On Saturday September 24 at 1.30pm, 7 month old Molly India Stott was baptised on board the all-weather lifeboat Margaret Jean watched by proud father Roy Stott and wife Alice. Family and friends gathered on the lifeboat for the ceremony, which follows an old naval tradition of allowing crew members to baptise their children on board their boat.

The Reverend Cannon Ian Morter carried out the Baptism. Rev Morter is a family friend, and a keen yacht sailor who sails with Molly’s mother Alice.

Lifeboatman Roy Stott said; “The weather was very good, the sun shone and it was reasonably warm. Molly was well behaved and smiled throughout, with only a few tears when baptised with cold water.  James Searle, also a crew member of the lifeboat, was made a God Parent, along with his partner Felicity Vine and Amy Butcher Alice’s sister.”

A celebration party afterwards took place at Molly’s grandparents home in Ideford.