Image: Portishead Quays Marina

Mary Irene Millar will set off from Portishead Quays Marina to join 2 other retired RNLI Lifeboats and their crews clocking up over 422nm, to support the disabled community of Binic, Brittany.

The vessels will meet up in Salcombe on 5 May and travel across the English Channel together, taking in Liberation celebrations in Guernsey, before moving on to Carteret (France) and Jersey spending a few days in each location before arriving in Binic.

Keith Berry, who is the Marina Manager at Portishead and where he keeps his retired Tyne class Lifeboat which is affectionately known as MIM, will be leaving on 26 April.  Mike Brotherton MBE, with Pentland a Watson Class Lifeboat will leave Milford Haven the same day with crew member Dave Medri on board, who is also a member of the Portishead Quays Marina team.  Frank Smith MBE, with City of Bradford III will also join the flotilla with his 64-year old Watson Class Lifeboat in Salcombe where they will make their final preparations for their journey.

This all started when all the boats attended a French Lifeboat anniversary event 4 years ago and were asked if they would come back for a different event in nearby Binic, they all agreed. The weather wasn’t great the first time they took the passage, but the organisers were so pleased when they arrived it was decided to make it an annual event. The event is organised by the French Harbour Master, Yann Maryse and will run over 4 days.

During their time in Binic this year, as in previous years, they will be taking both adults and children with all kinds of limiting disabilities with their carers, on board for a ride around the bay.  It will give them some quality time on the water where normally they wouldn’t be able to have that opportunity.  With wheel chairs secured on the boats they head out into the bay for a half-hour trip, those that are able are invited to take the helm!

When all groups for the day have been afloat and the boats are safely alongside they join together for a very enjoyable lunch which is normally followed by a snooze before opening the boats for other visitors to take a look.

The skippers agreed that it was and is great to be able to support this event and seeing the joy on their faces makes the journey worthwhile.  Thanks go to the Quay Marinas Group for kindly providing baseball caps and the RNLI for donating flags and other souvenirs for everyone.

Their round trip will take them away for about 3 weeks and when they return to the UK, they will be supporting various fundraising events throughout the year for the RNLI.  Planning for next year’s events are already underway and include Weymouth and Salcombe’s 150th anniversaries of the RNLI.  All of which is done at their own cost not only in fuel but their valuable time as well.

For more information on Mary Irene Millar, Pentland and City of Bradford III look at this link where you can find out about their history and service with the RNLI.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_National_Lifeboat_Institution_lifeboats

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