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Displaying items by tag: RNLI lifeboat

#NEWS UPDATE - A fisherman whose body was found in a Scottish harbour on St Stephen's Day has been identified as that of a 34-year-old Donegal man, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

Philip Anthony Toland, from Glengad in Inishowen, Co Donegal, was last seen on Christmas Day near the pier at Ullapool harbour in the Scottish Highlands.

As BBC News reports, concerns were raised later that evening and a search was launched involving police, coastguard and RNLI lifeboat teams.

The body was located by a police dive team in the sea near the pier when the search resumed on Monday morning.

It is being speculated that Toland - who has an eight-year-old son - may have slipped and fallen into the water while returning to his boat.

Published in News Update
The 30-strong crew of Llandudno RNLI are celebrating the 150th anniversary of their branch's founding.
"We are very proud to have reached this milestone," spokesman Alan Sharp told the Daily Post.
Since 1861 the Llandudno lifeboat has saved 550 lives from the Irish Sea off the coast of north Wales - many of them close to the town's renowned promenade.
The Daily Post has more on this story HERE.

The 30-strong crew of Llandudno RNLI are celebrating the 150th anniversary of their branch's founding.

"We are very proud to have reached this milestone," spokesman Alan Sharp told the Daily Post.

Since 1861 the Llandudno lifeboat has saved 550 lives from the Irish Sea off the coast of north Wales - many of them close to the town's renowned promenade.

The Daily Post has more on this story HERE.

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats
The Portaferry RNLI lifeboat was involved in the rescue of four men from a fishing boat that ran aground off the coast last Monday evening, the Belfast Telegraph reports.
The lifeboat aling with the Portaferry and Newcastle Coastguard and and Irish Coast Guard helicopter from Dublin responded to a distress call from a 60ft trawler that ran into difficulties close to Ardglass harbour.
All four men on board were rescued and treated by paramedics on scene, and the vessel was later refloated.

The Portaferry RNLI lifeboat was involved in the rescue of four men from a fishing boat that ran aground off the coast last Monday evening, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

The lifeboat along with the Portaferry and Newcastle Coastguard and and Irish Coast Guard helicopter from Dublin responded to a distress call from a 60ft trawler that ran into difficulties close to Ardglass harbour.

All four men on board were rescued and treated by paramedics on scene, and the vessel was later refloated.

Related Safety posts

RNLI Lifeboats in Ireland


Safety News


Rescue News from RNLI Lifeboats in Ireland


Coast Guard News from Ireland


Water Safety News from Ireland

Marine Casualty Investigation Board News

Marine Warnings

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat launched this afternoon to a 40–foot pleasure craft which has a foulded propeller, a mile east of Ballycotton lighthouse in East Cork. They are on scene at present (15:14) and are attempting to free the propellor. Update to follow.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Ballycotton lifeboat station received a request for assistance to a 31 ft. yacht with a fouled propeller 4 miles east of Ballycotton. The yacht, with two persons aboard, had left Crosshaven earlier when a rope wrapped around its propeller south of Knockadoon, East Cork.  On arrival at the casualty a lifeboat crewmember was placed on board and attempts were made to free the rope. With the successful completion of this exercise the yacht continued it journey and Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat returned to station.
Published in RNLI Lifeboats

 

An Garda Siochana received a call from a concerned woman who had observed a yacht struggling with its sail. She was unsure but was afraid that they may be having difficulties and in need of assistance. The Gardai contacted Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat station and 23:30 the Ballycotton lifeboat launched to investigate the report.  After a short search they returned to harbour having satisfied themselves that all was in order.

A few hours later, at 04:10, they launched again. This time it was to a 44 ft fishing vessel with propeller problems 37 miles south east of Ballycotton.  They are due to be with the casualty at 06:00 when a tow will be commenced. Conditions at sea are fresh and it will take approximately 6 hours to tow the vessel to harbour.

More to follow in due course.

 

 

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Courtown volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew and their supporters gathered today (Saturday 24 April 2010) to officially name their new IB1 lifeboat Cairde an Chuain. The name means Friends of the Harbour and was chosen in memory of Courtown lifeboat crew who have passed away.

