First-ever female coxswain has made history for Appledore RNLI

History has been made at Appledore RNLI as the station welcomes its first-ever female lifeboat coxswain.

Volunteer Natalie Withey has been with the station for 10 years and this week she passed out as a fully qualified Tamar all-weather lifeboat coxswain following a rigorous assessment process.

When Natalie joined Appledore as shore crew in 2016 her only boating experience had been sunbathing on her father’s boat as a child.

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She quickly progressed to become a fully-fledged shore crew member before moving over to boat crew. She soon became a full crew member on both the all-weather and inshore lifeboats, progressing to casualty care, becoming a navigator in 2020 and the first female helm in 2023.

On Tuesday, February 17 and following her final written exam paper, Natalie took the all-weather lifeboat Mollie Hunt out in the biting cold with howling winds and rain to undertake her final on-board assessment, conducted by RNLI external assessor Ollie George.

She was supported by fellow crew members Del Elesmore, Matt Rowe, Matt Ayers, Robbie Ward and Allen Heath-Coleman.

The test consists of a wide range of scenarios a lifeboat coxswain might encounter, including the worst possible.

These included a man-overboard shout from a ‘sinking’ boat, a catastrophic engine fire on board the lifeboat, towing the inshore lifeboat to ‘safety’ and ‘engine failure’, which necessitated mooring up on one engine in a real force 8 gale and ripping tide.

Natalie said passing out as a Tamar coxswain felt ‘incredibly special’ and she had never imagined she would reach this point.

She said: “The encouragement, patience and belief given to me by everyone at Appledore Lifeboat Station has shaped me into the crew member I am today.

“I had an incredible crew beside me on the night and throughout my journey my husband and crew mate, Rich, has been a constant source of strength and support.

“I’m truly honoured to step into the role of coxswain at Appledore, alongside such a dedicated and wonderful team.”

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Bob Meller, Appledore RNLI Lifeboat operations manager added: “Nat, well done and well deserved after all the effort and commitment you have put in.

“You made history at Appledore Lifeboat Station last night. Massive congratulations.”