Semper Paratus!

On 25 August in Poole , England AFRAS presented a new, D-class inshore lifeboat to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) of Great Britain . The lifeboat was purchased from funds contributed to AFRAS by American donors supporting the RNLI. The name, Semper Paratus was chosen in recognition of the close association between the U.S. Coast Guard and the RNLI.

It was a beautiful day and the RNLI did things up properly as usual. AFRAS was well represented by David Chomeau, former AFRAS president; John Chomeau, current president of AFRAS; Bronson Fargo who represented the Hart Foundation -- one of the largest contributors to the lifeboat campaign and a great friend of the RNLI and AFRAS; and Alexandra Hewitt-Jones, the executive administrator of Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR), another major recipient of AFRAS support.

The new version of the D-class inshore lifeboat (IB1) #635 "Semper Paratus" was named in front of the new RNLI College that was dedicated by H.M. Queen Elisabeth II on 28 July 2004 . This was to be the first RNLI naming ceremony to be conducted at the new College. After Captain Chomeau poured champagne over the bow and the chaplain blessed the boat it was lowered into the water. An RNLI crew put it through its paces for those attending the ceremony. Mr. Ian Ventham of the RNLI tells us that the nature of lifeboat rescues is changing and the majority of their rescues are now made quite close to shore -- mainly windsurfers and swimmers on inflatables who get into trouble. Semper Paratus, therefore, is a good match for current RNLI priorities.

RNLI D-Class Lifeboat

• Improved version of Inshore D-Class first introduced in 1963
• Ideal for rescues close to shore
• 4.95 meters (16 feet, 3 inches) in length/2 meters (6 feet, 7 inches) in beam
• Operates at 20 plus knots
• Rigid hull inflatable
• Can be righted manually by its 3-man crew after capsize