R.N.L.I. Lifeboat News & Reports on Launches

LIFEBOAT OPEN DAY

Castletownbere Lifeboat Station had a very successful open day on Sunday afternoon last. The 52 ft all weather lifeboat ‘Roy and Barbara Harding’ was alongside the pier from 2 until 4. pm. and over 250 members of the public thronged to come on board and meet the crew and view the boat at close quarters.

It is amazing to think that a fishing port as busy as Castletownbere had no lifeboat service until only four years ago. Prior to that leisure and commercial craft in the area had to rely on the services of Valentia and Balitimore lifeboat stations. However, after many years of campaigning by locals, including Fundraising Secretary Mrs Sheila O’Driscoll, a lifeboat station was established in Castletownbere by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution  in October 1997. Since its inception, the Castletownbere Lifeboat has answered over 80 emergency calls to vessels in difficulty.

  The station provides a 24 hour lifeboat service necessary to cover search and rescue requirements to 50 miles out from the coast.

   The crew are all volunteers and unlike other emergency sevices do not get paid for their services. Each lifeboat station however employs a full time mechanic. Traditionally, the lifeboat crew was manned  by fishermen but this has changed dramatically in recent decades. With fishermen at sea earning a living, it is now necessary to draw crew from all walks of life,  and the Castletownbere crew is no different. Crews undergo training at three different levels – they have weekly training on board the lifeboat; crew members undergo specialised training at R.N.L.I  Headquaters at Poole in the U.K. ; and the R.N.L.I. sends mobile Training  units to Castletownbere to train crew in specialised areas such as First Aid, Navigation, Radio Operation, etc.

   Running the lifeboat service is an extremely expensive operation. The Lifeboat fundraises on an ongoing basis and depends entirely on voluntary contributions for its income. For every £1.00 raised, the R.N.L.I. only spends three pence on administration – the greatest part  of funds raised is spend on maintaining and replacing the lifeboat fleet., Locally, the lifeboat fundraising is well supported through individual fundraising events and the weekly lotto run jointly with Coaction Beara. This lotto is very well supported locally and yields over €15,000 to each organisation annually.

   The fifth annual open day saw many visitors  come aboard the boat from as far a field as the France, United States, Germany and the U.K., as well as many closer to home.  The Lifeboat also issued complimentary  and pamphlets on aspects of sea safety to all visitors.

Fishing Vessel towed to Safety Report 8th July 2002

 Castletownbere’s all weather lifeboat “Roy & Barabara Harding” was launched on service twice over the last two weeks. On Wednesday week last a call was received from Castletownbere based fishing boat “Lauralena” which had mechanical failure thirty miles south of Castletownbere.  The 55’ steel hulled boat with 5 person on board was located 17 miles south of Mizen Head and requested assistance.

Castletownbere lifeboat crew were paged at 1.15 a.m.  and launched on service at 1.30 a.m. Under coxswain B. O’Driscoll, and with crew M. Martin-Sullivan, B Gonnelly, J. Cross, M.O’Donoghue, P. Stevens, and P.O’Conor, the lifeboat proceeded to the location given and was on-scene at 3.45 a.m.

  Conditions were moderate with a force 4 to 5 north westerly wind and a moderate swell. The vessel was taken in tow and proceeded back towards Castletown at restricted speed. The tow took 5 hours and the “Lauralena” was berthed safely at Dinish Pier. The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again by 9.10 a.m.

  On the previous Saturday, the lifeboat launched along with Castletownbere Coastguard Unit and the Rescue Helicopter to assist a canoeist who was trapped in a ravine north of Ballydonegan Bay. The lifeboat was making way through the Dursey Sound when word came to say that the Castletownbere Coastguard had successfully reached the canoeist using its inflatable craft.

Fishing Vessel Towed to Safety - Report 14^th June 2002

A  Castletownbere  based fishing vessel, the “Ard Aluinn” requested assistance early on Thursday morning when a net fouled her propellor  about four miles north of The Bull Rock off the Beara Peninsula. The 56’ vessel, with three crew on board, raised the alarm at about 8.00 a.m. and Castletownbere Lifeboat was alerted was by Valentia Coastguard Radio.

  Castletownbere’s all-weather lifeboat, the “Roy and Barbara Harding”, was launched at 8.20 a.m. under Coxswain B. O’Driscoll, with crew M. Martin-Sullivan Snr.,  B. Gonnelly, J.T. O’Sullivan,  J. Murphy, & S. O’Sullivan, and proceeded to the location given.

  The Irish Naval vessel. L.E. Roisin, stood by until the lifeboat arrived on scene at 9.28 a.m.  Sea conditions were moderate with a two metre swell and a southerly wind. The “Ard Aluinn” was taken under tow at 9.40 a.m. and towed without incident to Castletownbere  and put alongside the pier at 12.53 p.m. Castletownbere lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again by 1.12 p.m.