Freemasons meet their boat

The new Maritime Volunteer Service boat, Northumberland Freemason, at Seahouses. Picture by Tom Stewart

A nautical charity that was given a new training vessel by Northumberland Freemasons has toured the north of the county to let funders see it for themselves.

The Northumbria unit of the Maritime Volunteer Service received its new rigid inflatable boat, called Northumberland Freemason, in June.

Head of unit, Volunteer Officer Paul Casson, said, “We are incredibly grateful to the Northumberland Freemasons for this donation and thought that they might like to see the boat in the areas that it will be used. We’re planning more visits like this so that our work on the region’s rivers can be highlighted.”

The Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS) operates regionally from Berwick to Hartlepool and provides invaluable support, both afloat and ashore to harbour authorities and at events such as the Tall Ships Race.

It has 25 active units around the coasts and estuaries of the United Kingdom. The organisation’s aims are to help to keep the UK’s maritime tradition alive by training and delivering practical seamanship and engineering skills.

These skills are put to good use in the community at events such as Tall Ships and at times when called upon by the appropriate authorities.