The Naming Ceremony and service of Dedication of the new D Class Lifeboat took place at The Lifeboat Station Lane End Bembridge on Saturday 29th April 2006. The Ceremony was attended by a number of dignitaries - if lacking the Royalty who
in the past launched the lifeboat from Bembridge, but included the Lord Leiutenant Chris Bland, the High Sheriff, Peter Grimaldi,
Sarah Lady Pigot the local chairman of the Lifeboat Guild, local councillors Sally Pigot and Wynn McRoberts and many others
connected to the RNLI and Bembridge Lifeboat. The Rev Andrew Menniss conducted the Service of Dedication, with music from the Village Band and Singing from the Holy Trinity Choir and
Bembridge Primary School
At the ceremony, after the National Anthem was sung, Chairman of Bembridge Lifeboat Station Committee, John Margetson welcomed guests then John Gorman handed over the lifeboat
to the RNLI. Rev Andrew Menniss conducted the Service of Dedication and John Gorman named the lifeboat 'Dorothy Beatrice May Gorman' prior to irs launch.
Recent Shouts: On 29th April the AWB – Max Aitken III was
launched after the 35ft yacht “Seneto” had reported having fouled her propeller and rudder late Friday afternoon, were drifting about
in a calm seas near the main shipping lanes. After a slow steam back through the Solent the yacht was placed on the Lifeboat mooring off the station and a “Seastart” breakdown service vessel
came and towed her into Portsmouth Harbour.
On 6th May whilst afloat on exercise off Portsmouth with the Thames Barge “Kitty”, Solent Coastguard tasked the Lifeboat to escort the Cruise Liner “Calypso” which had caught fire, 15 miles south Beachy Head back into the Solent. The Lifeboat proceeded
to the “South Puller” buoy, south of Selsey Bill and once on scene relieved the Selsey Lifeboat that had been escorting the tug “Anglican Monarch” and the “Calypso” up from the East. The slow tow was escorted up as far as position north of Ryde Pier
where Hamble Rescue took over and completed the escort up into Southampton Docks.