LLANDUDNO RNLI volunteers have been practising drills to be prepared should the station’s inshore lifeboat, Dr Barbara Saunderson, capsize out at sea.
Inshore lifeboats often encounter hazardous conditions and it is vital all crews know what to do should their craft capsize.
The training used a specially adapted inshore lifeboat, which is employed specifically for capsize training at lifeboat stations around the coast.
An RNLI spokesman said: “The volunteers practised the drills with the Dr Barbara Saunderson standing by to provide assistance if needed. The training boat is identical to an operational lifeboat apart from being stripped of all its rescue equipment.
“Lifeboat capsizes do not happen very often, but it is important all crews are trained how to react if the worst should happen. In a capsize the crew must manually right the craft, and follow procedures to remove any sea water from the outboard engine before restarting.”
A senior crew member said: “Inshore lifeboats have no means of self-righting. The righting process is quite physically demanding, even in very gentle conditions.
“Inshore lifeboats, because of their low weight and size in relation to wave height, are relatively easy to capsize. A breaking wave of less than half a metre high can flip a boat, which can potentially leave crew in a highly dangerous and exposed environment”.
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