HMS Victory is having her masts removed for the first time in nearly 70 years. Her topmasts and topgallant masts, bowsprit, booms and yards are being ’sent down’ as part of a 10-year restoration project to secure the future of the ship.

During the operation 26 miles of rigging and 768 wooden blocks will also be removed, catalogued and documented as Nelson’s flagship undergoes her most comprehensive overhaul for more than two centuries. The Commanding Officer of HMS Victory, Lt Cdr DJ ‘Oscar’ Whild RN, said, “The removal of the masts during the summer months is an exciting time in the ship’s maintenance programme, and will give visitors a great opportunity to see the ship in a very different light.”

The last time that Victory’s masts were removed was in 1944, when they were taken down to prevent possible damage during air raids.

The EU Commission has opened infringement proceedings against the UK for its continued use of red diesel in leisure boats.

Following a long-running fight against the end of the derogation on red diesel, as of 1 November 2008, motorboaters in the UK have been able to continue to fill up with red diesel at a split of 60% for propulsion use and 40% for domestic use. With the agreement of HM Revenue & Customs, this means that they only have to pay full duty on the fuel they use for propulsion (60%).

However, according to the RYA, the EU Commission believes this set up infringes on the EU Marking Directive 95/60/EC.

In an email sent today, the RYA quotes the Commission as saying that the “marking of fuel used for propelling pleasure boats where such fuel has not borne any exemption or rebate” undermines the common system of fiscal marking.

Gus Lewis, head of government affairs at the RYA, said, “The RYA has taken specialist taxation advice and we are advised that the continued availability in the UK of marked (”red”) diesel for use in private pleasure craft does not infringe the EU Marking Directive.

“We understand that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has taken its own specialist advice and that this advice concurs with that obtained by the RYA. The RYA will be liaising with HMRC who will be responding to the European Commission”.

The RYA says that irrespective of whether the European Commission believes that the continued availability of red diesel infringes the EU Directive, it will continue to lobby the Commission, asking it to prevent the authorities in EU member states from penalising boaters who may have purchased red diesel in the UK.

Gus Lewis said,”Enforcing the acquis communautaire is conferred by Article 226 of the EC Treaty on the European Commission, as the guardian of the Treaties and secondary legislation.

“It is thus for the Commission alone to enforce any alleged failure of member states to fully implement obligations arising under EU Directives and the authorities in EU member states should not penalise individual yachtsmen for what they might consider to be a failing on the part of the UK Government”.

As the leading yacht broker in Port Solent our on site brokers were delighted to welcome not only “Lively Lady” but also another yacht from the record books, “Robinson’s Golly”.

Lively Lady, the historic yacht that made sailing history in 1968 when Sir Alec Rose completed his solo round-the-world voyage, returned to Port Solent Marina on Friday 24th June where she was welcomed by a crowd of people who gathered to celebrate her arrival.

Back in April 1988, Lively Lady, with Sir Alec at the helm, was the first yacht to enter the then brand-new Port Solent marina so her arrival at the marina represents a welcome return.

On Friday 24th June at 1200 hours, Lively Lady sailed proudly into Port Solent marina accompanied by Clare Francis’ famous Robertson’s Golly; a boat which made history in 1976 when Clare Francis set a new women’s single-handed transatlantic record.

Lively Lady has been superbly positioned on ‘N Pontoon’ just 2 minutes walk from the Waterside Boat Sales offices so that berth holders and the public can admire her and learn all about her rich history, achievements and future ambitions. Since her construction in 1948, the world-famous 11m (36ft) wooden yacht has amassed a wealth of achievements. Premier’s Port Solent marina was specially chosen as her home for years to come to brilliantly showcase both these past achievements and her new role as the flagship for Around and Around; a charity that aims to make a difference to disadvantaged young adults with limited opportunities.

Lively Lady’s association with Portsmouth goes back a long way. In 1968, the support of Portsmouth businesses was essential to Sir Alec Rose’s success. In 2008 the people and businesses of Portsmouth were again more critical to the success of The Raymarine Lively Lady Project’s circumnavigation. That project saw 38 young adults from the local area being given a chance to turn their lives around, culminating with the opportunity to sail Lively Lady around the world.

The success of that project led to the formation of the charity ‘Around and Around’. Headed by Lauren Harris, a graduate of The Raymarine Lively Lady Project, the charity helps young adults to turn their lives around and overcome limitations. Key to this is the fundraising they undertake to earn the money to restore, maintain and sail the yacht. In the process they learn about management and teamwork, self-confidence, organisation and budgeting – all key skills for opening up new opportunities in life.

