St John Wales’ Ferryside lifeboat will be officially named at a dedication service on Saturday September 1.
The inshore lifeboat will be named ‘The Freemason’ after the Freemasons Grand Council Charity funded the vessel with a £50,000 donation.
St John Wales’ Prior, Dan Clayton-Jones, will officially dedicate the boat at the ceremony talking place at 4.30pm on the slipway of the Ferryside lifeboat station.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend the service including St John Wales Ambassador and Trustee BBC Radio Wales presenter, Roy Noble, the lifeboat’s crew, their families and representatives of the boat’s sponsors.
The lifeboat station, which was officially opened by HRH The Duchess of Gloucester in 2010, has a 15-strong volunteer crew and eight trainees including plumbers, teachers, business consultants and radiographers.
The boat, which can carry a crew of four, is capable of speeds of up to 38 knots and is fitted with the latest Raymarine touch-screen navigational equipment.
Paul Morgans, a volunteer who runs the Ferryside Division, said: “We are enormously grateful for all of the support we have received to fund this vital lifeboat, with special thanks to the Freemasons Grand Charity for their generous donation.
“The volunteers at the station all play a crucial role in making the lifeboat a success and countless lives have already been saved as a result of their actions.”
The ceremony, which will be followed by a water show demonstrating the boat’s lifesaving abilities, will see Brian Hilling, Deputy Master of the Province of West Wales Freemasons hand over the boat to St John Wales.
The crew of the Ferryside Lifeboat hope to see you there today!