New Gemini cabin RIB for Solent Rescue

[John Kennett]

Solent Rescue, one of several independent lifeboat stations around the Solent area, has chosen a Gemini for their new fast rescue boat. It's pretty distinctive and I guess it will become quite a common sight over the next few years.

Solent lifeboat volunteers raise cash for unique high-speed lifeboat (From Daily Echo)

[Starovich]

Originally Posted by John Kennett

Solent Rescue, one of several independent lifeboat stations around the Solent area, has chosen a Gemini for their new fast rescue boat. It's pretty distinctive and I guess it will become quite a common sight over the next few years.

Solent lifeboat volunteers raise cash for unique high-speed lifeboat (From Daily Echo)

Nice, congratulations, tho' personally I hope I don't need to be seeing it up close

[willk]

Originally Posted by John Kennett

It's pretty distinctive

Me likee!

[mikew4]

Nice.

[Ribochet]

Originally Posted by willk

Me likee!

Me too

Congratulations and best wishes to all the volunteers of Solent Rescue for now and the future

[Solent-Salted]

Hello all,

Apologies for the delay in responding.

The last 8 months have been a bit of a whirlwind.

This time last year we were prepping for a new season with our 7.9 metre Delta and trying to fathom out how we were going to her to meet RBCOP.

In June we took the very difficult decision to sell our main SAR asset and use that as the funding foundation to buy a built to order Rescue Boat Code of Practice compliant vessel. To try and get our old Delta to code we would have had to strip it down to its core components and this would have resulted in us lifting off the deck. It made more sense to realise the value of our current vessel and begin fundraising.

We had a target for a new boat but somehow we soon surpassed that and that was when we decided to aim for the boat we would best want to serve the Western Solent in.

We finally settled on the Waverider 880, she is 8.8m in length with a 3 metre beam, will self-right and has an electronic suite that will keep us scratching our heads for a number of months.

We will need more people to help, not just front of shop but also helping with fundraising and administration… You don’t have to live local to serve, I used to live in Basingstoke and drive down every weekend!

The boat build has begun and we expect to be going through shakedown and sea trials in early June.

I will be posting photos of the build as it progresses.

Stay safe!


Cameron
Solent Rescue

[Ribochet]

Originally Posted by Solent-Salted

The last 8 months have been a bit of a whirlwind.

This time last year we were prepping for a new season with our 7.9 metre Delta and trying to fathom out how we were going to her to meet RBCOP.

Retaining Declared Facility Status and compliance to MGM 466 (M) is a mammoth task for any present day Independent Lifeboat Service but it shows the true depth and commitment of those volunteer organisations who manage to succeed and keep it going for the future

Originally Posted by Solent-Salted

We will need more people to help, not just front of shop but also helping with fundraising and administration… You don’t have to live local to serve, I used to live in Basingstoke and drive down every weekend!

Very important point - everyone is welcome .

Originally Posted by Solent-Salted

I will be posting photos of the build as it progresses.

Look forward to them

[John Kennett]

Does this new code affect the RNLI's inshore lifeboat fleet as well?

[willk]

Originally Posted by John Kennett

Does this new code affect the RNLI's inshore lifeboat fleet as well?

Presumably so Boss - but as each vessel is from a fully detailed build specification and virtually identical equipment wise, the paper work is more manageable (for the squad of admin at HQ) whereas the Indies may have a once off example with sod-all build documentation - and Mavis at the Quonset Hut on the Pier may be a bit rusty on the old coding thingy.

I'd be perfectly happy to be rescued by either craft - but I suppose crew safety is becoming a "thing" nowadays...?

[Solent-Salted]

We are awaiting the assets, then we can adapt the SOPs we have for the new vessels.

The administration for DFA is now more of an audit trail of maintenance plans, crew training, testing and ensuring crew have the relevant qualifications.

Making it as idiot proof as possible....

Not that any of our crews are idiots but just proving out that we have put thought into our operations.