New lifeboat announced for Eyemouth RNLI Lifeboat Station

The new lifeboat is due to arrive on station at the end of 2018 and will be on service in the first quarter of 2019. The Shannon class is the first of the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboats to be powered by water-jets rather than traditional propellers, making it the most agile and manoeuvrable lifeboat in the charity’s fleet.

Water-jets allow the vessel to operate in shallow waters and be intentionally beached. And when precision really matters, such as operating alongside a stricken vessel or navigating around hazards, they'll come into their own.

Mike Garfitt, RNLI Area Lifesaving Manager said: ‘We’re delighted to announce that Eyemouth will be getting a Shannon class lifeboat.

‘The Shannon’s impressive manoeuvrability combined with a shallow draft mean that it will be able to operate close to rocks and other vessels, it will be well suited to operating in this area of the coast.’

Measuring just 13m in length and weighing in at 18 tonnes, the Shannon is the smallest and lightest of our 25-knot lifeboats. Its unique hull is designed to minimise slamming of the boat in heavy seas. And shock-absorbing seats further protect the crew from impact when powering through the waves.

An improved Systems and Information Management System (SIMS) allows the crew to operate and monitor many of the lifeboat's functions from the safety of five of the six seats.

And as with all of our all-weather lifeboats, the Shannon is designed to be inherently self-righting, returning to an upright position in the event of capsize.

The Shannon follows a 45-year tradition of naming our lifeboats after rivers and stretches of water. This is the first time that the name of an Irish river has been used.

Trent class all-weather lifeboats all have an operational life of 25 years, Eyemouth’s lifeboat will be 25 in 2020. The decision to replace Eyemouth’s Trent with a Shannon class all-weather lifeboat slightly early has been taken because it will allow us to free up the Trent to be used in a trial at another station.

Each Shannon costs £2.1million and although it will have an operational lifetime of 25 years, the life expectancy of the Shannon's hull and wheelhouse is 50 years.

After 25 years of service, each Shannon lifeboat will undergo a total refit where the machinery, systems and equipment will be renewed or replaced and the hull and wheelhouse reused – creating a new Shannon class lifeboat ready to save lives at sea for a further 25 years.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

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