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Displaying items by tag: Shipyard handover

Manxman the newbuild flagship of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has officially joined the fleet during a transfer of ownership ceremony that took place in a shipyard in South Korea.

At a ceremony held at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), Lars Ugland, Chairman of the Board of the IOM Packet Co, signed the official documentation to complete the transfer of ownership on behalf of the Company.

The documentation to mark the transfer of the largest ferry built for the Steam Packet was completed at 11:40 South Korea time (03:40 BST) on the 11th May.

Mr HR Kim, President and CEO of Hyundai Mipo Dockyard also signed on behalf of the shipbuilders.

The historic moment brings to a close the newbuild phase of the project that began with the selection of Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in July 2020.

As Afloat reported, sea trials were completed at the end of April and the Manxman is now in the charge of Captain Andy Atkinson and Chief Engineer Dean Ellis.

Final preparations for departure of the 23 delivery voyage from Asia to Europe is to start tomorrow, 13 May.

During the voyage, six ports of call will be involved before arriving in UK waters, however this will firstly be to a port on the south coast of England.

This is to enable installation of final fixtures and fittings.

It is expected the Manxman will arrive in the Isle of Man ‘towards the end of June’, said the Steam Packet.

The Manxman Afloat adds is to replace the 25 year old Ben-My-Chree which was also custom-built for the company in 2008 at a Dutch shipyard.

The 'Ben' since then has been the main ferry operating the Douglas-Heysham route and during peak times operates seasonal sailings to Belfast.

In the early years, the ropax had also called to Dublin port, again during busy times.

Published in Shipyards

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

© Afloat 2020