Thursday, August 28, 2008
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Isle of Wight: Freshwater independent lifeboat

Shortfall could sink lifeboat service

By David Newble - Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A CASH crisis could force Freshwater’s independent lifeboat to stop operating its lifesaving service within the next few years because of a funding shortfall of around £100,000.
New regulations issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) mean Freshwater’s current boat, Spirit of the Wight, no longer meets updated health and safety requirements.
Previously the charity, which has operated out of Freshwater Bay since 1972, has sold its old boats to help pay for new rescue craft.
Now, because of new safety regulations, the existing RIB lifeboat is worth only £25,000, leaving around £100,000 for the charity to find to pay for a new £220,000 vessel. The rest of the money for the new boat will come from the charity’s usual fundraising activities.
Lifeboat crews are called out between 25 and 30 times a year by coastguards to conduct offshore rescues and were on duty from 6am to late afternoon during this year’s Round The Island Race, when they rescued two people who fell overboard.
They cover an area that stretches from Freshwater Bay to the Back of the Wight and can conduct rescues offshore up to 30 miles away.
Freshwater Independent Lifeboat president Don Wright said: “It is very serious. We average between 25 and 30 callouts a year from the coastguard.
“When we are called out by the coastguard, we can go to rescues in the mid-Channel. If we go back to using an open boat, it would restrict what we can do.
“We would be not much more than what we started off with, as an inshore rescue craft. We would still be able to cover the Back of the Wight, but only within a distance of three miles off shore.
“We have already been turned down for extra funding by the Lottery and the Isle of Wight Charitable Trust,” said Mr Wright.
“It is difficult because we have to raise £30,000 a year just to keep the boat running.
“Because the value of the boat has been wiped out, we have a shortfall of £100,000.”
• Picture in the Friday, July 25, County Press.