SARA Beachley has engaged Delta Power Group of Cheshire to construct an 8 mtr rescue craft for operational duties on the Severn Estuary.
Picture below: Mr Mark Carwardine, SARA’s Executive Vice Chairman signs the build contract with Mr Gordon Gillespie of Delta Power Group.
The craft will be a custom built R.I.B. (Rigid-hulled Inflatable Boat) designed to meet the environmental situations faced by SARA’s lifeboat crews on some of the most dangerous waters in the UK.
Merv. Fleming, SARA’s western division area commander and chairman of Beachley lifeboat rescue station said, “We are very excited about the building of this vessel. Once again we have challenged Delta to design and build a Lifeboat specific to our requirements. They came up trumps in 2012 with SARA-3 and we are aiming for a unique vessel which will still be ‘state-of-the-art’ in ten years time.
The tidal currents in the estuary are fierce – with one of the highest rise and falls of tide in the world. Safety for our crews is paramount as is the need to get to vessels in distress with the utmost speed.”
It is anticipated that the new craft will be going through “working-up” trials before the end of July.
The cost of the development, production, power-plant, instrumentation and kitting out of the craft is being met with a grant from the UK Department of Transport: the first of its kind to be awarded to a Lifeboat Association.
Mr Ryan Hewitt, SARA Beachley’s Boat Manager and Coxswain presents a cheque for the deposit on the new vessel.
