Naming ceremony is a special day for Mudeford RNLI
On a sunny June afternoon, the Mudeford RNLI volunteer crew gathered outside the station to officially name their new Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Henrietta H.
The new lifeboat was received at the station at the beginning of December last year and was funded by the extraordinary generosity of Dorothy and Derek Hunter of Portsmouth who bequeathed their entire estate to the RNLI.
A longstanding tradition within the RNLI, Naming Ceremonies allow stations, donors and communities, the chance to welcome the lifeboat into service and celebrate its naming.
Joining the crew were members of their families, local dignitaries, representatives from the Hunter family, HM Coastguard, the National Coastwatch Institute and the RNLI Council.
Chair of Mudeford Lifeboat Management Group, Neil Tallant, welcomed everyone to the event before local choristers The Funky Choir, led the audience in the National Anthem.
After sharing memories about Derek and Dorothy’s love of building and sailing boats, their nephew, Mark Hunter, ceremoniously passed the lifeboat to the RNLI’s Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Media, Jayne George. The lifeboat was then officially put into the care of Steve Doe and Tim Hewett, joint Lifeboat Operations Managers at Mudeford RNLI.
The ceremony continued with Reverend Kathy Hicken, leading the audience in a Service of Dedication during which Dorothy and Derek’s niece, Mandy Hunter, read a prayer. Their great-nephew Jack Hunter, followed with a spirited rendition of John Cooper-Clarke’s 2017 poem, Nation’s Ode to The Coast, before naming the lifeboat, Henrietta H and pouring champagne on the bow and the crew!
The ceremony concluded with awards for some of the volunteer crew including a Letter of Commendation for Helm, Ian Parker, from the RNLI Council for his leadership in conducting a very difficult rescue on 15 August 2024.
Following the ceremony, guests had the chance to see the new lifeboat in action as the volunteer crew performed various rescue scenarios including a boat on fire, complete with flash-bang explosions and the crew abandoning ship.
Mudeford RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Operations Managers, Tim Hewett and Steve Doe said, ‘The Naming Ceremony for our new Atlantic 85 lifeboat was a very special day for the crew and all who attended, and it is one we will never forget. We were also delighted so many members of the community joined us on the quay to mark this unique occasion.
‘We would like to give our sincere thanks to the Hunter family for joining us and for the exceptional generosity of Derek and Dorothy Hunter. Their legacy will live on in every rescue and every life saved at sea. With our new lifeboat, Henrietta H, we are better equipped than ever to continue our vital mission along the coast, saving lives at sea.’
Mudeford RNLI’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat Henrietta H has launched to 43 shouts this year so far and 46 since coming on service on 4 December 2024. The volunteer crew responded to 82 shouts in 2024.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.