Donate now

Preparations begin at New Quay RNLI for new Shannon class lifeboat

Lifeboats News Release

Excitement is mounting in New Quay as the RNLI prepares to trial the state of the art launch and recovery equipment in anticipation of the arrival of the station’s own Shannon class lifeboat.

RNLI Relief Shannon class lifeboat

RNLI

RNLI Relief Shannon class lifeboat

The RNLI are asking the public to be patient as a short period of traffic management is introduced in the town, to ensure the Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLRS) can safely be brought into New Quay during the trial, which lasts until Thursday.

Rigorous testing will take place this week to ensure RNLI engineers are satisfied that everything is in place, before the station’s own equipment arrives in 2024.

The highlight of the trial will be the arrival of a relief Shannon class lifeboat into the bay – the same class of lifeboat which will be introduced at New Quay to replace the current Mersey. It is expected to arrive on Wednesday and will be recovered on to the SLRS before the trial ends on Thursday.

Roger Couch, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager for New Quay says:

‘Following the positive consultation in Cardigan Bay, this now demonstrates the next stages of the Shannon all-weather lifeboat deployment at New Quay and confirmation of the planned investment to be made by the RNLI.

‘Understandably, there is a lot of interest locally from the New Quay community but also on a much wider scale from the coastal communities in Cardigan Bay and in Pembrokeshire. We are incredibly grateful for this support and hope this exciting new chapter brings us new volunteers and supporters alike. We hope the public will be patient during this time, which is an immensely exciting time for the RNLI in Cardigan Bay as a whole.’


RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact Danielle Rush, RNLI Media Relations Manager in Wales and the North West on 07886 668829. Alternatively, please call the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336 789 or email [email protected].

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.