Dungeness Lifeboat Station News 

Dungeness RNLI lifeboat coxswain Stuart Adams was chosen to attend the International Lifeboat Federation Conference in Sweden

The Dungeness RNLI lifeboat coxswain was recently chosen to demonstrate the new RNLI’s experimental FCB 2 (fast carriage boat) lifeboat in Gothenburg. Dungeness has been hosting the trials for the experimental boat during the winter months and Stuart was chosen because of his expert knowledge and boat handling experiences, spending a week in Sweden. 
There were also several other lifeboats from different countries on show at the conference. Stuart said ‘ it was a good experience for me to meet other countries’ lifeboat services and gave me a chance to get to know the different aspects within the RNLI’
The FCB 2 is now back in Poole Harbour waiting to continue the next part of its trials before it has the improvements refit after which it will continue on another 12 months trials around the English coast.

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Dungeness RNLI’s lifeboat coxswains and navigators complete competence based radar & electronic navigation training.

With the RNLI’s strategy to ‘train one, save many’, the RNLI’s mobile training unit from Poole has been based at the Dungeness lifeboat station for the past two weeks.  The Coxswain, second coxswains and reserve coxswains together with the navigators have taken part in their own time to update themselves in the newest skills of electronics.  Radar and electronic navigator instructor Peter White from RNLI headquarters in Poole said ‘ The dedication and commitment from these men at Dungeness and to the RNLI is unbelievable, they have voluntarily fitted in this two week course between their fulltime jobs, families and spare time to obtain the qualifications necessary to take our RNLI lifeboats, they are a credit to the lifeboat service and to this RNLI station at Dungeness’

See the Photo in the Gallery CLICK HERE

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Refit for Dungeness RNLI lifeboat ‘Pride & Spirit’

On Saturday 27 January 2007, the Dungeness RNLI lifeboat ‘Pride & Spirit’ went on passage to Southampton to begin a refit.

Trevor Bunney (39) Dungeness RNLI lifeboat station’s full time mechanic will periodically visit the ‘Pride and Spirit’ at a Southampton boatyard to inspect the refit.

Coxswain Stuart Adams (46 see picture above) said “ the refit will take aprroximately 18 weeks to complete and in the meantime we will have the relief Mersey RNLI lifeboat No: 1221, Margaret Jean, on station’.

The RNLI is a registered charity and continues to rely on voluntary contributions and legacies for income.

Dungeness RNLI lifeboat station has complete refurbishment of the souvenir shop.

During the winter months the old souvenir shop has been gutted and has taken on a new look. The shop will be re-opened on Saturday, 3rd March from 12 pm until 5 pm, everyone is welcome to come along.

Nigel Packer, chairman of the fundraising committee said ‘we have worked hard to improve the décor and facilites in the shop. We can now stock and display more items, offer confectionary and have computer interactive liason with the RNLI’s sea safety campaign in relaxing surroundings. We will be open every weekend from 12 pm until 5 pm. Schools, coach parties, scouts/brownies/cubs packs etc are welcome to visit the lifeboat station and talks can be arranged. Please contact the boathouse on 01797 320317 or ring me on 01797 321415 or even leave a message on the shop answer phone 01797 329108 and we will do our best to accommodate everyone’

The RNLI is a registered charity and continues to rely on voluntary contributions and legacies for its income.

See the photo in the gallery.

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William has been a RNLI volunteer for the past forty years and has recently been promoting sea safety as part of the RNLI’s new initiative. He said “ Every year our voluntary lifeboat crews respond to more than 8,000 incidents, many of which could have been prevented with simple safety precautions.  Over half of these launches are to leisure craft and we within the RNLI believe more lives could be saved if leisure craft users were more safety conscious.  There is a now a new RNLI Sea Safety Booklet with a interactive CD Rom which includes the main FIVE sea safety tips, which are:-

1 – Wear a life jacket

2 – Check engine and fuel

3 – Tell others where you are going

4 - Carry some means of calling help

5 – Keep an eye on weather and tides

these tips and others are available in the booklet FREE from the RNLI boathouse at Dungeness for any leisure craft owner.”

