In January 2007 Cullercoats
RNLI lifeboat station became the first in the north of
England to operate a new class of inshore lifeboat –
the Atlantic 85.
Cullercoats
was the sixth lifeboat station in the UK to receive an Atlantic
85. The lifeboat, named Hylton Burdon arrived at Cullercoats
on Friday 5th January and officially went into service on Tuesday 9th following days of intensive training for the
volunteer crew and shorehelpers.
The Atlantic
85 is the most technologically advanced inshore lifeboat in
the RNLI fleet. It is the first inshore lifeboat to have radar,
which means it can operate more effectively in reduced visibility.
It is also faster and bigger than its predecessor, with room
for a fourth crew member as well as more space for casualties.
The Atlantic
85 was developed in close consultation with volunteer crews
and a prototype was trialled at lifeboat stations around the
coast, including Cullercoats, before the final design went
into production.
The Cullercoats
Atlantic 85 was paid for by a legacy from Wallsend man Hylton
Burdon, who died in 2002. It cost around £125,000. |