A northern lifeboat is undertaking a mission of its own – by going green.
The RNLI Charles Lidbury, based at Aith on the northern coast of the Shetland mainland, is on the long journey south to Girvan in Ayrshire, where it will undergo a refit.
This will make the vessel not only more fuel efficient but more environmentally friendly too.
But the Aith station will not be unoccupied during the refit, as the RNLI Severn-class relief lifeboat 17-31 is in place ready to carry out vital rescue work at sea.
When the Charles Lidbury arrives in Girvan it will be fitted with new engines produced by a German company, MTU.
A spokesman for the RNLI said: “The key feature of these engines is that, even if boats capsize completely and remain upside down for several seconds, they will continue to run.
“But because capsizing can allow oil to enter the cylinders via the crankcase ventilation system, MTU engineers incorporated a valve which closes depending on the vessel´s angle to prevent oil escaping.
“When the vessel has righted itself again, the valve opens automatically. The new engines are also significantly quieter than their predecessors and produce lower levels of vibration.”
Hylton Henry, the coxswain at Aith added: “The lifeboat will be more fuel efficient, easier to handle and environmentally friendly.
The volunteer crew in Shetland have carried out training this week learning all about the new engines, to ensure they will be fully proficient using them when the refit is completed.
The RNLI Charles Lidbury is travelling to Girvan via Kirkwall and Inverness, and is expected to be back on duty in Aith by September.