LIFEBOAT PHOEBE MAKES WAVES
Engineering graduate leads band of women landing key roles
THE RNLI has announced the appointment of its first fulltime female mechanic in Scotland on International Women’s Day.
Phoebe Douglas, 23, will be responsible for maintaining two lifeboats and other vehicles at Dunbar Lifeboat Station in East Lothian, as well as serving on the crew, once she is fully trained.
The mechanical engineering graduate, originally from Yorkshire, has previously fundraised for the RNLI and is an experienced sailor as well as a qualified dinghy instructor and skipper.
She will be looking after the station’s in-shore lifeboat, tractor and Land Rover at Dunbar and the all-weather lifeboat, boarding boat and launching davit at nearby Torness Power Station.
Dunbar Lifeboat Station is one of the oldest in Scotland and predates the establishment of the RNLI 200 years ago.
Phoebe said: “Engineering has always been a massively maledominated industry so I was already aware of what I might be getting myself into. I figured it would be quite unusual but it doesn’t bother me.
“Doing engineering and the sports I do are already very male dominated. I’m well used to it.
“I have a lot of training to do but I spent a lot of time at lifeboat stations with the fundraising side of things, so I know how they work.”
“I’ve always wanted to work on boats and wanted a job where I could be outside and hands-on practical.
“I also wanted to join the crew but thought that might come later in life.”
There are other female mechanics working for the RNLI but they are volunteers.
On International Women’s Day, the RNLI highlighted a number of women working for it in key roles, including Chloe Urquhart, 21, who became the youngest D-class helm to pass out on Aberdeen lifeboat station’s inshore lifeboat last year.
She joined aged 17 at Portree lifeboat station on Skye, before moving to Aberdeen to study.
She said: “I love the variety. No shout or exercise is ever the same and we work closely with other emergency services too.”
Jane Hier became the RNLI’s first female helm at Kessock, north of Inverness, in 2022 and sailing instructor Mandie Cran became the station’s first female launch authority two years ago.
GP practice nurse Roz Ware was on the crew in Longhope, Hoy, Orkney, for 12 years before becoming a deputy launch authority.