Aith lifeboat station welcomes new coxswain

THE RNLI has recruited a new coxswain for the most northerly lifeboat station at Aith.

Adam James has swapped the balmy climate of the Isle of Wight with one of the toughest conditions the weather can throw at you.

On Sunday he was already out with the Aith volunteer crew on their regular exercise.

He replaces coxswain Hylton Henry who retires this spring after almost 40 years at the Aith lifeboat station.

With a background in sailing James has spent all his working life on boats of some kind. He is also a fully qualified boat builder.

A spokeswoman for the station at Aith said: “All of this made him an ideal candidate for the position, and the time he has spent working with various charities, including the Jubilee Sailing Trust, (which enables disabled people to sail as a fully integrated crew member) made him the best choice for the post.

Adam has also been involved with building the boats, ranging from modern racing yachts to motor boats, and even the largest wooden tall ship built in the UK for over a century.

“This gives him the breadth of knowledge to understand most types of boats, and assess the situation more easily, when a vessel is in danger.”