On April 16th 2011 our minister, the Reverend Ian Banks officiated at the Service of Dedication during the naming Ceremony of the latest Inshore Lifeboat to be donated to the RNLI and operated out of Skegness. The ceremony wasn't without incident as crowds watched in awe as the Skegness RNLI crew leapt into action when there was a distress call shortly after the proceedings commenced.

Divisional Inspector of Lifeboats, Andrew Clift, had just finished describing the new lifeboat and handed over the microphone to David Murray, Chairman of the Peterborough and District Branch of CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale) when a call came from the Yarmouth Coastguard.

The team quickly cleared the crowds and then proceeded to launch the lifeboat which then headed north towards Winthorpe where a man had got into trouble with a jet ski.

Despite the naming Ceremony, both lifeboats remained on service ready to be called out if required.

Fortunately this was a quick, simple shout that took around twenty minutes and so the crew and boat where soon back in the station, although somewhat less polished than before the incident.

Funds for the new lifeboat were collected from festival-goers at the Peterborough Beer Festival over several years before officially handing over the £31,000 D Class lifeboat to the RNLI, which was appropriately called Peterborough Beer Festival IV.

When dedicating the boat's predecessor, Leicester Fox II, in 2002, Ian Banks had suggested that the Biblical story of Jonah's rescue from sea was probably the first record of a 'lifeboat' rescue; the whale being the lifeboat! Ian told the assembled crew and guests that he was having a little trouble finding a connection between the scriptures and the new boat, especially given it's name. However, he went on to say how he thought he'd cracked it. 'Our God', said Ian, 'is a god who saves, but he is also the God who performs miracles and works in a mysterious way. One such miracle was performed at a wedding ceremony to which Jesus and his family were invited. The host ran out of wine and Jesus responded by turning water into wine. In a modern day miracle, Jesus has now turned beer into a much needed "lifeboat" by using the generosity of the people attending the Peterborough Beer Festival. I understand this is the fourth time he has performed this particular miracle!'

The ceremony ended with a rendition of 'Home from the Sea', sung by the lifeboat crew, station officials and ladies from April's Piano Academy.