The Marine Ambulance Flying Christine III has been taken to the Isle of Wight to have new engines installed, as the current ones have come to the end of their life.

When she was built in 1994, the life expectancy of the Flying Christine III was expected to be 30 years, with engine replacement taking place at its half life. The marine ambulance is 17 years old and the engines are now in urgent need of replacement.

The cross channel crossing from St Peter Port to Cowes is took approximately 6 hours and was carried out by two of the Service’s voluntary Coxswains.

Whilst in the Isle of Wight the vessel will also undergo regular annual maintenance to the superstructure, electronics and hull to minimise the amount of time that she will be out of service.
Contingency arrangements have been made for the RNLI Lifeboat to provide emergency response and with the Brecqhou vessels and Access Challenger also providing non-emergency patient transfers while the Flying Christine III is out of action. Paramedics will travel on these boats taking essential medical equipment with them to treat patients, who are ill or injured, from the surrounding smaller islands or ships at sea.