Hi Clanky,
There are 63 Independent Lifeboats in the UK alone, in the state of alone is so try, as everyone is under the same impression, Lifeboat = RNLI - It is also fair to look at the matterial that states -'The Lifeboat Charity, that saves lives at sea', it should really reasd 'A Lieboat Charity that saves lives at sea'
Lets clear things up, as Independent Lifeboats, we have no problems working along side the RNLI & neither do the RNLI crews, they are glad we are there to help cover the area's with them and as I a finer point, I work for the RNLI building the Inshore Lifeboats for the RNLI
As for the needs of the Independent Lifeboats needing to be doing what we do, yes there is a need, as the RNLI can not cover every strech of water as some may think, this can be due to the RNLI bufget, or as some cases, the RNLI pull out of an area , which means closing down stations and extend their other boats, to cover the area needed, however, thats when a Independent Lifeboat is started by the local community, because they see a need for a Lifeboat to cover their area and most of the time the ex-RNLI crews start the Independent Lifeboat station rally, as they miss doing what they have always done until their station closed, 99% of the time, the community pull together and make the Independent station and run the station under their own charity number and have to meet regs from the local Coastguard to become SAR capable, this costs alot of money and is again around 95% of the local people & businesses alike whom help rasie the funds and help support them over the years to come, if lucky, the station / area is a holiday area and tourists help with donations also.
Other cases have seen Lifeboats appear due to the same reasons, apart from the RNLI closing of a station, there could be an RNLI station to the left flank, say 5 miles away, to the right flank could be another RNLI station that is 10 miles away, a death occures and the community get together again and get behind a Independent Lifeboat to be setup if the RNLI do not wish to place a Lifeboat in that area, due to the flanking Lifeboats, but life is so important, that the oastguard, again, as before, will review the area and investigate if there is a need for an Independent Lifeboat to be placed there, there are two results, yes go ahead and produce ground works and be assessed once planns are drawn for SAR capablity (which takes a very long time and a process that has to be meet by guidlines set by the Coasrguard), this then has to go to Government and be accepted that there is a need with the Coastguard findings and the list goes on, from start to finish you are looking at a years worth of planning and work to get a fully running station via good fundraising and good setting up of the charity etc.
Hope Cove Lifeboat is a perfect example of this happening - google search them
As for Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat, there has been an Independent Lifeboat in Sandown Bay since 1884, this first vessel was called The Dove and was a ex-RNLI row boat, have more details, but do not have them with me from home, but the New Atlantic 21 above has been called The Dove II, after the very first Independnet Lifeboat in the Bay.
Is there a need, yes there is, we carry out 34 call outs (Shouts / taskings) from Solent Coastguard on average each year, we get all types of Shouts, all the very same as the RNLI would do, we are fully SAR capable and come under the control of Solent Coastguard.
The RNLI have never been in Sandown Bay, as long as we survie as an Independent Lifeboat, there never will be and concidering the time it has been in the Bay, who knows what the future may bring, but there has been lots of RNLI re-structure with Cowes Independent Lifeboat joining the RNLI and have now become Cowes RNLI, on our left Flank, about 8 Nm away is RNLI Bembridge (with their new Tamar), to the Right is Freshwater Independent Lifeboat some 15 Nms away, then RNLI Yarmouth (with their Seven), SSILB cover 72Nms of operational area at sea and upto 9 miles out at sea.
If you look at the RNLI UK map, you will see no RNLI boats cover the South of the wight at all! No one ever has asked why, but now you know
There are other Lifeboats out there, alone, in their fundrasing efforts to keep their service going and meeting standards, following in the very same lines (Roots) as the RNLI once did.
Shout details are out on Facebook SSILB Fan Page, along with photo's & vids, search Sandown & Shanklin Inshore Lifeboat (Old station name, but cant change to the new name, as we have to many followers)
The offical website is under going a re-build and will be more up to date over the following months.
Type in Independent Lifeboats in google and be amazed
Hope that helped?
