PICTURES: Following a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic Invergordon gets a new state-of-the-art RNLI Shannon class lifeboat
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After the delay as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the state-of-the-art Shannon class vessel arrived at her new permanent home of Invergordon on Sunday.
In a fitting welcome to the town, five of the station's volunteer crew – with a combined service to the RNLI of more than 125 years – sailed her into the harbour.
The RNLB Agnes AP Barr arrived at precisely at 1:37pm, the time equivalent to the vessel's number 13-37, and the significance of the number is extra special to this lifeboat as contained within it are the names of more than 9000 loved ones in a new fundraising initiative for the charity.
After arriving in the Cromarty Firth for the first time, the vessel was escorted by the station's current all-weather Trent class lifeboat Douglas Aikman Smith for a slow pass of the town's waterfront with the Trent leading the way.
She arrived at her new berth in the town’s West Harbour with water canon display from the local Global Energy Group tug Strathdee.
It is the RNLI's latest class in the all-weather fleet and costs £2.1 million – it was seen as a fitting replacement for the station's current Trent class lifeboat which is nearing the 25 year life service.
The Shannon is powered by the vast twin Hamilton water jets as opposed to more traditional propellers giving it increased manoeuvrability and the ability to operate in shallower waters, ideally suited to Britain’s vast and rugged coastline.
With a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 250 nautical miles, the self-righting lifeboat is ideally suited for offshore searches or equally rescues in calmer shallower waters, her twin Scania 650hp engines provides enough power to tow large vessels.
The team at Invergordon as a whole were delighted to be given the news that a Shannon lifeboat would be the replacement for Douglas Aikman Smith and were further delighted and humbled when it was announced that the Shannon would also hold the first Launch a Memory campaign decal where for the first time, supporters could apply to have their loved one's name printed in the letters and numbers on the hull of lifeboat, which will save lives at sea for years to come.
Agnes A P Barr in memory of the main donor Agnes Arthur Paton Barr, who left in excess of £1m to the RNLI to fund a lifeboat on the east coast of Scotland. Mrs Barr was an RNLI member with a long family history of support for the RNLI, having funded numerous projects in Scotland during her lifetime, passing away at the age of 97.
Andrew Murray, RNLI coxswain at Invergordon Lifeboat Station, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Agnes A P Barr to Invergordon – especially as it will have the names of over 9,500 loved ones who are being commemorated in this wonderful way.
"It’s very humbling to see the special decal on our new Shannon-class. The volunteer crew at Invergordon Lifeboat Station feel honoured to receive something which means so much to so many people and will last for years to come. We feel privileged to be able to launch with people’s memories by our side, while helping those in need in all weathers.”
