Adam James has gone from sailing and racing in the Solent to a new life as Coxswain of the RNLI all weather lifeboat in Aith, Shetland.
Having never stepped on board an RNLI lifeboat, Adam applied for job in September last year and when he trekked up to Shetland for the interview had to drive the lifeboat for the very first time.
Settling in well
This is the most northerly lifeboat in the RNLI with some of the toughest weather conditions, however, Adam told OnTheWight that he and his golden retriever, Biggles, have settled in well and are looking forward to his fiancé, Karen, joining them in the near future.
A life on the water
Adam has a background in sailing, his career started on tall ships but. In fact, he has spent his life working on boats of some kind, and he is also a fully qualified boat builder.
RNLI say 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 crewmember) made him the best choice for the post.
And boat builder to boot
Adam has also been involved with building the boats, ranging from modern racing yacht 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.
Best of luck Adam in your new role!
Image: © RNLI/Liz Boxwell
