‘Diamond Jubilee’ celebrates 60 years
Eastbourne RNLI Lifeboat Station’s new £2.7m 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 on Monday.
It was 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, which is expected to be placed on station in Eastbourne and ready for active service towards the end of June.
Eastbourne’s newTamar 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, theTamar enables the charity to save lives at sea even more effectively. The cost of the £2.7m 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. There now follows detailed testing and trials, with crew training to operate the vessel expected to begin in May, split between the RNLI College at Poole and on station.
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.