 
The lifeboat and was made possible through a community appeal, which raised over €48,000 for the provision of the lifeboat and crew training.   Members of Seafield Golf and Country Club selected the RNLI Courtown appeal as their chosen charity for a year and raised thousands of euro towards the cost of the new lifeboat. 

 
Chairman of the RNLI Irish Council and Trustee for the charity, John Coyle underlined the importance of the lifeboat to Courtown, “ Every year sees an influx of visitors to this place, many of whom are drawn to the beautiful beaches and the great hospitality of the locals. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of lifeboat volunteers on hand day or night to help those who find themselves in difficulty at sea.  I wish Courtown lifeboat crew many successful launches and safe returns.”

 
Sam Kennedy, Courtown RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager added, "We are extremely grateful to everyone who gave so generously to our appeal.  This improved D class lifeboat will allow our volunteer crews to respond more quickly in emergencies and may well make the difference between life and death for someone in trouble on the water.”

 
Representatives from six families of crewmembers who have passed away officially named the lifeboat. Eileen O’Byrne, Eileen Redmond, James Sinnott, Linda Hurney, Mona Sheehan and John Redmond helped pour champagne over the bow of the lifeboat before it was launched into the sea and cheered on by the crowd. 

 
Cairde an Chuain D711 has replaced D548 Star of the Sea.  The previous lifeboat came into service in 1999 and was retired in August 2009.  The new lifeboat is five metres in length and can take three crew onboard.  It has a range of three hours at maximum speed of 25 knots. 

 

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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A man has been rescued from the River Tweed after falling from a ladder whilst boarding his angling boat. Lynda Bell, watch officer at Humber Coastguard says:


 We received a 999 call at 11.40 this morning reporting that the man had fallen in the water and asking for assistance. The caller had heard the man shouting for help and we could still hear him shouting for help in the background as the 999 call was made.


 “We requested the Berwick RNLI inshore lifeboat to launch and it was soon on scene picking the man up from the water.


"The 69 year old, who is from the Berwick area, was wearing a lifejacket so this meant that we were able to recover him from the water very quickly.  He also did exactly the right thing by shouting for help as soon as he entered the water. After a quick check over by ambulance paramedics he was allowed home.


“This incident shows just how crucial a lifejacket can be.  It can mean the difference between a swift and simple rescue or a protracted search with a possible fatal outcome.  Please remember to wear your lifejacket.  It’s useless unless worn.”

Published in Rescue

Courtown RNLI will hold an official naming and dedication ceremony for its new D-Class Lifeboat on Saturday 24 April 2010. The ceremony will take place at 2pm on the north pier in Courtown Harbour where the lifeboat will be officially named Cairde an Chuain (Harbour Friends).


The Courtown volunteer lifeboat crew and committee are issuing an invitation for everyone to join them for the ceremony. The new D-Class Lifeboat will have the number D711 and will be named Cairde an Chuain as a dedication to those volunteers of Courtown RNLI who have passed away.


Cairde an Chuain has replaced D548 Star of the Sea that came into service in 1999 and retired from service in August 2009. The funding for the new lifeboat was raised locally through various fundraisers and voluntary donations. The new inshore lifeboat costs €32,000 and is a significant investment in life saving. 


Courtown Lifeboat Operations Manager Sam Kennedy said, “ Everyone with Courtown RNLI is looking forward to this important event.  We hope that all our friends and supporters can join us on the day. A lifeboat naming ceremony is always a meaningful and memorable community event in the history of a lifeboat station.  I know this new lifeboat will go on many successful callouts for years to come.”

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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A 45ft wooden charter schooner went aground late yesterday afternoon in Roaring Water Bay, West Cork reports Sheela Broderick of Baltimore Lifeboat There were 3 men, 3 women and a young girl of preschool age on board at the time. The tide was falling so assistance was immediately required.

At 17:44, the Baltimore inshore lifeboat Bessie, was tasked to go to the assistance of the stricken vessel. Bessie is a twin-outboard Rigid Inflatable Boat that is capable of a top speed of 32 knots.

When the lifeboat arrived on scene, Helm,Micheal Cottrell, assessed the situation. The yacht was stuck fast on a rock on the North East corner of the East Skeam Island. A tow was passed to the schooner. Initially the inshore lifeboat attempted to pull the yacht off the rocks directly from behind, but the she did not budge. The vessel was listing 10 degrees on the rock, so it was decided to try a tow applied at right angles and this strategy proved successful in shifting the yacht from its perch.

