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Castletownbere Lifeboat Station
Castletownbere Lifeboat Station is the base for a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) inshore lifeboat at Castletownbere in County Cork on the south west corner of Ireland. HistoryThe west coast of Ireland faces the Atlantic Ocean but had sparse coverage from lifeboats until late in the twentieth century. In 1990 there were only four stations but by 2000 seven more had been opened. A lifeboat was sent to Castletownbere in 1997 to evaluate it as a suitable harbour and it was confirmed as a permanent station in October 1998. Poorly-located temporary crew facilities were in use for many years but a new building and moorings were brought into use on 19 May 2013 which significantly reduced the time taken for the lifeboat to put to sea.[1][2][3] The lifeboat was launched on 10 October 2018 to aid the Clodagh O, a trawler which had broken down and was being blown onto rocks in a Force 9 storm. The lifeboat crew managed to get a line onto the trawler and towed it back to the harbour, saving its crew of six people. The rescue was led by coxswain Dean Hegarty who was awarded an RNLI bronze medal, the first Irishman to be recognised in this way in over 10 years.[4] Area of operationThe RNLI aims to reach any vessel in distress up to 50 nmi (93 km) from the coast within 2 hours of launching. The Severn-class lifeboat at Castletownbere has a range of 250 nmi (460 km) and top speed of 25 kn (46 km/h).[5] Adjacent lifeboats are stationed at Valentia to the north and Baltimore to the east.[6] Castletownbere lifeboats
See alsoReferences
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Castletownbere Lifeboat Station. Information related to Castletownbere Lifeboat Station |
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