Lifeboat 14-26 was on a 3 1/2 day training passage as part of crew training on the new vessel prior to her being stationed as the Port St Mary Lifeboat. On board in addition to 5 crew members from the station were Kieran Nash , District Inspector Ireland and a fleet mechanic. The training passage started 9pm Friday 1 May evening with a passage to Dunmore East via Dublin Bay and inside the Kish and Codling banks during the night arriving at Dumore at 8 am. The following day (3rd May) made passage to Baltimore via the Fasnet Rock. All the time the crew would be kept on their toes with fire drills and man overboard exercises as well as practical use of new navigation equipment (electronic chartplotter and ARPA radar).

On 4 May left Baltimore bound for Kilmore Quay a passage of approximately 105 miles. After having passed the Old Head of Kinsale some 3 to 4 miles behind, the Lifeboat was contacted by Cork Radio to inform us that a fishing vessel , the "An Cailin Marie" had fouled its propeller with a net approximately 20 miles S of Kinsale Head, Co. Cork. 14-26 was tasked to proceed at full speed and some 50 minutes later established visual contact with the vessel. A tow line was passed first time. A tow was commenced towards Courtmacsherry harbour. This took a little over three hours.

During this time 14-26 was contacted by the newly commissioned Irish Emergency Services SN61 helicopter (normally based at Shannon airport) which was on a training flight. Request was made for a winching exercise with 3 lifeboat crew being winched to the helicopter whilst the tow continued.

On arrival at Courtmacsherry 14-26 was refuelled before continuing passage to Kilmore Quay. It was low water on the way out of the Courtmacsherry river channel and at one point 14-26 was stopped in only 20 centimeters of water under the keel whilst we drifted over the sandy bottom !! 14-26 arrived at Kilmore nearly five hours later than first planned.

Copyright photographs Brian Kelly

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