Tobermory RNLI exercises with Cunard’s Queen Victoria

At 294 metres or 964 feet in length - the equivalent of nearly three football pitches - the Queen Victoria is one of the largest cruise ships which are increasingly passaging through Tobermory RNLI’s ‘patch’. The opportunity to carry out a close quarters exercise was therefore too good to miss. The crew carried out a number of tasks, including transferring two volunteer crew and a stretcher via the pilot ladder, as well as giving trainee coxswains the opportunity to carry out some boat handling by coming alongside the 54.5 metres or 179 feet tall ship– all under the watchful gaze of some of the 2,061 passengers and 913 crew. Unbeknown to the Tobermory crew, three RNLI volunteers were also aboard as passengers. The crew also had an opportunity to work with one of the Queen Victoria’s tenders which was lowered from the cruise ship.

The initial introductions between Tobermory RNLI and the Queen Victoria’s captain were facilitated by Dr Helen Doe, Honorary Fellow at the University of Exeter’s Centre for Maritime Historical Studies, who is supervising Tobermory RNLI’s Lifeboat Operations Manager Dr Sam Jones’ PhD on the history of the RNLI in the 19^th century. Dr Doe, who is currently writing the RNLI’s bicentenary history to be published in 2024, was on board the Queen Victoria delivering a series of lectures and is a longstanding supporter of the charity which saves lives at sea. Plans for the exercise were then finalised between the Queen Victoria’s captain and Tobermory RNLI Station Coxswain, David McHaffie.

Coxswain David McHaffie said: ‘This was an extremely valuable opportunity for us to experience coming alongside a vessel of this size and to carry out training involving the transfer of personnel and a stretcher between the Queen Victoria itself and also one of its tenders. Our patch is increasingly seeing large numbers of cruise ships of all shapes and sizes and this exercise helped us understand how we could work with a large vessel in an emergency. We would like to thank the captain and crew of the Queen Victoria for allowing us to exercise with them and also Dr Helen for contacting the captain on our behalf’.

RNLI media contacts

Dr Sam Jones, Tobermory RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer and Lifeboat Operations Manager on 07747601900 or [email protected]

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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 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.

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