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Displaying items by tag: Wicklow Lifeboat

Wicklow RNLI lifeboat Station is pleased to announce that Mary Aldridge has taken on the volunteer role of Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) following the recent retirement of Des Davitt.

As Lifeboat Operations Manager Mary will now be responsible for managing all operational activities at the RNLI station, as well as authorising the launch of the lifeboats.

Mary Aldridge joined Wicklow lifeboat Station as a volunteer Deputy Launching Authority four years ago. With a keen interest in aquatic sports and surf lifesaving, Mary was always interested in volunteering with the Lifeboat over the years.

As a member of An Garda Siochana for over 30 years, Mary was transferred to Wicklow from Dublin in 2007, and was the Inspector in Wicklow District until she retired in 2014.

During that time, as part of her garda role and responsibilities, she worked as Liaison Inspector for County Wicklow for Major Emergency Management. It was in this capacity that she got to know many of the crew at Wicklow Lifeboat Station and the other Emergency “Blue Light” Services.

Mary also has International experience as she served with the United Nations Civilian Police with the United Nations in Former Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR) for 12 months during the Balkan conflict in 1993/1994.

Mary is living in Wicklow for the past 20 years and is an avid sea swimmer. She regularly competes in Open Water competitions in the Leinster Open Sea Series and with Wicklow SC. She is a former Secretary and Vice Chairperson of Wicklow Swimming Club.

Speaking about her new volunteer appointment, Mary said: “I am really looking forward to my new role as Lifeboat Operations Manager at Wicklow Lifeboat Station. I have big shoes to fill in replacing Des Davitt. I wish Des and Angela all the best and an enjoyable retirement.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Tagged under
As reported previously on Afloat.ie the Bridget Carmel (WD-39) which was in a collision with the tanker Ocean Lady off Anglesey on Monday, not only appears occasionally in RTE's Angelus but also as a mural in Wicklow Port, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The 24m long green-hulled Wexford registered trawler, with a crew of three was escorted by the Wicklow lifeboat and safely secured alongside the ports East pier where she is superbly depicted at the same location. She is one of over a dozen vessels painted in great skill across an uneven surface along the pier's promenade wall and the work of local postman and shipping enthusiast Pat Davis.

Apart from the mural of the trawler (click HERE) there are a wide variety of vessels represented from general cargo-ships and the inclusion of STV Asgard II and the World's last ocean-going paddle-steamer P.S. Waverley. These vessels have too berthed alongside the adorned eastern breakwater where spectators flock to see the start of the biennial Round Ireland Yacht Race which was held last year.

The photo of the trawler was taken on a previous call at the Packet Quay, Wicklow and not Arklow as stated. The Packet Pier is the most used commercial quay in the Co. Wicklow port, where timber and scrap-metal cargoes are relatively common. For example the Arklow Rebel which loaded scrap-metal bound for Liverpool, to read more click HERE.

Published in Fishing

The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.