DARTMOUTH residents and visitors were out in force on Saturday, July 9, to welcome in the town’s new lifeboat.

Seven volunteers from the Dart RNLI lifeboat crew brought the new Atlantic 85 B-931 from the lifeboat College in Poole to Dartmouth by sea. They were greeted at the entrance to Dartmouth Harbour by a flotilla of other lifeboats from around the area and other well-wishers with their boats on the water.

A crowd was waiting on foot for them at the harbour as they arrived in the town. The procession passed under a water arch provided by the new Dartmouth fire appliance, which created rainbows over the boats in the bright sunlight.

The lifeboat crew broke their journey from Poole at Lyme Regis and Brixham lifeboat stations en route to Dartmouth and its huge warm welcome.

Rich, who was at the new lifeboat’s helm, said: “I was amazed that there were so many people and boats to welcome us at Dartmouth.”

A spokesperson for Dart RNLI said: “The people of Dartmouth, Totnes and surrounding areas can feel far safer on land and on the water, protected by the latest fire appliance and lifeboat.”

The lifeboat was brought into the harbour from Poole by sea. Its crew - Rich, Ewen, Mark C and Yorkie - had set out from a busy Poole Harbour at 10am. They stayed close to the coast and dipped into Lulworth Cove and looked at Durdle Door on their way along the Jurassic Coast. At Lyme Regis the volunteers from the station helped them to refuel and change over to the new crew of Rich, Caleb, Hayden and Tom.

The spokesperson added: “After rounding Portland Bill they sailed directly to the lifeboat station at Brixham. Members of the Torbay lifeboat crew there helped them erect bunting on the new boat to help the public distinguish her from the current Atlantic 85 Dart lifeboat and the Atlantic 85 Salcombe lifeboat.”

Dart RNLI’s current lifeboats, and others from surrounding stations, met the newcomer up at the entrance to Dartmouth Harbour around 4.30pm. The distinctive orange lifeboat flotilla, led by Mallard, the Dart Harbour pilot boat, then processed into Dartmouth.

Mallard was followed by the Dart RNLI D class lifeboat D-838; current Dart RNLI B class lifeboat B-825; the new Dart RNLI B class lifeboat B-931; Salcombe RNLI B class lifeboat B-905 with three volunteers on board and, at the rear, The Robert - a 47ft Watson class lifeboat based at Broughty Ferry near Dundee. She was sold by the RNLI in 1992.

Crowds greeted the boats at the harbour at the end of its long voyage to Dartmouth.

The procession of boats passed under a water arch provided by the new Dartmouth fire appliance.

Fire Service Commander Simon Rendell said it was great to be involved in the welcoming event with the town’s new appliance.

He said: “We’ve only had this appliance for three weeks. It’s a medium response appliance and five tons heavier than the old Y registration vehicle that we had until then. There are only five or six in the service at the moment and Dartmouth, out on a limb, was chosen to have it.”

The new Dart RNLI lifeboat is now on service, based on an aquadock in Dartmouth Harbour. The old lifeboat will return to the lifeboat College in Poole on July 20 and resume her role in the RNLI relief fleet.

RNLI and Coastguard kayak rescue to appear on TV

The recent rescue of seven sea kayakers near Scabbacombe Beach, including two in the water, is to be included in an edition of the BBC’s Saving Lives at Sea.

An RNLI spokesperson said: “It’s not surprising Blast Films, who produce the Saving Lives at Sea series, wish to include this rescue. The nearest station to the incident, Dart, worked with their flank station, Torbay, and the Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter in the rescue of these kayakers.

“It is exactly the sort of incident that the volunteer crews spend so much time and effort training together for. When afloat it is essential to be aware of how much sea conditions can change with a change in the forecasted weather.”