Station revamp for new lifeboat
BUILDING work will start at Hunstanton's RNLI station next year in preparation for the arrival of its new lifeboat paid for with the help of Lynn News readers.
The station is looking forward to getting a new state-of-the-art Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat after readers raised a fantastic 136,000 in just 16 months through the Lynn News Hunstanton Lifeboat Appeal.
A lengthy commissioning, building and delivery programme for RNLI lifeboats countrywide meant the lifeboat would not normally have been ready until 2013.
But bosses at the charity headquarters in Poole, Dorset, were so overwhelmed with the efforts of our readers they confirmed in May that the boat will arrive on station three years ahead of schedule.
This week they said the order for the boat will be placed next summer, with the building of the boat starting in either August or September 2010. It takes just ten weeks to build, so it will arrive on station before Christmas in two years' time.
Over the summer the charity assessed the station itself as its currently only big enough to house the 7.5-metre Atlantic 75, which has been in service for ten years.
Options to store the 8.3-metre Atlantic 85 included rebuilding the station on the same site, or on different site within the Old Hunstanton/ Hunstanton area, but bosses have now decided to extend and modify the existing station.
Building work is due to start in late spring to early summer next year, and will take around 20 weeks to complete. The RNLI emergency service will not be disrupted during the work.
An RNLI spokesman said: "A lot needs to be done before the boat can arrive, but we're pressing on with everything and will keep Lynn News readers informed of what's going on."
RNLI bosses were thrilled with how quickly the money for the new lifeboat was raised, as they expected it to take at least two, if not three years, to reach the 125,000 appeal total.
training
The extra 11,000 raised will go towards training the station's crew in using the new boat – at a cost of 1,000 each.
Readers raised money in every way imaginable, from sponsored walks, runs and bike rides to concerts, sailing events, fashion shows and a parachute jump.
One of the biggest donations came from Hunstanton and District Round Table which donated around 5,000 raised from its Christmas Day swim in 2006.
The King William IV pub and restaurant in Sedgeford also donated around 5,000 after holding a fishermen's supper evening and head chef Richard Briscoe completed an almighty 320-mile sponsored bike ride last May.
The Atlantic 85 is not only faster than its predecessor, it also has better handling in bad weather, making it able to respond to emergencies more rapidly.
It also has new radar search-and-rescue equipment, a self-righting mechanism, more space for casualties and crew and is capable of being beached in an emergency without causing damage to the engines and steering gear.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -8 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 5 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: 0 C to 4 C
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