”.