Newcastle RNLI Welcomes Two New Lifeboats in New Era of Lifesaving
Sunday 13 September 2026
There was a sense of history in the air at Newcastle Lifeboat Station on Saturday afternoon, 12 September, as two new lifeboats were formally welcomed into the RNLI family.
Before an assembled gathering of volunteers, families, supporters and friends of the station, the Atlantic 85 Berylium and D class Cameronian were officially named and dedicated marking the beginning of a new chapter in the lifesaving story of Newcastle.
Both boats had already been answering the call for some months. Berylium went on service last December, while Cameronian followed in October. Saturday's ceremony gave the station the opportunity to pause, reflect and acknowledge the remarkable generosity and commitment that had made their arrival possible.
Daniel Curran, Launch Authority at Newcastle RNLI, welcomed those gathered before a recording from Beryl Williamson was played. In it, Beryl formally handed Berylium into the care of the RNLI. Margaret Cameron then performed the same act for Cameronian.
RNLI Trustee Paddy McLaughlin accepted both boats on behalf of the charity before formally handing them into the care of Newcastle Lifeboat Station.
For the volunteers who will crew them, it was a moment of considerable significance.
“As one of the Launch Authorities,” Daniel explained, “I have the responsibility to authorise the lifeboats launch when requested, and to send a message to the crew asking them to get to the station as quickly as possible.”
Over recent months, he had watched the crew undertake intensive training as they familiarised themselves with their new boats and developed a full inshore lifesaving capability at Newcastle.
The change represented more than simply new machinery.
It represented an evolution in the station's ability to respond to the risks presented by the coast and to changing patterns of activity on the water.
Earlier in the year, Newcastle had said an emotional farewell to its much-loved Mersey class lifeboat as it reached the end of its operational life. Yet that goodbye was followed by an extraordinary gift: not one, but two new inshore lifeboats.
“Thanks to the generosity of the donors and the commitment and dedication of our volunteers,” Daniel said, “both Berylium and Cameronian will ensure we continue to provide the most effective lifesaving service now and long into the future.”
A lifeboat with a family history
The story behind Berylium is almost as remarkable as the boat itself.
The Atlantic 85 has been funded by Beryl and her late husband Gilbert Williamson, whose connection with the sea stretches back through the generations.
Beryl and Gilbert had always intended to fund a lifeboat after their deaths. Following Gilbert's passing, however, Beryl decided that she would rather see the money put to work during her lifetime — and set out to fund not one lifeboat, but two.
She chose the name Berylium for the Atlantic 85, hoping that it would become a treasured “diamond” in the RNLI fleet and, more importantly, a great asset in the hands of its volunteer crews as they go to the aid of those in trouble at sea.
The family's relationship with the sea reaches back to the 13th century and the story of Sir Patrick Spens, one of their ancestors.
Ordered by the King to sail to Norway in winter, Sir Patrick knew the voyage was fraught with danger. He nevertheless obeyed, ultimately losing his own life along with his crew and ship.
Centuries later, the family's experience of the sea was marked by another terrible tragedy. Seven members of Beryl and Gilbert's family were lost in the Eyemouth Fishing Disaster of 1881.
Their connection with lifesaving has also been a practical one. In 1967, Beryl and Gilbert were involved in opening what became the first RNLI charity shop, the Lucky Dip, in Edinburgh.
For Berylium, therefore, the name carries a considerable weight of family history, a reminder of lives lost at sea, but also of a determination to help save those who may face the same peril.
Cameronian - a tribute to thrift and service
The second boat, Cameronian, has its own distinctive story.
The D class lifeboat was funded by Margaret Cameron, who has also generously supported the new Shannon class lifeboat Bobby Cameron at Kilkeel RNLI.
Margaret grew up with three brothers on a farm at Gracehill in County Antrim during the difficult years of the Second World War. Money was scarce, and from an early age Margaret and her family were taught the value of thrift.
After retiring, she embarked on a journalism course and went on to work as a freelance writer, while continuing to enjoy creative writing.
Her commitment to helping others extended well beyond her professional life. Margaret volunteered at the Marie Curie Centre in Belfast and at the Share Centre in Lisnaskea.
In 2018, she travelled to Buckingham Palace with her brother Bobby and two nephews, where she was awarded an MBE by the Queen.
The naming of Cameronian at Newcastle therefore brought together another life shaped by service, community and a willingness to give something back.
Two boats, different strengths
For Newcastle's volunteer crew, the arrival of the two lifeboats is about much more than their names or the stories of those who funded them.
The Atlantic 85 is among the fastest lifeboats in the RNLI fleet, capable of reaching speeds of 35 knots. Two 115hp four-stroke engines provide the power, while the boat's design gives it the ability to operate in shallow water as well as in challenging open-sea conditions.
It can operate in force 7 near-gale conditions during daylight and force 6 at night.
That combination of speed and agility makes the Atlantic 85 particularly suited to rescues close to shore, around cliffs and rocks, and in other areas where manoeuvrability is vital. It can also be beached in an emergency without damaging its engines.
The D class has a rather different character.
Often described as the workhorse of the RNLI fleet, the inflatable inshore lifeboat has continued to evolve alongside the demands placed upon it and the technology available to its crews.
Cameronian can reach 25 knots and, at that speed, can remain at sea for up to three hours during search and rescue operations, an important capability when every minute counts and a search may extend over a considerable area.
Designed for shallow water and confined locations, the D class comes into its own close to cliffs, rocks and caves. It is particularly effective in big surf and in fair to moderate conditions.
Together, the two boats give Newcastle's volunteers a versatile inshore capability, combining speed, endurance and the ability to work in some of the most difficult environments found around the coast.
A promise carried forward
Following the formal handover, Canon Myrtle Morrison, Fr Jim Crudden, Rev Dr Richard Wright and Rev Adrian Moffett led the congregation in a service of dedication.
Then came one of the simplest and most recognisable moments of any lifeboat naming ceremony.
Champagne was poured over the side of each boat as the gathered crowd watched.
For those present, it was both celebration and solemn promise.
Every lifeboat carries with it the hopes of the people who fund it and the expectations of the community it serves. But ultimately, it is the volunteers who give those hopes meaning.
When the call comes, there is no ceremony. There is simply the message, the rush to the station, the engines starting and a crew heading out towards whatever waits beyond the harbour.
At Newcastle, two new boats now stand ready for that call.
Berylium carries with her a family's centuries-old relationship with the sea, and Cameronian carries the generosity of a woman whose own life has been defined by resourcefulness and service.
Their names will become part of the station's daily life, written on the boats, spoken over the radio and remembered by the crews who take them to sea.
Saturday's ceremony marked their official beginning.
The real story of Berylium and Cameronian will be written from now on, call by call, rescue by rescue, by the volunteers of Newcastle Lifeboat Station.
