Teignmouth RNLI names new lifeboat Claude and Kath

The lifeboat Claude and Kath arrived at Teignmouth Lifeboat Station on 14 November and has already launched to 17 callouts, since being on service, but this weekend saw the lifeboat officially named in Teignmouth.

Representatives from the RNLI and the local community gathered at Teignmouth RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday 7 June to celebrate the new inshore lifeboat Claude and Kath.

A service of dedication for the lifeboat followed the naming ceremony, which was opened by Deborah Welland, Chair of the Lifeboat Management Group at Teignmouth, and saw Mark Dowie CBE, Deputy Lieutenant for Devon and RNLI Vice President officially hand Claude and Kath into the care of the RNLI on behalf of the donors. Adrian Carey, Head of Region accepted the lifeboat, presenting it to Andy Lilburn, Lifeboat Operations Manager for Teignmouth.

The lifeboat Claude and Kath has been primarily funded from the legacy of Miss Jean Stevenson. Jean Stevenson left a generous gift in her will, expressing her wish for funds to be used to name and Atlantic 85 lifeboat after her parents. Jean lived in Chesterfield and passed away in December 2019. Jean was a long-term supporter of the RNLI which started with her father, Claude, who raised funds for the RNLI including organising the local Lifeboat Day. Claude was presented a metal figure of a lifeboatman, engraved with his name which both he and Jean cherished deeply.

Additional funding was also provided by the legacy of Joan Eileen Kenney, who lived in Dorset, in memory of her late husband, John Kenney.

The lifeboat, Claude and Kath, will help volunteer crew at Teignmouth RNLI to continue saving lives at sea. Although she’s an inshore lifeboat, designed to operate in shallower water, the B class can handle fairly challenging open sea conditions too – force 7 near gale winds in daylight and force 6 at night.

Andy Lilburn, Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘Today is a special day for all of us here at Teignmouth as we celebrate Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Claude and Kath. This lifeboat will allow our volunteers to continue to save lives at sea and has already been launched to 17 call outs since she arrived on station in November.’

Deborah Welland, Lifeboat Management Group Chair said: ‘The RNLI is funded entirely by generous donations from the public, and we couldn’t continue our work without generous donations like this one. We’re grateful to Jean Stevenson for her generous, in memory of her parents, who loved the sea and supported the RNLI throughout their life’.

Reverend Prebendary Janes Chamberlain lead the congregation in the Service of Dedication that followed, where the Hymn Home from the Sea was sung, accompanied by local brass band Spectrum Music. Following this, Lord Clifford, Patron to Teignmouth Lifeboat station announced the formal name of the lifeboat whereby a bottle of champagne was poured over the side, before it launched at the end of the ceremony for a short demonstration in the River Teign.

Following the service and lifeboat demonstration, guests were treated to cream tea refreshments. Even with the downpours, everyone remained in high spirits, enjoying time with their families and fellow volunteers.

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.

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