Double royal appointment for new RNLI lifeboat, Diamond Jubilee
Eastbourne RNLI Lifeboat Station’s new £2.7 million Tamar lifeboat – which will be named Diamond Jubilee in honour of RNLI Patron, Her Majesty The Queen – took to the water for the very first time last week (Monday 6 February); 60 years to the day that The Queen ascended to throne. The new lifeboat will also be among the highlights of the Diamond Jubilee River Thames Pageant this summer.
The charity’s new lifeboat, Diamond Jubilee, will be one of 1,000 vessels making their way along the River Thames on Sunday 3 June to celebrate The Queen’s 60-year reign. The Pageant is set to be the largest flotilla in modern times on the River, with boats of all shapes and sizes stretching for an estimated 12.5 miles.
Among the select few onboard the Diamond Jubilee on 3 June will be Eastbourne crew members Coxswain Mark Sawyer and Mechanic Dan Guy. Other crew will represent the different countries and islands of the British Isles where the RNLI saves lives at sea.
Meanwhile, The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will be onboard the Royal Barge, The Spirit of Chartwell, as the focal point of the flotilla.
The new lifeboat’s participation in the Diamond Jubilee event will coincide with the final part of Eastbourne RNLI crew’s training and familiarisation with their new lifeboat. She is expected to be placed on station in Eastbourne and ready for active service towards the end of June.
Paul Metcalfe, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Eastbourne RNLI, described the opportunity as ‘an honour’. He said: ‘Occasions like this don’t come along every day. Not only will our crew receive a new Tamar lifeboat this year, she will proudly take her place in the very special Thames pageant, which celebrates our Patron The Queen’s 60-year reign.
‘Given that the appeal for funds towards our new Tamar coincides with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, it is an honour and a privilege that the lifeboat, and some of our crew, will be onboard and taking part in this once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the extraordinary commitment of Her Majesty, our volunteers and all those who support the RNLI.’
Eastbourne’s new Tamar lifeboat replaces the current all-weather lifeboat, which is almost 20 years old. With a top speed of 25 knots – a crucial factor when lives are at risk – the Tamar enables the charity to save lives at sea even more effectively. The cost of the £2.7 million lifeboat has been funded by two generous legacies and other local fundraising efforts, but the RNLI still needs to raise over £300,000 to fully fund the build.
The final part of fitting out the new Tamar took place at Babcock’s boatyard in Plymouth. She was lifted by crane and lowered into the water for the very first time on Monday 6 February, commemorating the date on which The Queen ascended to the throne in 1952 and became RNLI Patron.
There now follows detailed testing and trials, with crew training to operate the state-of-the-art vessel expected to begin in May – split between the RNLI College at Poole and on station. Once all crew have been ‘passed out’ by an RNLI inspector, it is hoped the new lifeboat and her crew will be ready for active service by the end of June.
The opportunity to take part in the Thames Pageant was extremely popular with an average of three boats applying for every available place. The pageant organisers and representatives from the River community were involved in the selection process, which considered safety, fitness-for-purpose and range of vessel type as well as exploring whether the vessel was of historical significance or had an interesting story to tell. It is particularly poignant that the RNLI will be represented in the Pageant as the Thames is the only river upon which the charity operates a lifeboat service, with four RNLI stations along its tidal reaches.
The RNLI will also be providing inshore lifeboats as safety cover for the duration of the River Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.