The new lifeboat which will serve the island and coastal communities around Oban has entered the water for the first time.
The RNLI marked the completion of the Campbell Watson with a traditional bellringing ceremony at its all-weather lifeboat centre at Poole in Dorset.
The vessel will undergo extensive sea trials and equipment tests before being brought to serve from the local station at Oban’s South Pier in December.
John Deas, head of production and estates at the RNLI, says the completion of the Shannon class vessel is a landmark moment for the town.
He added: “The completion of any new lifeboat is a special moment, especially when we reflect on the future rescues these powerful boats will carry out and the volunteer crews they’ll keep safe. But this particular lifeboat marks a significant milestone.
“As you’ll see from the ‘13-50’ on the hull, this is the 50th Shannon to join the RNLI fleet. For 10 years now, this capable class has been serving crews around our coasts. It’s the most agile all-weather lifeboat yet.”
The Campbell Watson has been named in memory of Elizabeth Lyle Watson, from Belfast, whose legacy following her death in 2021 – alongside other donations – funded the construction of the new lifeboat.
The daughter of a Scottish ship’s captain who served with the Gem Line, Mrs Watson was married to a ship’s engineer who lost his life when his vessel was destroyed by a fire off the coast of Japan in 1989.
Lifeboat operations manager at Oban, Peter MacKinnon, says the generosity shown by the Watson family and other donors means a lot to the seagoing and land-based crew.
He said: “This kind legacy has allowed our charity to fund this new vessel for Oban. Mrs Watson, her father and her husband were all steadfast supporters of the RNLI. It’s a huge privilege that we can continue serving our communities from Oban in a new lifeboat named in their memory.”
Oban lifeboat’s full-time coxswain Ally Cerexhe says the coming months will be dominated by training to familiarise the coxswains, mechanics and crew with quite a different lifeboat from the Trent Class Mora Edith Macdonald, which has served Oban since 1997.
He said: “Shannons are a class apart in terms of handling. Unlike the rest of the fleet, the Shannon is propelled by water jets instead of traditional propellers, making it more manoeuvrable. It means we’ll be able to operate safely and closer to the shore than we can at the moment.”