Looe RNLI Welcomes New Lifeboat Operations Manager

Looe RNLI has announced the appointment of Clive Palfrey as their new Lifeboat Operations Manager, marking a significant change in leadership following the retirement of Dave Haines.

Years of Service and Experience

Clive, who has been an active volunteer with Looe Lifeboat Station since 2002, brings extensive experience to his new role. As one of the station’s senior helms, he has played a crucial part in training and coordinating the crew over the years. His involvement began as boat crew, later advancing to helm, where he took on additional training responsibilities.

Taking the Helm as Operations Manager

In his new position, Clive will oversee the operational activities of the station and lead the operational crew. This role ensures that the charity’s inshore lifeboats and launch tractors are always ready for service.

Clive expressed his gratitude towards his predecessor, saying: “I would like to thank Dave Haines for his 32 years of voluntary service to the RNLI and Looe Lifeboat Station. I am proud to be part of the crew at Looe, starting as boat crew, I progressed to helm with a responsibility for coordinating crew training, I am now excited to be taking on the Lifeboat Operations Manager role. I am looking forward to building upon Dave’s legacy, developing our lifesaving service and supporting our volunteers at the station saving lives at sea.”

Dave Haines’s departure marks the end of over three decades of dedicated service, a legacy Clive aims to build upon as he steps into this pivotal role.

Looe Lifeboat Station: A Lifesaving Legacy

Re-established as an inshore lifeboat station in 1992, Looe RNLI operates two inshore lifeboats: an Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and a D Class Ollie Naismith II. These lifeboats, paired with the unwavering dedication of the crew, play a vital role in the station’s lifesaving missions.

Clive’s appointment underscores Looe RNLI’s commitment to maintaining the station’s high standards of readiness and operational success as it continues its vital mission of saving lives at sea.

Photo: Dave Haines congratulating his successor Clive Palfrey and passing over the LOM pager and station keys – Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster