Fenit RNLI has a double cause for celebration this weekend as it marks the 30th anniversary of the return of the service to a new base in Fenit Harbour after an absence of 25 years, as this year the lifesaving charity is also marking its 200th anniversary.
To mark the occasion, the station team is hosting an open day this Sunday 21 July at Fenit Harbour Marina between 1pm and 4pm.
A lifeboat was based in Fenit until its closure in 1969 and was served then by many of the fishermen in Fenit. Conditions were basic at that time but the commitment to save lives at sea never wavered. Many of today’s volunteers are descendants of the original crew.
In 1993, a group of people who believed a service was needed in Fenit began the task of trying to get the lifeboat reinstated and based at Fenit Harbour. After great determination and hard work, the case presented was successful.
On 29 June 1994, much to the delight of a large group gathered on Fenit Pier, an all-weather lifeboat was welcomed in from the distance having departed from the RNLI’s Support Centre in Poole, Dorset some days earlier.
The crew onboard that maiden journey arrived to a rapturous round of applause on an emotional but proud day for all who had dedicated so much of their time to reinstating the service.
Over the course of the last 30 years, a new lifeboat station has been built providing a permanent base from which the majority of the lifeboat operations are coordinated.
Fenit RNLI now has an all-weather Trent class lifeboat which can respond to call-outs safely in all weather conditions and an inshore D class lifeboat, known as the workhorse of the RNLI’s fleet operating closer to shore and coming into her own for searches and rescues in the surf, shallow water and confined locations — often close to cliffs, among rocks and even inside caves.
The geographical area covered by the lifeboat volunteers is from beyond the Blasket Islands to as far as Kilkee in Co Clare. The service has been launched in excess of 700 times since its return to service.
Speaking ahead of Sunday, Jackie Murphy, Fenit RNLI lifeboat press officer said: “We are delighted to be in a position to offer tours of the lifeboats where people, including children, can experience the internal structure and mechanics of the lifeboats.
“Other activities planned for the afternoon include a demonstration on the water, music, a RNLI shop with items for sale, tea/coffee and light refreshments.
“We wish to extend a warm welcome to all for the afternoon and extend our deepest gratitude to every person who has given so generously to the RNLI over the last 30 years including all of the people who have been operational crew members since the return of the service, the generous donations from the public, the Fenit RNLI fundraising team, the sponsors who have given so generously and people who have organised fundraising events as these funds are fully used for the provision of the service based at Fenit but covering a large geographical area.
“We will also remember our deceased RNLI colleagues and all who have lost their lives at sea.”