The first goal for the new group of young adults is to raise the funds for a much needed complete re-fit of Lively Lady. Then, with that achieved, their next goal is another circumnavigation – the third time Lively Lady will have sailed around the world!

Alan Priddy, the driving force behind Lively Lady’s second circumnavigation and founder of Around and Around said, “We’re delighted that Lively Lady will be able to call Port Solent her home for years to come – their joint history alone makes it the perfect home for her but it’s also great that the location will make it so easy for the people of Portsmouth to see her, help bring her back to life and become a part of her future as well as her past.”

JD Wetherspoon’s joined in the celebrations as well by changing the name of their Port Solent pub, Lloyds Number One Bar, to ‘The Sir Alec Rose’. A grand re-opening of the pub followed which involved Sir Alec Rose’s daughter cutting the ribbon to the entrance of the pub.

The government is to drop some planned closures of coastguard stations around the UK.

It is expected to press ahead with shutting some, but it is not yet known which will be reprieved.
Ministers have extended a consultation on the plans, to allow the Commons transport committee time to complete its assessment of the proposals.

The plans are to have one or two large coastguard centres and fewer smaller stations around the country.
Earlier, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC after newspaper reports had said the government was making a U-turn on the proposals that he was re-examining plans to cut the number of coastguard stations from 19 to nine.
“We are looking again at the best configuration that will allow us to deliver those technological improvements, those working-practice improvements, and we will announce our conclusions to Parliament before the summer recess,” he said.
“It’s not about a U-turn, it’s about deciding how best to implement what will be a very a big change in how the coastguard operates.”

Under the plans the government has been consulting on, the coastguard service would have two nationally networked maritime operations centres, in Aberdeen and the Portsmouth-Southampton area.
There would be five sub-centres, operating in daylight hours only, in Falmouth, Humber, Swansea, either Belfast or Liverpool and either Stornoway or Shetland.
In addition, there would be one sub-centre operating 24 hours a day in Dover, and the small centre at London would remain unchanged.

Mr Hammond’s comments came as MPs from the Commons transport committee were in Stornoway, in the Outer Hebrides, to take evidence on proposals to reduce Scotland’s five coastguard stations to the one nationally networked maritime operations centre in Aberdeen.
South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray, who lost her husband, Neil, at sea, has campaigned against coastguard closures.
She told the BBC: “I fully understand that it doesn’t matter whether we have the existing coastguard service or not. It wouldn’t have saved Neil.
“But the experience of being able to speak to a local person, who was completely familiar with the situation that I was in, was very comforting, and I don’t think that I would have received the same sort of communication if we had had one central coastguard service.
“These men are absolutely brilliant and we have to make sure they have the equipment to ensure that they can continue to provide the best service in the world.
“I hope that the minister will make sure that we keep our coastguard stations open and that’s every one of them on a 24/7 basis.”

Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said the “climbdown” was evidence of what could be achieved by community campaigning.
He said: “This is a body blow for the government, which is reeling from the force of public outrage at ill-thought-out plans to slash the life-saving support that coastguards provide.
“It is not yet clear what any new proposals will include and there are still battles to be won to maintain vital local services that our members provide 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We would expect new plans to be subject to proper consultation and negotiation.”
Commons Leader Sir George Young told MPs the government was “having another look” at the proposals and would respond before the Commons rose in July.
Responding to questions in the Commons he said: “The review of the service is something that was started under the previous administration.
“The government is understandably reluctant to comment on the speculation that has been in the press.
“We will be responding in due course. We will be having another look at the reorganisation proposals and we will reveal our conclusions to the House before the summer recess.”

Here at Waterside Boat Sales we are often asked by both boat buyers and potential customers looking to sell their boats what should I do to prepare my boat for summer, we covered antifouling in depth a little while ago and so I won’t revisit old ground but here are some handy tips and hoepfully this article may act as an aide memoire. Happy boating!

With so much to do to keep your yacht in good condition, preparing for the season can be long, arduous work. But without due care and attention to yacht maintenance, you could find yourself landed with expensive repair bills or perhaps a boat insurance claim, not to mention the inconvenience of a yacht in disrepair.

Whether this is your first summer out in a yacht or you are a seasoned sailor, a maintenance checklist is always useful to ensure you are fully prepared and you get the most out of your boat.

