Fowey RNLI to receive one of the charity’s fastest lifeboats

Fowey RNLI will receive one of the fastest lifeboats in the RNLI fleet this summer when the current, Trent Class lifeboat, Maurice and Joyce Hardy (ALB 14-18) is due to retire.

At nearly 30 years old the Maurice and Joyce Hardy is one of the last operational Trent class lifeboats in the RNLI fleet. The Trent class was the RNLI’s first all weather lifeboat capable of 25 knots, setting the precedent for the RNLI fleet. It was developed in the early 1990s and introduced to the RNLI fleet in 1994. Fowey RNLI’s Trent, the Maurice and Joyce Hardy, arrived on station on 25 September 1996. An official naming and dedication ceremony for the new lifeboat took place on 4 October 1997, when the Trent and Fowey’s new inshore lifeboat were christened and the new shore facility with an RNLI shop, officially opened.

When the lifeboat retires from service in summer 2025, it will be replaced by a new Atlantic 85 B Class inshore lifeboat.

Tom Mansell, RNLI Lifesaving Operations Lead says;

‘With the Trent reaching the end of its operational life, it is important to look at the longer-term lifesaving operations in Fowey and what is the best configuration of lifeboats for the station.

The sea use around Fowey has changed over the years. It’s a busy and popular port with yachts, small sailing dinghies, motorboats, paddleboarders and kayakers, and swimmers and its incidents involving these types of craft and activities that the volunteer crew at Fowey is called to most often.

‘The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat is best suited for these types of services and will work alongside Fowey’s D class lifeboat and flanking stations, where a mixture of all weather lifeboats and inshore lifeboats operate and are well positioned to support Fowey RNLI. This will allow our volunteers to respond to any incident, both inshore and at distance along this stretch of coast.

The charity is committed to investing in the future of Fowey RNLI. The Atlantic 85 is one of the fastest RNLI lifeboats and will take the station into the RNLI’s next century of lifesaving.’

Atlantic 85 B class lifeboats are built and maintained at the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Named after Atlantic College in Wales where these rigid inflatable lifeboats (RIBs) were first developed. 85 represents its length – nearly 8.5m. It is one of the fastest in the RNLI fleet with a top speed of 35 knots. Although she’s an inshore lifeboat, designed to operate in shallower water, the B class can handle challenging open sea conditions too and is designed to operate safely in near gale conditions.

The B class lifeboat is ideal for rescues close to shore, near cliffs and rocks – areas inaccessible to all-weather lifeboats and is also capable of being beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to her engines.

The speed, manoeuvrability, agility and versatility of these RIBs dramatically improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the RNLI’s search and rescue service and have helped RNLI volunteers to save thousands of lives at sea.

Fowey will receive a relief Atlantic 85 lifeboat, while the station’s lifeboat is built at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre.

Chris Ogg, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager at Fowey said:

‘This is the start of a new era of lifesaving for Fowey RNLI, it is always sad to say goodbye to a lifeboat, especially one that has served our volunteers and the community of Fowey so well for over 30 years. The Maurice and Joyce Hardy is such a familiar sight for locals and visitors to Fowey, but the station and crew are looking forward to the introduction of the Atlantic 85, it’s a new challenge and will ensure the lifeboat station has the most appropriate asset for the types of service it deals with and will secure the future of Fowey Lifeboat Station.

We are now working with our crew on the roll out of a training programme which will include training at the RNLI lifeboat college in Poole and on station in Fowey.’