RNLI Training Exercise on East Sussex 1

The Eastbourne lifeboat used the MVS’s national training vessel East Sussex 1 for a night-time casualty evacuation exercise on Wednesday 15 November.
The exercise took place with East Sussex 1 alongside her usual berth at Sovereign Harbour and the lifeboat coming alongside.

The aim was to enable the RNLI to give a number of new crew members the opportunity to practice their classroom training on a real vessel.
During the exercise a trainee RNLI coxswain had to bring the lifeboat alongside East Sussex 1 a couple of times, with the trainee crew directing a small team of MVS members where to secure the lines.

While the object was to provide training for new RNLI volunteers, it was also a valuable training exercise for three new MVS members.
Under the supervision of experienced MVS skipper Tim Apps, recent recruits Mick Driver, Ange Peet and Chris Petken were able to see the RNLI in action and were later shown around the lifeboat.