Paint
Each year, make sure you check your yacht’s paintwork, specifically the paint at the bottom of the boat. This paint in designed to repel barnacles and weeds and new coats are essential if the paint has worn.

Engine
Make sure your engine is regularly serviced; in particular, if you have a diesel yacht with injector systems, their glow-plugs will need testing as they can lose power over time. Thoroughly inspect each component, including the water and oil filters and the battery.

Sacrificial Anodes
Sacrificial anodes are simply the shaped alloys bolted to your yacht to prevent corrosion. As they have the capacity to wear down, it is important that they are inspected and replaced when necessary to avoid sever consequences.

Standard Rigging
If the stays, shrouds, terminals and turn buckles are not checked, the consequences can range from an inconvenient minor gear failure, to dangerous dismasting. The rigging is under constant strain and requires regular attention.

Running Rigging
The running rigging is subjected to large amounts of pressure out on the seas. Because of this extreme pressure, the halyards, sheets, guys and vang should be inspected and replaced if they are beginning to look frayed or worn. Try not to put running rigging away soaking wet and regularly pay attention to blocks, as a preventative measure.

Sails
That small tear that you might have in your sail could quickly become a large hole. If you notice any signs of wear and tear in your sails, ensure you have it checked by a specialist to avoid major problems.

Electrics
Be as thorough as you can when checking your electrics. Points to consider are: are your GPS, radio, logs and depth sounders functioning properly and calibrated? Were your navigation lights damaged when the mast was dropped for winter? These checks could prove invaluable should you need assistance out at sea.

Skin Fittings
In a worst case scenario, ill-fitted skin fittings could cause leaks or even sinking. By paying close attention to your yachts seal and skin fitting, you can prevent these costly repairs and inconveniences.

Other Areas to Consider:
Water Tanks
Fenders
Anchor
Equipment
Possessions
Charts
Trailers

To get the most out of your yachting experience and increase your safety on board, enlist on a training course. Insurance companies will expect you to have completed a RYA course or gained significant experience through years of sailing. Whether you have just begun sailing, or you have been a sailor for many years, you could benefit from an engine maintenance, one day skipper, crew, or first aid course.

Got a Power Boat, Motor Yacht or RIB that’s 4 to 13 metres in length? We’ve got great news for you. Now you can jump in your car, call us from your mobile and minutes later get in your boat. Sorted.

The Drystack at Trafalgar Wharf guarantees you UNLIMITED, convenient, hassle-free storage and launching of your boat. That’s because we stack your boat in our huge INDOOR 70,000 square foot Aircraft-Hangar-Sized building with FULL TIDAL ACCESS, keeping your boat safe, secure and in tip-top condition.

We lift and launch with a massive Wiggins Marine boatlift. This means all you have to do is give us a call and your boat will be at the pontoon ready and waiting when you arrive.
We can store, lift and launch boats up to 13m long and 10 tons (*subject to weight distribution) and that makes us the BIGGEST DRYSTACK IN THE UK.

The Drystack in Portsmouth makes Ribbing and motor boating as convenient and low maintenance as humanly possible. That’s because the Drystack system is the ultimate boat berth for motor boats on the Solent.

Imagine arriving at The Drystack at Trafalgar Wharf, parking up (which is free), strolling to the pontoon, and slipping out in less than 5 minutes. Launching is done with great care and precision by our fully-trained and insured staff. You’ll never have to stand up to your midriff on a slippery, windy and wet slipway.

And when you come back in, you’ll probably still be in the car park by the time we’ve secured your boat in the undercover Dry stack.

That is only after we lifted the boat, washed it off, checked it for any damage and stored your boat under cover.

The Drystack experience is what discerning boat owners choose because the system really works. For now, it’s still a relatively new concept, but we know it’s going to catch on fast and overtake marina berths for motorboats.

And there are a number of reasons why:

Firstly, the Drystack we have at Portchester saves enormously on boat maintenance.

Typically you would save £1768.60 on maintenance costs EVERY year for a 10 metre boat. Check out the example here.

If there’s a storm in the Solent, it’s 100% guaranteed that there won’t be any damage to your boat.

You don’t have anything to worry about (even in the summer when you are away on holiday).

Secondly, storage for your boat is very secure.

We are on the former Vosper Thorneycroft site and they built boats for the Navy here, so we guard your boat like a top-secret craft. Our site at Portchester is as secure a boat storage as you’ll find anywhere.

Plus we have 24 hour security and CCTV. And your boat is locked up INDOORS!