The crew of the lifeboat then took 2 women and the little girl aboard as the journey time back to the yacht moorings at Sherkin Island was considerable. The lifeboat took the women and the little girl to Sherkin Island. The yacht was able to make her own way back to Sherkin with the rest of the passengers.

Lifeboat Crew: Helm - Micheal Cottrell, Ronan Callanan and Paul O’Driscoll.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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Howth 17 information

The oldest one-design keelboat racing class in the world is still competing today to its original 1897 design exclusively at Howth Yacht club.

Howth 17 FAQs

The Howth 17 is a type of keelboat. It is a 3-man single-design keelboat designed to race in the waters off Howth and Dublin Bay.

The Howth Seventeen is just 22ft 6ins in hull length.

The Howth 17 class is raced and maintained by the Association members preserving the unique heritage of the boats. Association Members maintain the vibrancy of the Class by racing and cruising together as a class and also encourage new participants to the Class in order to maintain succession. This philosophy is taken account of and explained when the boats are sold.

The boat is the oldest one-design keelboat racing class in the world and it is still racing today to its original design exclusively at Howth Yacht club. It has important historical and heritage value keep alive by a vibrant class of members who race and cruise the boats.

Although 21 boats are in existence, a full fleet rarely sails buy turnouts for the annual championships are regularly in the high teens.

The plans of the Howth 17 were originally drawn by Walter Herbert Boyd in 1897 for Howth Sailing Club. The boat was launched in Ireland in 1898.

They were originally built by John Hilditch at Carrickfergus, County Down. Initially, five boats were constructed by him and sailed the 90-mile passage to Howth in the spring of 1898. The latest Number 21 was built in France in 2017.

The Howth 17s were designed to combat local conditions in Howth that many of the keel-less boats of that era such as the 'Half-Rater' would have found difficult.

The original fleet of five, Rita, Leila, Silver Moon, Aura and Hera, was increased in 1900 with the addition of Pauline, Zaida and Anita. By 1913 the class had increased to fourteen boats. The extra nine were commissioned by Dublin Bay Sailing Club for racing from Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) - Echo, Sylvia, Mimosa, Deilginis, Rosemary, Gladys, Bobolink, Eileen and Nautilus. Gradually the boats found their way to Howth from various places, including the Solent and by the latter part of the 20th century they were all based there. The class, however, was reduced to 15 due to mishaps and storm damage for a few short years but in May 1988 Isobel and Erica were launched at Howth Yacht Club, the boats having been built in a shed at Howth Castle - the first of the class actually built in Howth.

The basic wooden Howth 17 specification was for a stem and keel of oak and elm, deadwood and frames of oak, planking of yellow pine above the waterline and red pine below, a shelf of pitch pine and a topstrake of teak, larch deck-beams and yellow pine planking and Baltic spruce spars with a keel of lead. Other than the inclusion of teak, the boats were designed to be built of materials which at that time were readily available. However today yellow pine and pitch pine are scarce, their properties of endurance and longevity much appreciated and very much in evidence on the original five boats.

 

It is always a busy 60-race season of regular midweek evening and Saturday afternoon contests plus regattas and the Howth Autumn League.

In 2017, a new Howth 17 Orla, No 21, was built for Ian Malcolm. The construction of Orla began in September 2016 at Skol ar Mor, the boat-building school run by American Mike Newmeyer and his dedicated team of instructor-craftsmen at Mesquer in southern Brittany. In 2018, Storm Emma wrought extensive destruction through the seven Howth Seventeens stored in their much-damaged shed on Howth’s East Pier at the beginning of March 2018, it was feared that several of the boats – which since 1898 have been the very heart of Howth sailing – would be written off. But in the end only one – David O’Connell’s Anita built in 1900 by James Clancy of Dun Laoghaire – was assessed as needing a complete re-build. Anita was rebuilt by Paul Robert and his team at Les Ateliers de l’Enfer in Douarnenez in Brittany in 2019 and Brought home to Howth.

The Howth 17 has a gaff rig.

The total sail area is 305 sq ft (28.3 m2).

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