Peel RNLI station is being extended for new lifeboat
Renovations to the Peel RNLI Lifeboat station are now underway to make room for the station’s new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat which is expected to come into service in spring 2020.
Changes to the lifeboat station, situated on the Peel Breakwater, are needed to accommodate the new vessel and its launch vehicle which are both larger than the current Mersey class
Ruby Clery and its launch vehicle.
Allen Corlett, Peel Lifeboat Operations Manager, gave this reminder: ‘Despite the renovation work, I want to assure the public that our volunteer crew remain ready to help anyone needing our assistance. The
Ruby Clery will be stored outside on its carriage close to the slipway, prepared for launching whenever required.
‘People are now beginning to see changes to the site, but pedestrian and vehicle access to the end of the breakwater will be maintained. Several large shipping containers are being put in place to provide us with storage, office and crew facilities while the alterations are done.’
Island-based NK Construction Ltd is undertaking the renovation work for the RNLI. The work is planned to run for seven months. Such essential improvements to the facilities of the lifesaving charity are funded entirely by generous donations and legacies.
Peel’s new Shannon class lifeboat was launched at RNLI Headquarters in Poole last week for testing and sea trials. The Shannon is the first modern all-weather lifeboat to be propelled by water jets instead of traditional propellers, making it the most agile and manoeuvrable all-weather lifeboat yet. After extensive crew training, it is expected to be ready for service in spring 2020, replacing the
Ruby Clery which has been in Peel since 1992.
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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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