RNLI chief Executive Paul Boissier with Stornoway RNLI crew and members of Stornoway Ladies Lifeboat Guild.
Stornoway RNLI Station was recently visited by RNLI Chief Executive Paul Boissier.
A former deputy commander in Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy, Mr Boissier told the lifesaving crew and fundraisers of the Stornoway Ladies Lifeboat Guild of his own experiences sailing up and down the Minch and round the Butt of Lewis.
He said: “I know you have big seas up here and when the weather kicks up those seas get bigger.
“I kind of know what it’s like, to go out to sea on a tough night, it never stops being frightening.
“But you go out to rescue people in seas like that. That’s the great thing about the RNLI, it is full of people who give up a lot of themselves to rescue strangers and you do it for nothing. It’s quite amazing.”
Mr Boissier also spoke about enjoying his time in the Western Isles.
“Just wandering around the town, everyone is so friendly,” he said. “It’s one of the real joys of the job I do, I get to go round the coasts of these islands; and places like this is where you meet real people.”
He continued: “It’s just amazing there is so much goodwill around the islands for the lifeboats. It’s just amazing the fundraising we receive.”
RNLI chief in station visit 16/9/14
