Lives at sea will be saved faster and with less risk off the north-east coast thanks to a new £214,000 lifeboat.
Volunteers for Stonehaven’s RNLI team have been training up to 12 hours a day aboard the station’s Atlantic 85 vessel.
The modern boat is replacing the team’s smaller and weaker Atlantic 75, which is the last of its kind still in use by the RNLI in Scotland.
With the new vessel, named the Pride of Fred Olsen, the brave volunteers of Stonehaven will be able able to carry an extra crew member, locate seafarers in distress more efficiently and get to them in a much timelier manner.
In between training exercises around the seaside community’s coastline yesterday, one of the vessel’s helmsmen, Keith Gaskin, said the extra time shaved off a rescue mission could prove the difference between life and death.
Mr Gaskin said: “It’s going to make a vast difference for us.
“The capabilities are greater, it has radar – which we’ve never had before – and much better navigation, which will allow us to pinpoint vessels, which is key in conditions such as heavy fog.
“It’s much more powerful than the 75, which is obviously great for getting to those in need, but at the same time it’s a lot quieter than the current boat, which we really have to shout in order to communicate properly on.”
The new Atlantic 85, which was built this year in Poole, can travel at top speeds of 35 knots, or around 40 miles per hour – whereas the older vessel could only reach top speeds of 30 knots, or around 34 miles per hour.
Mr Gaskin said Stonehaven’s old 75 model had been in use for around 20 years and the model was first used by the RNLI in 1993.
He added: “The extra power of the new boat will also increase our towing capabilities, helping us to get larger vessels back to safety quicker.
“It’s sad to say goodbye, because for a lot of us it’s been our original boat.
“It is a shame to see her go, but onwards and upwards.”
The fate of the old boat is still to be decided.
The RNLI is a charity and relies on volunteers and donations to carry out its lifesaving work.
To donate, visit www.rnli.org.
