Marine apprentices help out local life saving charity
TRAINEE ENGINEERS from HMS Sultan’s Marine Engineering Training Group (METG) have assisted an emergency service by repairing a damaged lifeboat engine for a local lifesaving charity; which allowed them to gain valuable hands-on experience in the process.
Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS) approached HMS Sultan after damage was identified to the engine of their Inshore Lifeboat (ILB), Ian Fuller ILB, during recent training. Faced with the prospect of a costly commercial repair, the charity turned to their neighbours at Britain’s home of naval engineering for support.
With the agreement of the Commanding Officer, the team at HMS Sultan offered to carry out the repair as part of the training of new personnel. The work gave trainee Leading Engineering Technicians Marine Engineering (LETMEs) valuable experience working on an unfamiliar engine, contributing towards completion of their Level 3 Apprenticeships, while providing GAFIRS with vital support at no cost.
It’s a small but telling example of what HMS Sultan training produces: engineers who can turn their hand to whatever is in front of them, whether that’s aboard one of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales, or a lifeboat on the Solent. The Royal Navy was ranked the country’s second-best apprenticeship employer in the Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2026, behind only the British Army.
Petty Officer Engineering Technician (Marine Engineering) Kieron Meehan led the team of Probationary Leading Engineering Technician (Marine Engineering) accelerated apprentices who tackled the maintenance project. He said: “I jumped at the chance to help, especially as I’ve known Taff a long time. We’ve probably had 10 or 12 trainees involved, and they’ve all brought different skills and qualities to it.”
He continued: “The defect looked like an easy fix at first, a snapped bracket, but as we got deeper into it, we realised we had to take apart the whole engine. That’s brilliant for the trainees to see, especially those who’ve never been on a ship before. They’ve had to use problem solving, teamwork and technical skills specific to outboard motors. A real problem never works like the training syllabus. It’s about staying calm and putting what you’ve been taught into practice, and that’s building resilience in our trainees for the jobs they’ll encounter on board.”
GAFIRS is an independent lifeboat and inshore rescue service founded in 1969. As a facility to HM Coastguard, the charity provides emergency lifeboat cover to the Eastern Solent and Portsmouth Harbour, operating entirely on a voluntary basis and receiving no government funding. The charity responds to more than 100 incidents per year on average and has already attended 67 so far this year.
The Ian Fuller ILB is one of three lifeboats operated by GAFIRS, alongside the Gosport Lifeboat, Joan Dora Fuller, and the Gosport Beach Rescue craft, Patrick Beach, used by the charity’s cadets.
Matthew “Taff” Crofts, a former Naval Marine Engineer who is now Apprenticeships Team Leader for METG and volunteers with GAFIRS, said: “Following some recent training, damage to the engine on our Gosport Inshore Lifeboat, Ian Fuller ILB, was identified. We were then faced with the prospect of sending the engine to a commercial company for repair, which would’ve presented the charity with a significant bill.
“Now repaired, Ian Fuller ILB will undergo sea trials and then return to service supporting HM Coastguard. A huge thank you to everyone at HMS Sultan for their time, expertise and willingness to support our independent lifeboat service. Collaborations like this make a real difference and help us continue to provide a vital service to our local waters.”
Readers can see more information about the Gosport-based training establishment and its seventy years of history by clicking on this link.
PICTURED BY MATTHEW ‘TAFF’ CROFTS: Marine engineering apprentices from HMS Sultan join together to work on the engine of GAFIRS’ inshore lifeboat, Ian Fuller ILB.
