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Greencastle gets 200,000 boat
07.10.11
St Finnian a world
class piece of kit
by Linda McGrory
A SAFER and faster 200,000 Coast Guard lifeboat
will be launched tomorrow at a naming and blessing
ceremony in Greencastle.
The local unit has received one of only three
9-metre rescue boats recently assigned to the Irish
Coast Guard.
The new vessel, made by Delta in Stockport, is
fitted with state-of-the-art communications
technology, can travel further distances at higher
speeds and can carry up to six crew.
The top class boat will be unveiled at a blessing
ceremony at Greencastle Coast Guard station on
Saturday and, we can reveal, will be named St
Finnian. Deputy Joe McHugh will represent the
Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, for the
unveiling. |
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Greencastle Coast Guard crew members
give St Finnian a test run ahead of its official
unveiling. |
Officer in charge,
Charles Cavanagh, said he and his 25 crew members
were "very proud" to have received one of the top
class vessels.
"This is a cutting edge, new generation boat that
gives us a greater range and capacity. It is very
powerful with a total of 450 horsepower and can
travel at speeds of between 45 and 50mph, he said.
"It gives us greater safety and is more fitting for
the sea conditions we get here off the North coast.
"There are six shockwave seats with better
suspension which reduces the impact for the crew
when we take a hit on the waves especially at speed.
It's a world class piece of kit."
The new vessel is a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) with
a fibre-glass hull. It has electronic chart
plotters, radar, VHF and an automatic vessel
tracking system (AIS).
It brings to two the vessels now available to
Greencastle Coast Guard which comprises 21 male and
four female crew members. Nationally, the Irish
Coast Guard operates 54 stations with some 1,000
volunteer crew.
The Coast Guard stations in Bunbeg, Co Donegal and
Doolin, Co Clare received the other two 9m Delta
vessels while Killala, Co Mayo has received a new 8m
vessel.
The Greencastle station was among those chosen for
one of the new boats because it is one of the
busiest in the country not least because it operates
on a cross-border basis and is on call to both to
Malin Coast Guard and Belfast Coast Guard.
The local crew, who undertake both sea and cliff
rescues, cover some 200 miles of coastline as well
as the 19,000 hectare Foyle estuary and beyond.
Saturday will also be a special day for
Greencastle's Sean McLaughlin and David McLaughlin
of Shroove who will receive long service medals for
their 20 years' dedicated service to the local Coast
Guard.
As for the naming ceremony, the officer-in-charge
insists there won't be a champagne bottle anywhere
near St Finnian.
"We're not into smashing bottles on boats. We
wouldn't want to put a mark on her," he quipped.
The ceremony, to include interdenominational
blessing, will take place at Greencastle Coast Guard
station on Saturday, October 8, at 3pm. Members of
the public are invited to attend and light
refreshments will be provided. |
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