RAMSEY Lifeboat Station welcomed a special visitor to the station last week – the new commanding officer of HMS Ramsey.

Lieutenant Commander Paul Ottewell of the Royal Navy will take charge of the HMS Ramsey – a Sandown class Royal Navy mine hunter which is currently on a four year deployment in the Gulf – at the end of the month.

He visited the station last Tuesday, November 1, and was shown around the lifeboat and boathouse by station mechanic Ali Clague before chatting with volunteer lifeboat crew members and members of the Manx Sailing and Cruising Club.

Kev Christian, lifeboat station operations manager at Ramsey RNLI, said he was delighted that the Lieutenant Commander was able to spend time at the station and thanked the officers and crew of HMS Ramsey for their continued support of Ramsey’s lifeboat and the RNLI charity.

During his visit to the Island Lieutenant Commander Ottewell also visited the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Ramsey Grammar School, the Ramsey branch of the Royal Naval Association, Ramsey Town Hall, during his time in the Island.

HMS Ramsey was granted Freedom of Entry to Ramsey by Ramsey Town Commissioners on April 24 last year.

Picture credit - www.royalnavy.mod.uk