Another NSRI rescue vessel for Mossel Bay

Image: The Lyonesse, the 10 meter Brede Class lifeboat, was recently acquired and brought from the United Kingdom to Cape Town harbour where she is being refitted to serve the purposes of the local NSRI in Mossel Bay.

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Lyonesse, a 10 meter Brede Class lifeboat, was recently acquired and brought from the United Kingdom to Cape Town harbour where she is being refitted to serve the purposes of the NSRI in Mossel Bay.

Mr Dawie Zwiegelaar, local Station Commander of the NSRI, says he expects the Lyonesse to take to Mossel Bay waters towards the end of May.

The Lyonesse will be returning to duties as a lifeboat as soon as some modifications are done. The no frills refit is happening while the Lyonesse is moored at Table Bay's Sea Rescue base in Cape Town. So far her fuel tanks have been cleaned and the redundant wiring removed.

In a couple of days she will be taken to Hout Bay to be resprayed in NSRI's colours and readied for her SAMSA inspection. Once all the work is finished she will serve at Mossel Bay.

The NSRI currently has five ex-R.N.L.I. Bredes in their fleet and they have proven their worth over many years. The Lyoness is to replace another Brede (Nottinghamshire 33-10) that, sadly, was destroyed in a factory fire in 2010 whilst awaiting a refit.

The Brede class 33' lifeboat was something of a stop gap between Inshore Lifeboats and the larger Offshore craft.
Only a handful were built at Rye in Sussex and they mostly operated in fairly protected areas, such as Poole Harbour, Oban, and Fowey. One of the class was the first boat stationed at the 'New' RNLI station at Alderney in the Channel Islands.
More recently, the Lyonesse served as charter vessel in the harbour of Tilbury before her owner decided to sell her off to a rescue organisation. She is a Class 1 vessel, and some of the local Mossel Bay NSRI volunteers will require a few more hours of training before taking her wheel.

As she is somewhat bigger than the Class 2 rescue vessel currently being used in Mossel Bay, she will respond at a slightly lower speed, but will have an increased capacity to carry more passengers. The Lyoness will carry a crew of four people.

Mr Zwiegelaar says Mossel Bay is the only big boat harbour between Cape Town and Mossel Bay, and as such needs the services of a rescue craft with greater capacity.

The project to bring the Lochin made boat to Cape Town was managed by NSRI volunteer Andy Connell.
With his organizing skills, and the generosity of all who brought the rescue boat to Cape Town, the NSRI will soon boast with a new Brede in Mossel Bay. The 10 metre Brede Class lifeboat was brought from Tilbury docks in the United Kingdom to Cape Town harbour at no cost to NSRI because of the generous donations by all who helped with the project.

ARTICLE: NICKEY LE ROUX, MOSSEL BAY ADVERTISER