A warm welcome and fond farewell for RNLI lifeboat Esme Anderson
On Saturday 10 February, Eastbourne RNLI were joined by their neighbouring stations and the local community to welcome their new station Lifeboat.
Eastbourne Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) welcomed their new station all-weather lifeboat 14-02 Esme Anderson to its new home in Sovereign Harbour (Saturday 10 February). The lifeboat was accompanied by Eastbourne’s neighbouring stations’ lifeboats Hastings and Newhaven, as well as Eastbourne’s current D-Class inshore lifeboat and relief Trent Class lifeboat.
Esme Anderson had previously been at Ramsgate RNLI where it was on service for nearly 30 years. Ramsgate’s volunteers and families provided a welcome breakfast to Eastbourne’s lifeboat crew before 14-02’s departure. A prayer for the safety of all the crews was said by Ramsgate’s station Chaplain, Father John Chater.
It was a fond farewell as Ramsgate’s Tamar lifeboat Diamond Jubilee and relief lifeboat Peter and Lesley-Jane Nicholson set off their water hoses at the harbour entrance to send lifeboat Esme Anderson on her way. Joining in on the send-off were many of the local community who could be seen on both Piers to wave her goodbye, as local fishing boats followed her out.
On her approach into Sovereign Harbour, 14-02 Esme Anderson, was accompanied by Eastbourne’s current on service lifeboat Henry Heys Ducksworth and D-class David H, alongside her new neighbouring stations’ lifeboats Richard and Caroline Colton, Hastings RNLI, and David and Elizabeth Acland, Newhaven RNLI. The community spirit in Eastbourne was not dulled by the rain as many local supporters eagerly waited on both sides of the harbour entrance and lock gates to welcome her home.
Eastbourne RNLI’s station mechanic, James Wishman, said:
‘On behalf of everyone at Eastbourne lifeboat station I’d like to thank all those who came out in the rain to cheer and welcome the arrival of our new station all-weather lifeboat Esme Anderson’.
At 3pm, Esme Anderson made her first entrance into Sovereign Harbour where she was refuelled and made ready for service. From Monday 12 February she has now officially become the on service lifeboat for Eastbourne RNLI.
Notes to editors
Eastbourne RNLI have had relief lifeboat Henry Heys Duckworth since Sunday 7 July 2023, to replace their previous on service Tamar lifeboat Diamond Jubilee. The Trent class was used for the crews transitional training before Esme Anderson was brought on service at the station. With the departure of Diamon Jubilee, Henry Heys Duckworth became the station’s operational lifeboat on Friday 11 August 2023. In her short time as Eastbourne RNLI’s operational lifeboat, she launched 22 times on service and 47 times for exercise.
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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 144,000 lives.
RNLI at 200
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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.
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