Appledore's new lifeboat just cannot wait to help

dave.tanner@archant.co.uk
08 March 2010

APPLEDORE'S new lifeboat just cannot wait to help, carrying out her first rescue while still not yet fully commissioned and undergoing sea trials and crew training off the south coast.

The new £2.7 million state of the art Tamar class RNLI lifeboat Molly Hunt is due to go on station at Appledore for the first time before the end of the month, subject to her sea trials.

Last week she was on trial between Penlee and Plymouth, being put through her paces by Appledore's coxswain Martin Cox.

Weather conditions were fresh with an easterly Force 6-7 wind blowing when a Mayday call came over the radio. The yacht Polly Argatha, with five people on board, was in serious trouble off Cawsands Bay near Plymouth. She had lost power and an on-shore wind was blowing her towards the coast.

The Molly Hunt was the nearest lifeboat to the yacht and was tasked with her first rescue. She arrived quickly on scene and took the Polly Argatha under tow. She was taken to Plymouth, where the tow was handed over to the Plymouth RNLI, allowing Molly to continue her sea trials.

Coxswain Martin Cox said: 'We had a great week testing our new Tamar and learning her idiosyncrasies. The Molly Hunt is a lovely boat, handles well in all conditions and has already shown she is up to the job of saving lives and rescuing people in trouble. Not many lifeboats get the opportunity to do their first rescue before they are even officially fully commissioned, but our Molly just could not wait. We will be bringing her home later this month, where crew training will continue from Appledore. She will then be officially signed over to us and we will say 'thank you' and goodbye to the George Gibson, which has served us faithfully for the past 22 years