Visiting Lifeboat

Published 13:49 on 13 Sep 2025

On Friday 12th September, we had a visit from the Anstruther lifeboat 13-47 "Robert and Katherine Steen" on a familiarisation exercise to Cramond.

This is the latest state-of-the art Shannon class lifeboat deployed by the RNLI and it came into service at Anstruther last year. Driven by twin 650hp waterjets and capable of 25 knots, it is a powerful all-weather lifeboat, and an impressive sight in our little harbour.

At 13.6m in length and 4.5m beam, it dwarfed all the CBC keelboats moored in the river as it carefully manoeuvred alongside the quay wall.

Fortunately, it was being helmed by our very own CBC member Callum Calder, RNLI training instructor, who knows his way around the River Almond.

They only stayed for 10 minutes to use the clubhouse facilities and buy an ice cream at the van, then headed off again. 90 minutes later they reported on the radio that they were at the Forth Fairway buoy, many miles east of Inchkeith!