Thirdly, when you come to sell your boat it will be worth more.

Boats in a drystack hold their value because they are in better condition. In fact, this can virtually eliminate any fees associated with the drystack when you come to sell your boat. A premium of 15-10% is achieved by brokers for boats that have been Drystacked.

After a great day out, you can travel home safe in the knowledge that EVERYTHING is taken care of by professionals.

It’s the ultimate no-hassle way of maximising your precious leisure time. And boat owners that have their boats dry stacked find they use their boats a lot more because it’s so easy.

Jump in the car, make a phone call, and get in your boat. It’s that simple.

Dry stack storage doesn’t mean you need to compromise on your boating enjoyment.

The Drystack customers enjoy fantastic facilities that include secure free parking, the Waterside Café/Bar, a brand new shower and toilet block and a comprehensive network of support from the many marine businesses we have on site.

Meeting other boat owners who have their boat dry stacked is also part of the fun. Because the system takes over any hard work from you… you’ve got more time to socialise and make friends.

Big boat storage is no problem at The Drystack at Trafalgar Wharf.

We are the only dry stack in the UK able to look after motor yachts, sports boats, powerboats and RIBs of up to 13 metres long and 10 tons.

Because of our 7 figure investment in the latest dry stack engineering and facilities at Trafalgar Wharf Portsmouth we are also able to accommodate fly bridge motor yachts in our dry stack.

Just tell us the height of your boat and we’ll discuss your options.

Extended opening times help you make the most of the weather.

The Drystack is open from 0900 to 1700 all year round.

Just choose to launch and come back within these hours.

And if you want to come back or launch outside these times, we can arrange for your boat to be berthed on the holding pontoon until you arrive.

The Drystack at Trafalgar Wharf is flexible about your paperwork.

You choose either a weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual stay that suits your needs. Contact us for a quote.

Telephone 02392 388884 or email info@watersideboatsales.com

Remember the The Drystack at Trafalgar Wharf experience!

• Save Time! Spend more time on the water!

• No worries – park the car, jump in the boat and you’re off!

• Less depreciation on your boat – money in your pocket

• Greater security – can’t steal from a boat 40 feet up

• Environmentally friendly – no anti-foul required

• Low maintenance saves you money and hassle

• Greater protection from weather

• Better performance from your boat – saving you fuel

• Flexible launching times mean convenience

Modern navigation relies on information from satellites – GPS. Thanks to modern technology, voyages can be planned in advance with the aid of electronic charting software. This allows sailors to lay out a course, determine cruising times and work out fuel levels. But there are other ways to navigate your boat…

Maritime charts
Road maps of the waterways! Only, without road signs and landmarks, maritime charts rely on features not visible to the naked eye:

Water depth
Location and description of navigational markers
Longitude and latitude lines
Shapes of land masses

A maritime chart will shows all hazards, landmarks, markers and safe passages. If you’re embarking on a journey out to sea, however short, have a maritime chart to hand, but ensure you are able to use it!

Along the edges of the chart are the latitude and longitude lines – horizontal and vertical. The place where these lines meet offer a coordinate for any point in the world. So, if you know your location coordinate, then you’ll never be lost.

Maritime charts are printed in colour to convey important information. For instance, a light blue colour indicates the water is between 1 and 3 fathoms in depth and offers safe passage for most boats.

Did you know?
The word navigate comes from the word “Navi”, which in Sanskrit means ‘boat’ and “Gathi” means ‘direction’.

Compass
Modern technology may be sophisticated but they are they always reliable? It’s always a good idea to have a back up system. The compass is merely a small magnet suspended on a pivot point, but a compass can always be relied upon to get a boat back to land.

Ultimately electronic navigation is a luxury for those puttering around lakes, rivers and coastlines but a necessity for anyone boating away from land. It is to date the easiest and most reliable way of keeping track of ones location.

Dead reckoning
Dead reckoning, or DR, is the process of estimating your present position by projecting course and speed from your past position. It’s also used to predict future position by projecting course and speed from a known present position. The DR position is only an approximate position because it does not allow for leeway, current, helmsman error, compass error, or any other external influences.

Navigation Courses
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has offers a two day basic introduction to navigation course. Taught at boating centres across the UK, this course is ideal for those new to boating who want to pick up some essential navigation skills. More experienced navigators can take part in the more advanced RYA skippering courses, including subjects like meteorology, collision avoidance and passage planning.

