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200th Anniversary of the RNLI Part 2 - Tristan Rescue Boats

200th Anniversary of the RNLI Part 2 - Tristan Rescue Boats

As an Island Nation, Tristan da Cunha is acutely aware of maritime hazards. Tristan has no official Lifeboat service, but the island archipelago has seen many shipwrecks over the years.

Tristan has chosen to release two issues to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the creation of the RNLI. Part 2 depicts Tristan Rescue Boats that have been used over the years.

55p Whaling Boat, 19th century. The whaleboat was a double-ended, light, open boat with a length of 27ft - 31ft and a beam of slightly more than ⅕ the length. It was pulled with oars and sailed.

These were used by islanders to aid many stricken sailors. Two well-known rescues were of the Blenden Hall & Mabel Clark.

85p Barge, Pequena. Built in South Africa the Pequena was bought in by the South African fishing company, Tristan Investments. A 30ft, self- propelled fiberglass and wood barge with a flat hull and 6-cylinder diesel engine.

£1.30 Launch, Atlantic Spray. The Atlantic Spray was built in 1982 by staff at the local fishing factory (Tristan Investments) for the Government using the design of the fishing boats. The Atlantic Spray is a 27ft long fiberglass and wood boat powered by a 4-cylinder diesel engine.

£2 RIB, Atlantic Dawn. An 8m tornado search and rescue RIB the Atlantic Dawn is powered by two Yamaha 200hp outboards. She has a range of 150miles, can carry a max of 10 people and is designed to carry stretchers. The Atlantic Dawn is used for ship to shore operations in poor weather conditions, as a support boat when Islanders go to the Caves, Stoney Beach & Nightingale Island and has assisted in countless medical emergencies.

FDC Cover, Wave Dancer.The Wave Dancer is a Pacific 38 cabin RIB with a range of 200 miles. She is used as a fisheries patrol vessel, fishing and customs inspections, inshore science surveys, and outer-island trips to conduct patrols and support scientific research. The Wave Dancer assists the search and rescue craft during poor weather conditions for operations further offshore.

 

 

 

 

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200TH Anniversary of the RNLI Part 1 : Lifeboats

200TH Anniversary of the RNLI Part 1 : Lifeboats

The creation of a service dedicated to the saving of lives at sea was the vision of Sir William Hillary. In 1823 Hillary proposed the creation of a lifeboat service manned by trained crews dedicated to the saving of lives and property from shipwrecks and vessels in distress.

The story of the RNLI is one of courage and dedication. Since the charity launched its first lifeboat in 1824, the RNLI has saved more than 146,000 lives at sea.

The 200th Anniversary of the creation of the RNLI. Part 1 depicts various rescue boats used by the RNLI during its history. 

85p First Steam Lifeboat, 1890. Sixty years after the idea was first mooted by Sir William Hillary, the Duke of Northumberland went into service in September 1890. Duke of Northumberland used waterjets instead of propellors. Three hydraulic steam-driven lifeboats were in service for over 40 years and saved 570 lives.

£1.30 First Motor Lifeboat, 1930. The first fast motor lifeboat was designed to reach casualties rapidly. Sir William Hillary, named after the RNLI’s founder, was developed in response to an increasing number of aircraft flying over the Channel, and coming down at sea.

£2 Shannon Class, 2013. The RNLI’s first Shannon class lifeboat was named Jock and Annie Slater, after a former RNLI Chairman, Sir Jock Slater, and his wife, Lady Annie Slater. The Shannon class is the first modern RNLI all-weather lifeboat to be powered by waterjets instead of propellers, making her fast with speeds up to 25 knots, and agile.

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Garden Flowers

Garden Flowers

On Tristan da Cunha there are many garden flowers that have been introduced over the years. There is no Garden Centre where one can purchase plants so everything is either grown from seed or cuttings. Islanders share young plants they have grown from their garden with each other whilst many seeds are bought from South Africa and the UK.

Some of the garden flowers that were brought in as ornamentals have now dispersed into the wild. These flowers now growing around the settlement are free for everyone to enjoy.

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60th Anniversary of the Tristan volcanic eruption – Part 3 – Resettlement

60th Anniversary of the Tristan volcanic eruption – Part 3 – Resettlement

The determination of most Tristan islanders to return home from their enforced volcanic evacuation in October 1961 began in earnest on 13th April 1962 when islanders Adam Swain and Joe Glass returned to England from the Royal Society Expedition declaring that the island was fit for habitation. It proved a tricky exercise to plan and carry out resettlement.

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The Coronation of King Charles III

The Coronation of King Charles III

On 6 May 2023, at the age of 73, King Charles III became the oldest monarch to be crowned in British history.

Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948 and became heir apparent (next in line to the throne) at the age of 3 in 1952. He was the first heir to see his mother crowned as Sovereign and went on to become the longest serving Prince of Wales.

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Penguins

Penguins

Not many realise that the UK is one of the world’s top penguin nations. In some of the UK Overseas Territories in the Southern Hemisphere the shores are awash with waddling, tobogganing, and diving penguins – seven out of 18 penguin species are found in the Falklands, South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands and Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean.

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100th Anniversary of St Mary’s Church

100th Anniversary of St Mary’s Church

On 8th July 2023 we celebrate 100 years since Tristan’s Anglican Church was dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin.

In the beginning William Glass instituted daily prayer and Sunday public worship. Later services were held in Andrew Hagan’s house, as it was the largest in the settlement.

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The world's remotest Post Office team welcomes you!

The world's remotest Post Office team welcomes you!

Tristan da Cunha did not have stamps until 1952, and the first ones were overprinted St Helena definitives. Essays priced in potatoes were however prepared in the 1940s as part of the petition for stamps. Before then, islanders had to rely on the good will of visiting ships. Tristan stamps have been popular with collectors ever since.

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Visiting US Liberty Ships (1943)

Visiting US Liberty Ships (1943)

During the Second World War, Tristan was commissioned by the Royal Navy as a top-secret naval station code-named Job 9 and later renamed HMS Atlantic Isle. Its role was to monitor U Boats (which were required to maintain radio contact) and shipping in the South Atlantic Ocean.

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Vagrant Species Part 3

Vagrant Species Part 3

Tristan da Cunha lies in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the mid-Atlantic ridge, 2,800km from the continental shores South Africa, and 3,360km from South America. It is the most remote island in the world with a resident human population, with St. Helena, the nearest island some 2,400km away. Vagrant species might seem to be a curiosity, but all of the native animals on Tristan arose from individuals that wandered far from their usual haunts.

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