The marine ambulance is currently in the Isle of Wight undergoing an extended programme of preventative and remedial maintenance, allowing for both engines to be inspected, tested and refurbished, to ensure the vessel remains safe, reliable and ready for 2026.
‘Following significant refurbishment during 2024 and 2025, Flying Christine III has a further lease of life, but like any ageing vessel, she requires increasingly thorough annual maintenance,’ said St John Ambulance & Rescue Service head of operations Dean De La Mare.
‘The engines are in very good overall condition, this work is about ensuring reliability and extending the vessel’s operational life for as long as we safely can.’
The ambulance service has long-standing contingency plans in place, using a number of relief vessels while Flying Christine III is out of the island.
‘This time of year is typically quieter, which makes it the best and safest window to undertake extended maintenance,’ said Mr De La Mare.
‘We are also very grateful to the owners and operators of the relief vessels who support us during this period.’
With no dedicated alternative capability to move sick and injured patients from the smaller islands to Guernsey, Flying Christine III must be maintained to the highest possible standard.
It is a charitable service and receives no government funding, costing about £80,000 a year to run, excluding fuel, which is sponsored. It is operated by professional volunteers and relies on donations alongside modest charges that help offset the cost of clinical care.
During last summer, the service responded to 31 medical cases in Alderney, Sark and Herm.