Other ways to navigate your boat
Pilotage involves navigating in restricted waters with the determination of position being relative to geographic and hydrographic features.

Celestial navigation means reducing celestial measurements to lines of position using tables, spherical trigonometry, and almanacs.

Radio navigation uses radio waves to determine position by either radio direction finding systems or hyperbolic systems.

Radar navigation determines the distance from objects whose position is known.

Well here at Waterside Boat Sales we love a good boating charity event and what can be better than the recent escapades of Antony Smith and his crew in crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a boat made from pipes!

Anthony Smith, 85 years old, wanted to complete the 2,800-mile voyage to draw attention to the fact a over a billion people worldwide live without clean water for drinking, bathing and other essential daily tasks.

The former BBC Tomorrow’s World presenter hopes to have raised £50,000 for the charity WaterAid which aims to ensure that needless suffering from lack of clean water is stopped.

They set sail from the Canary Islands and reached their goal of the Caribbean on Wednesday.

Mr Smith recruited the team of “mature and intrepid gentlemen”, aged between 56 and 61, by placing an advert in the Daily Telegraph looking for likely adventurers to join him. It read: “Fancy rafting across the Atlantic? Famous traveller requires 3 crew. Must be OAP. Serious adventurers only.”

Anthony Smith, David Hildred, Andrew Bainbridge, John Russell on board An-Tiki The 85-year-old was a science correspondent and presenter on the BBC programme, which was axed in 2003 after 40 years.

Speaking ahead of the trip Mr Smith said: “Water strikes at the very heart of need. To voyage almost 3,000 miles upon the salty kind will make us intensely aware of places in the world that are without adequate supplies.”

Their vessel, named the An-Tiki, was constructed out of 12m (39ft) lengths of pipe.

It was powered by a 400-square-foot sail and steered using twin rudders and oars, travelling at an average speed of four knots.

The crew had intended to end their voyage in the Bahamas, but strong winds and currents forced them to the Dutch Caribbean island of St Maarten.

Crew member John Russell, 61, from Stroud, said he was looking forward to having “a nice shower and washing the salt off me”.

“And having a nice steak to eat. We haven’t had fresh food for a long time. We’ve been living out of tins. Our fresh fruit and vegetables ran out a long time ago,” he said.

Of course if you fancy crossing the Atlantic in something with a few more creature comforts than a pipe raft, we have a number of lovely bluewater cruisers for sale including a Moody 64, an Island Packet 485, a Steelmaid 45 and more check out our full list of boats by clicking here

So as we rapidly approach the start of the 2011 boating season it is time to finish off those last few pre-season jobs and one that is often left until late in the day in the dreaded antifouling. Here we will do our best to remove the mystery and answer some of your questions.

Why Use Antifouling?
The seas around many coastlines contain a mass of animal and plant life forms, all competing for somewhere to live and grow. These tiny organisms include the larvae of literally billions of barnacles, mussels and other sea creatures, together with seaweed spores from around the world. Generally these lifeforms isare most concentrated around our coasts and in harbours and estuaries, where a rich source of food on which these organisms can thrive can be found. Indeed, plankton is often dense enough to be visible during the day and can sometimes be seen glowing on really dark nights. Everything in the sea is bathed in this ’soup’ of living matter, and can become badly fouled within just a few weeks unless protected by an effective anti-fouling.Apart from looking unsightly, heavy fouling makes your boat slow, less responsive, less fuel efficient and difficult to manoeuvre in close quarters situations

There are so many types of antifouling, which will be right for my boat?
Most anti-foul coatings are designed to cope with a wide spectrum of fouling and generally speaking there are three main types of antifouling, for a range of hull types and mooring conditions:-
Self Polishing (eroding) – the popular choice As the term suggests, think of a bar of soap and this helps to describe the relative soft nature of these products and how they work. Through the flow of water across the hull a fresh layer of biocide is continually exposed on the outside to repel any fouling. Provided that sufficient coats are applied from the outset, multi-season performance can be expected, saving you time and money. Once applied an annual check and jet-wash on the hull, to revive the coating, is normally all that is needed. Most users find that the overall performance of self polishing antifouling is very hard to beat. Understandably boats with drying moorings are not really suited to these products.
Hard types – These products have a general appeal and will work just as well in a range of conditions including salt and fresh water. Due to the leaching nature of the biocide, these products do not erode as such and can be used for drying moorings. Hard types are resistant to abrasion and often favoured by racers who can burnish the hull with wet & dry prior to launching. Hard types can be effective up to very high boat speeds of up to 70 knots and often favoured by powerful motorboat owners. These products are best re-applied on an annual basis.
Non biocidal – foul release types These work due to the slippery nature of the surface, which fouling finds difficult to adhere to. As a result they are not normally suitable for drying moorings. The other major benefit, is less water resistance on the hull, meaning better fuel economy and more responsive handling through the helm.