The Pilot Inn at Dungeness donates Video Camera to the RNLI Dungeness lifeboat crew.

On Wednesday 18 October 2006, Dungeness RNLI lifeboat crew were presented with a video camera from Niko and Rachel Miaoulis, landlord and landlady of the Pilot Inn, Dungeness.

Rachel Miaoulis said ’ The Dungeness Lifeboat has been an integral part of this community for nearly two hundred years. Although we are relatively new comers to this area we have always supported our local lifeboat.  When we heard that a water proof video camera was needed by the Dungeness Crew we held a special quiz night and donated the whole evening takings to purchase the camera and accessories. We are proud to be part of the way forward for the RNLI and our local lifeboat crew’

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The RNLI held a SEAMANSHIP course for eight Crew members at the boathouse last week.  The course was run by RNLI’s mobile unit seamanship instuctor, Scott Midwinter who visits RNLI stations around the country.

Scott Midwinter said ‘ the purpose of the course is to train lifeboat crew in seamanship, ropework and associated subjects to a standard that will allow them to safely operate RNLI equipment.

The course is part of the RNLI’s committed iniative to training – TRAIN ONE – SAVE MANY!!

The RNLI is a registered charity and continues to rely on voluntary contributions and legacies for income.

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Seven Dungeness RNLI lifeboat crew received framed letters of thanks from the RNLI for their dedicated team work in saving four persons on a sinking Dutch yacht on 14 July 2006

At the annual lifeboat blessing held on Sunday 24 September, the Chairman of the Dungeness RNLI management committee, William Richardson presented a long service medal to tractor driver Chris Shore and a letter of thanks to Derek Buckland who recently retired as chairman of the Dungeness fundraising committee.

Lydd Town Mayor, Chris Albrow then presented each of the seven lifeboat men with their personal framed letter of thanks from the RNLI operations director Michael Viasto, for their individual part in the team rescue of the yacht ‘Open your Eyes’ taking in water and sinking last July, under the command of coxswain Stuart Adams.

Several attempts were made to transfer the lifeboat pump to the Dutch yacht but were aborted because of the rough sea conditions. Crew volunteer Richard Fletcher was then put aboard the yacht and the salvage pump was eventually transferred.  As well as the coxswain and the mechenic Trevor Bunney, the five volunteer lifeboat crew members awarded were: Mark Richardson, Paul Russon, John Stevens, Richard Fletcher and Simon Collins.

The RNLI operations director Michael Viasto quoted in the framed letter “in the easterly force 7 winds and in the rough sea conditions, the coxswain Stuart Adams correctly decided to escort the yacht to Boulogne which was the nearest port and it should be noted that without the intervention of the RNLI lifeboat, the yacht and persons aboard would have been lost”.

See the photo in the gallery.

ERIC WHENDAY'S PRESENTATION FOR 10 YEARS SERVICE AS LOM OF DUNGENESS RNLI LIFEBOAT STATION

Eric is a local chartered boat skipper and operates from Dungeness.  He was made DLA for the station in 1990. He stepped in to the job as Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) in 1995 after the unexpected death of the previous LOM, Christopher Wren in 1995. Eric has always been enthusiastic and dedicated in the smooth running of the station and has encouraged excellent team work throughout so it was with great pride that the Chairman of the RNLI Management Committee at Dungeness, William Richardson presented a pair of binoculars and framed certificate on behalf of the Institution."

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On Sunday the 9th of July, Michael Hogben did an antique valuation day that helped to boost the funds of Dungeness RNLI by over £165.00.

Thank you Michael it was a great day !

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It was with real pleasure that William Richardson, Chairman of the Management Committee of Dungeness Lifeboat finally was able to take Doris Tart, 84 one of the famous Lifeboat Lady Launchers to see her families' medals and vellums displayed at the RNLI Museum in the Historic Dockyard at Chatham

Doris had donated her precious family memorabilia but was not well enough to attend last March when her exhibition opened.  However her visit was re-scheduled to last Saturday and the RNLI Lifeboat Museum enthusiasts laid on tea and cakes for her private visit.