Torbay RNLI’s All Weather Lifeboat returns after a week’s routine maintenance.
Last week, our Severn Class All-Weather lifeboat (ALB) 17-28 ‘Alec and Christina Dykes’ was taken out of the water at Noss Boatyard for routine maintenance and a spruce up. She returned home to her moorings outside Torbay RNLI station in Brixham on Thursday 30th May.
'The boat was out for its six-monthly planned maintenance. Ash and our volunteers were joined by RNLI coastal technicians, bringing their additional expertise on the mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical systems.
'The team also took the opportunity to lacquer and polish the hull, achieving a fantastic finish as can be seen in the photographs taken by the crew as she went back into the water.'
Andrew passaged the boat back around to Brixham with a crew of five on Thursday morning, and she’s now back on our berth, gleaming, and fully operational.
Andrew was keen to add; 'The Noss on Dart Marina team provided brilliant service and support as always, helping our team and the RNLI’s coastal technicians to complete a great job.
'She’s now looking quite shiny and resplendent back on her moorings. She’s also a tangible reminder of the public’s generosity supporting our mission to save lives at sea.'
All-weather Lifeboat 17-28 (the unique ‘Class Number’ on the side), or RNLI 1255 (the RNLI’s official vessel number), was named the ‘Alec and Christina Dykes’ at her formal launch ceremony on 31st October 2001, after the lady and husband whose bequest paid for most of its £1.8 million cost. The remaining funding came from individuals and organisations, as noted on a brass plaque mounted in the wheelhouse.
She has provided significant service since her appointment to Torbay station in 2001, enabling the station to extend cover from a previous 30 to a 50 mile radius reachable within 2 hours.
Following a major refit in 2018, she now carries two MTU 10v2000 M94 engines, each of 1,600 hp, that together generate a top speed of just over 25 knots. She is made from fibre-reinforced composite material whose hard chine semi-displacement hull is built so that she can stay afloat even if 2 of her 5 compartments are flooded. She accommodates a working crew of 7, and is self-righting, which is handy in heavy seas. She is one of only 46 such vessels made by Berthon Boat Company in Lymington, between 1992 and 2005.
Her sturdy construction has not only enhanced the reach of our services but has facilitated our ability to assist in heavy sea, as she did on 13th January 2008 when in force 9 winds and severely rolling, four metre swells, she allowed our volunteer crew to make repeated approaches to Ice Prince, a freighter in distress and listing at 45 degrees at the time, to take eight remaining people off the vessel before she finally broke up.
The ‘Alec and Christina Dykes’ 17-28 has come a long way from our first open-air lifeboat, which was launched 158 years ago and funded by the citizens of Exeter after the great storm of 12th January 1866 claimed almost 100 lives.
She is one of 458 lifeboats stationed around the coastlines of UK and Ireland, who last year alone assisted 8,374 people, saving 239 lives.
With more people coming to enjoy their summers in the West country, and in Torbay in particular, swelling our population in August from 134,000 to 200,000, and with more people enjoying water sports, we are fortunate in having this asset at our disposal.
As a registered charity, the RNLI relies financially on the public’s donations, our fund raising events and legacies. It’s also contingent upon the commitment and teamwork of the volunteer crews, fundraisers and land supporters, as well as maintaining the performance of our lifeboats and equipment in peak tip-top condition.
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
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.