A Jersey Independent Lifeboat Service Committee has now been set up and a public meeting is due to be held in the Town Hall on Tuesday between 7 pm and 9 pm to discuss the next steps.
Former St Helier coxswain Andy Hibbs, together with the rest of the volunteers, announced their intention to set up an independent lifeboat service last week, days before the RNLI closed the St Helier station.
He acknowledged that any independent crew would have to ‘start again’ and source its own boat and finances. And he added that, ideally, they would continue to be based in St Helier.
Last week the RNLI took the all-weather lifeboat George Sullivan back to Poole.
The charity’s chief executive, Paul Boissier, has also said that almost £7 million held in donations would be kept within the RNLI.
‘We have got massive support from individuals and business that we could rely on financially,’ said Mr Hibbs. ‘We would have to start again. And that way it would be ours and all donations get to be kept in Jersey.’
Asked how the independent crew thought they could set up for about £2 million, considering the George Sullivan cost a reported £2.7 million, Mr Hibbs said: ‘That was totally overpriced.
‘We can get state-of-the-art boats off the shelf to spec for 2 million euros. Fully equipped, I think we are looking at 2.5 million euros.’
He added that the French suppliers they were looking to work with could provide back-up vessels if need be.
Asked if he thought the crew had, in hindsight, done the right thing in announcing its intention to go solo, Mr Hibbs said: ‘Absolutely. We have done nothing wrong.’
