The Boathouse

The current Lifeboat on service at North Berwick is the fifth Blue Peter Lifeboat to be stationed at North Berwick. Blue Peter III is an IB1 inshore Lifeboat, the upgrade of the D-Class lifeboat. Often described as the workhorse of the RNLI’s fleet. It is small and highly manooverable making it ideal for rescues close to the sure, in fair, to moderate conditions. The IB1 has a single 50 hp outboard engine and can be righted manually by the crew following a capsize.

The IB1 normally has a crew of three, sometimes four. The nature of its work requires a swift response as it is often called out to swimmers, surfers and small boats. Due to this the IB1 lifeboat can usually be on the water in under five minutes from the crew pagers being set off.

North Berwick is just one of the 81 Lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland operating a D-Class/IB1 lifeboat.

Equipment carried on the D-class IB1