RNLI overhauls Welsh lifeboat fleet to meet changing rescue demands

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 13:03 · Archive

The RNLI is replacing larger all-weather lifeboats with smaller coastal vessels at Welsh stations as rescue demands shift towards recreational water users.

The RNLI is overhauling its fleet at four Welsh lifeboat stations to match how people now use the coast. Between 2017 and 2024, 98 per cent of the charity's lifeboat responses occurred within 10 nautical miles of the shore, with just 0.2 per cent at ranges greater than 25 nautical miles offshore. The RNLI responded to 9,058 operational services in 2025, more than three and a half times the demand from 50 years ago.

Fishguard and Holyhead will receive the RNLI's new Coastal Lifeboat, which will be optimised for 0-10 nautical miles offshore but capable of operating out to 25 nautical miles. These replace Trent class all-weather vessels with a 250 nautical mile range. At Rhyl, the Shannon class lifeboat will be replaced by an Atlantic 85 Mk4, designed for rescues close to shore near cliffs and rocks, with a top speed of 35 knots. Angle's Tamar class lifeboat will also receive a Coastal Lifeboat.

The RNLI says the change reflects how rescue work is evolving. Fewer callouts now involve boats and vessels; instead, lifeboats increasingly respond to people using the coast for recreational purposes such as open water swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding. The changes form part of the charity's long-term Lifeboat Fleet Strategy and are scheduled over the next four years, with the new Coastal Lifeboat class introduced in 2028.

How it is being reported

• Holyhead to receive new Coastal Lifeboat as RNLI overhauls Welsh fleetThe changes form part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) long-term Lifeboat Fleet Strategy, which aims to modernise the fleet.North Wales Chronicle · 14 Oct, 12:33
• How lifeboats off Welsh coast will change as wild swimming and paddleboarding surgesHolyhead, Rhyl and Fishguard are among the lifeboat stations set to see changes to their vesselsNorth Wales Live · 14 Oct, 10:26

In this story: RNLI · Holyhead · Fishguard · Rhyl · Angle · Wales

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