107 SPONSORED BY PREMIER NOSS ON DART


NEWS FROM THE RNLI LIFEBOAT TEAM IN DARTMOUTH


OPERATIONS REPORT The trial of the Atlantic B class lifeboat in Dartmouth started in October 2018. The station has received a very positive letter from the RNLI concerning the Atlantic operations and training to date. Rob Clements said, “An enormous amount of work has been under- taken. Progress will be reviewed every six months”. There is still Atlantic night time training to be completed by a few people. The Atlantic had five shouts in 2018. The first was to Start Point to a boat with a rope round its propeller. It took the Atlantic 14 minutes to get out there. Over the 22nd and 23rd December both boats, the Torbay all weather lifeboat, four shore teams and the coastguard heli- copter were involved in a search for a missing local man. After his body was finally recovered the RNLI trauma team attended the station to support the crew. Over the New Year period there


were gale force 9 winds in the harbour and it was uncertain whether the Atlantic would have to be moved from her berth on the Aquadock alongside the low water landing to a more sheltered position in a marina. In the event she safely rode out the storm in her usual position. The station had 46 shouts in 2018, so it was our second busiest year. There have been four launch- es so far this year. On the 1st of February the Atlantic lifeboat was launched to assist a 63tonne 75ft. yacht that had lost its steering just


after they had lowered their sails and were motoring in past the Castle Ledge buoy. In the event the five man crew managed to set up a jury steering rig just after the life- boat reached them. The volunteers escorted the huge yacht to a berth alongside the Town pontoon.


AREA LIFESAVING MANAGERS (ALMS) Simon Crayfourd is a paid member of the RNLI staff and is based in Kingsbridge. As an Area Lifesaving Manager he has overall responsibility for Dart lifeboat station and is the manager for Mark Strudwick, our volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager. The new lifesaving delivery areas


are now in place: Last summer, the RNLI reviewed and identified some areas where the lifesaving area boundaries were not quite right. As a result some changes have been made to ensure the RNLI’s Area Lifesaving Managers (ALMs) are best placed to provide the most effective support. There are now


47 areas instead of 41, each with a dedicated ALM. It was recognised that many of


our activities, such as training and cover for our lifeboats, depend on a close working relationship with the Torbay lifeboat station. For this reason Simon has now been given the responsibility to add the man- agement of Torbay Lifeboat Station to those he already covers, i.e. Dart, Salcombe and Plymouth.


FUNDRAISING AND REPLACING THE SPIRIT OF THE DART The RNLI Dart Fundraising team, under the chairmanship of Bob Gilbert, are due for a busy summer. D class inshore lifeboats are usually replaced after around 10 years of active service. The Spirit of the Dart, D 702, donated by Mike Felton and Caterfood, went into active service on 2 August 2008 and has been launched on active service 351 times up to 31 January 2019 and saved 11 lives. The generous couple funding the new replacement D class at


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124