RNLI takes over lifeboat operations at Cowes

The area is one of the busiest stretches of water in the country and an important and busy one for the leisure boating industry. Particularly during the summer months, large numbers of people enjoying various forms of leisure boating rub shoulders with the commercial activity that includes several high speed and conventional ferry routes to and from the Isle of Wight.

Commercial vessels of all sizes pass close to Cowes bound for Southampton, whose callers include large container and cruise ships. Downstream in Southampton Water the huge ExxonMobil oil refinery at Fawley, the largest in the UK, handles around 2,000 ship movements annually.

The volume of activity places a big demand on the maritime emergency services and an abundance of resources are on hand to respond when things go wrong.

One of the independent lifeboat stations in the Solent is the Cowes Inshore Lifeboat, operating the 8.9m Barbarian class semi-rigid inflatable lifeboat Spirit of Cowes, partially built by Island Plastics Ltd at Cowes. It is a registered charity and earlier this year the Trustees made a formal request to the RNLI asking them to take over their operation at West Cowes. Between Hayling Island in the east and Lymington in the west, the RNLI operate six lifeboat stations including two on the Isle of Wight.

With the busy summer season approaching it was important that the training, management and operational changes during the transition period were completed as smoothly as possible. These changes included replacing their existing lifeboat with a relief Atlantic 85 class inshore lifeboat. For the existing volunteers who were to man the new boat it was a case of stepping out of one pair of boots into another and adapting to the RNLI’s methods of operation, including benefiting from their comprehensive and modern training facilities. In turn the RNLI inherited the crew’s experience and local knowledge.

The station was formally taken over by the RNLI on 1 July and it is planned that a long term replacement lifeboat will be allocated at a future date.

Michael Vlasto, director of operations for the RNLI commented, ‘This is an important day as another RNLI lifeboat station is established. Whilst recognising the excellent work carried out by the dedicated volunteers who have operated the independent service from West Cowes for the last 19 years, we hope to develop the station even further now it has become part of the RNLI family’.

By Peter Barker