THE RNLI lifeboat from the island of Islay in Scotland called in at the port of Donaghadee on Sunday as the town’s Ulster Scots Festival weekend was coming to a close. Coxswain David Clellan and the six-man crew of the Severn Class vessel stopped for refuelling and for a night’s rest on their way down the stormy Irish Sea to RNLI headquarters at Poole in Dorset where the vessel is due to have new engines and navigation equipment fitted.
The 17-meter Severn Class lifeboat, Helmut Schroder of Dunlossit II, is one of the largest in the RNLI fleet, has a range of 250 miles and can launch in hurricane conditions. For some of the crew it was their first visit to Ireland and they enjoyed the famous hospitality at Pier 36 before catching the morning tide on Monday and resuming the journey to the south coast of England.
Operations manager for Donaghadee RNLI, Alan Couser, said,”it was a great pleasure to say fair fa’ ye to our friends from Islay particularly since it was the town’s festival weekend celebrating its many ties with Scotland. Our crew enjoyed taking a look at the Severn Class and wished its crew a safe onward journey.”
