Took care of matters herself

Trøndelags new rescue boat bears the name “Jens Bye.” Today, the rescue company’s 164th rescue boat was baptized in Trondheim, where godmother and granddaughter of Jens Bye, Ann-Kristin Bye, had to take matters in her own hands in order to get the boat baptized.

Despite of increasing rain, the Trønders attended in droves when The Rescue Association (Redningsselskapet) offered a popular party in conjunction with the baptism of the Trondheim Fjord’s rescue boat RS 164 “Jens Bye.”

The family Bye’s formidable gift to Trondheim

The rescue boat, which is of the Staff class, has been donated to the rescue company by Jens Bye’s daughter, Anna-Synnøve Bye, and family.

– This is the Bye family’s gift to Trondheim, Trondheim fjord and the surrounding coast, which my father, Jens Bye, knew as well as his own pockets. By letting his name live on in a splendid and state-of-the-art Norwegian-built rescue boat, I feel we honour the multi-faceted person he was, says Anna-Synnøve Bye.

Jens Bye was the founder of Fosen Mechanical. A lifetime of work built together with the rest of the ‘Fosen family’, and that his daughter Anna-Synnøve has taken over and developed further; including a large international portfolio.

Queuing for Elias and Øistein the Pencil

Before the actual baptism, the locals were invited to a folk party at the War Sailors Square in Trondheim, and judged by the queue for a trip with Elias, or the number of ‘drawing-happy’ in the tent of Øistein the Pencil (Blyant), it was a welcome invitation indeed.

In addition to activities and adventures for the little ones, the hosts provided happy jazz, brass bands, sausages and waffles, which meant that the vast majority seemed to ignore that the sky opened its sluices increasingly.

But the greatest of all is volunteering

During the actual baptism, both the Minister of Culture, Linda Hofstad Helleland, and the mayor of Trondheim, Rita Ottervik, spoke warmly about the rescue company and their significance for preparedness along the coast in general and in Trøndelag in particular.

They both emphasized the enormous voluntary effort put down by the rescue company’s members and crew, and the importance of the volunteer rescue corps in Trondheim now strengthening its prepardness through the state-of-the-art rescue boat, which is even one of the fastest in the world.

Took matters into her own hands

Rescue boat RS 164 ‘Jens Bye’, as is the case with all other ships from Fosen Mechanical, was blessed by the company’s own pastor before the godmother and granddaughter of Jens Bye, Ann-Kristin Bye, baptised it.

The traditional smashing of a bottle of champagne however proffered a little bit of drama and – truth be told – even a bit of laughter. Although the Godmother repeatedly sent the bottle towards the hull, it refused to break.

Then Jens Bye’s granddaughter took the matter in her own hands, and showed a determination that would make her grandfather proud. Clad in a bunad, she stepped aboard the rescue boat, grabbed the champagne bottle with her own hands and crushed the bottle full force at the hull using her own hands, with such power that the champagne drenched not only the boat, but the godmother and her bunad (traditional dress) as well.