Mineheads state of the art Atlantic 85 Lifeboat will be formally handed over to the town’s volunteer crew following a service of dedication attended by local and RNLI dignitaries on Saturday 3rd May at 15.00.
The service will be held at the Lifeboat station the Harbour Minehead with proceedings commencing at 15.00 hrs.
The Lifeboat which has been operational since 2007 is the first of its kind on the Somerset coast and was made possible thanks to the generous legacy of the late Miss Joan Batty. Minehead resident Miss Batty specified that she wanted the Lifeboat to go to Minehead in the memory of her late mother Florence Alice.
The ceremony, which will be attended by volunteer Lifeboat crew, support staff, guild and committee members and will be handed over to the care of the RNLI by Kevin Escott. Mr. Escott has a long association with the station and was the previous Lifeboat Operations Manager. She will then be accepted by Lord Greenway the fourth Baron Greenway who is a member of the RNLI council who will present the boat to Lifeboat Operations Manager Dr John Higgie.
Following a service of dedication conducted by the Rev Simon Lloyd Vicar of Minehead with musical accompaniment by Watchet Town Band she will be formally by named by Mrs. Jill Escott.
Following the ceremony the Lifeboat will launch and carry out a demonstration exercise with the Barry Dock Lifeboat from Wales. It is also hoped that an RAF helicopter from RAF Chivenor will carry out a fly-past subject to operational commitments.
The Atlantic 85 is larger than the outgoing Atlantic 75 lifeboat and carries a crew of 4. Designed and built by the RNLI’s Inshore Lifeboat Centre on Cowes IOW following close consultation with volunteer crews. Her twin 115 HP Yamaha engines give her a top speed of in excess of 34 knots whilst giving improved fuel economy.
The new boat also boasts the latest technical advances in maritime rescue including radar, a chart plotter and VHF direction finding equipment normally found on larger all weather Lifeboats.
The Atlantic 85 will continue to be launched and recovered from the beach; however, due to the increased size a new carriage was required.