How should I prepare the boat & apply antifouling?
Before you start – Put on old clothes and if you feel it warrants it a set of overalls on top as further protection, along with rubber gloves and safety glasses or goggles. Apply masking tape around the waterline and mask off anodes, shafts and fittings to protect them from unwanted coating. Put a plastic sheet down to protect the ground and wet the ground with water to prevent dust rising onto your work. If you are working on a cold day, keep your paint in a warm place or stand the tin in a bucket, part filled with warm water. This will make it easier to apply and give a smoother finish. Anti-foul can settle, so vigorous stirring with a flat object is recommended. Don’t use paint directly from the can if you can avoid it, put an appropriate amount in a roller tray and replace the lid. This prevents contamination and premature ageing of the main can contents. Remember to occasionally stir up the tray contents during your work. Anti-foul is best applied with a roller, but keep a brush handy for those awkward to reach areas. When using a roller, apply the coating in a ‘criss-cross’ pattern, as if you were using a brush. This helps spread the coating evenly. Apply an extra coat at the leading edges and waterline area, as this is where the boat faces more water- flow. Finally, as soon as the anti-foul feels ‘tacky’ remove the masking tape before the paint dries hard, to give a smoother edge to the paint and one that does not stand proud of the surface. Stand back and congratulate yourself on a job well done with a well earned hot drink!
Surface preparation – Surfaces to be painted must be clean, dry and free of oil or grease. Bare surfaces must first be primed with a suitable priming scheme, filling any undulations between coats with an epoxy profiling filler . Existing anti-foulings don’t usually need any special preparation, but they can be lightly wet sanded, using fresh water, to remove small lumps and ‘blebs’ in the paintwork. Propellers can be cleaned with an electric drill and wire brush to give a smooth, polished finish.
Priming the underwater hull – On bare and filled areas, you should apply touch-ups of primer to ensure good adhesion of the coats to follow. For hulls where all the existing paint is removed and full coats of the primer system are required, use an epoxy primer. Be sure to observe the over coating intervals between each coat – Seajet put this information on the tin. Use a brush for smaller areas and a roller for larger areas. If you don’t know what anti-fouling was last used on your boat, or the condition of the boat is not ideal, apply a good sealer coat. Applying anti-fouling Generally speaking the performance of anti-foul is directly proportional to the dry film thickness of each coat. Therefore it is important that you apply the recommended quantity as a minimum for a satisfactory result. Where possible apply your anti-fouling during late morning or early afternoon in calm, dry weather. Avoid the risk of dampness or overnight dew, as this will spoil the results and subsequently affect the performance.

Thanks to Seajet for their help in compiling this article

HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton will be the guests of honour at the naming ceremony for new RNLI lifeboat in Wales. The recently engaged couple, who have a home on Anglesey, will name a new Atlantic class lifeboat during a visit to the RNLI station at Trearddur Bay.
It is the second official engagement the pair have carried out since announcing they will marry on 29 April.

The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Hereford Endeavour will be launched during the ceremony as the crew demonstrate some of her rescue capabilities to the royal party and station guests.

The lifeboat station at Trearddur Bay was first opened in 1967. Since then, RNLI volunteers have launched the lifeboat 873 times and saved 202 lives.

Christopher Pritchard, Senior Helmsman, said: ‘Having Prince William and Miss Middleton name our new lifeboat is especially significant to us. As Prince William is a pilot with the RAF Search and Rescue Force just down the road at RAF Valley, we also welcome him as a colleague who works with us to save lives at sea.’

The Atlantic 85 is the most advanced inshore lifeboat produced by the RNLI. She can reach speeds of up to 35 knots and is fitted with a radar system, radio direction finding equipment and a sophisticated chart plotter to aid search and rescue operations, particularly in low visibility. The new boat will also be able to carry more casualties than her predecessor.

Paul Boissier, RNLI Chief Executive, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Prince William and Miss Middleton to Trearddur Bay. We have a proud history of royal patronage and are honoured that Prince William and Miss Middleton will be continuing that tradition.’