Humber RNLI exercise with former round-the-world yacht in Humber Estuary
CatZero, a 72-foot former racing yacht, took part in an exercise with Humber RNLI’s lifeboat on Monday 16 October.
The yacht CatZero is from the Hull Marina-based charity CatZero and the exercise gave their crew, and Humber RNLI crew, vital time honing rescue techniques.
The RNLI’s all-weather Severn-class lifeboat ‘The Pride of the Humber’ rendezvoused with Catzero in the Humber estuary.
During the joint exercise, they practised setting up fenders, coming alongside the yacht, transfer of lifeboat crew onto the yacht, and transferring a casualty from the yacht to the lifeboat using the basket stretcher, and finally setting a stern tow of the yacht.
The crew of the CatZero also demonstrated their process of recovering a person who had fallen overboard.
The bedrock of the Catzero charity is sailing and is a Humber-wide organisation based in the marina.
The yacht is used to offer unique opportunities to groups of children, young people, adults, and families as a tool to build self-confidence and making lasting positive and personal change in their lives.
Station Coxswain Joe Pieniak said: ‘Exercises like this are a huge benefit to our RNLI crews' on-going training and development for search and rescue. It also gives our crews a great insight to deck layout on all types of vessels - so we are vary grateful to the Charity Catzero, its skipper and crew for the day's exercise, and we look forward to exercising with them again.’
Notes to editors
Established at Spurn Point in 1810, Humber is the only lifeboat station with a full time crew and it has carried out some outstanding rescues during its 213 year history.
Issues impacting Spurn Point including ageing infrastructure, meant it was no longer commercially viable – or the best use of public donations – or safe for the RNLI to operate from this remote location. Therefore in February 2023 Humber RNLI relocated to Grimsby to continue providing a highly professional lifesaving response.
Plans are being developed to create a permanent lifesaving facility at Grimsby and to include the ability to help develop and train crews from around the UK and Republic of Ireland because of the variety of experience they can offer other crews.
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
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Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.