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Fowey RNLI all-weather lifeboat opens for visitors

Lifeboats News Release

On Wednesday April 5, the Fowey RNLI all-weather lifeboat will be open to visitors for the start of the open boat season. From April until September the lifeboat will continue to open for visitor tours every Wednesday and Saturday, from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

Fowey RNLI

Fowey's all-weather Trent class lifeboat

Fowey lifeboat tour guide, Rob Collings said: ‘Visitors can assemble in our boat-house on Passage Street in Fowey before the tour. They will then be taken in small groups of up to eight people at a time and shown around our Trent class lifeboat, called 'Maurice and Joyce Hardy'. The Trent class lifeboat was developed in the early 1990s and introduced into the RNLI fleet in 1994. With a top speed of 25 knots she is ideal for offshore rescues and has the power to tow large boats to safety. She is self-righting, so should she capsize in severe weather, she will automatically right herself within a few seconds.’

Rob continues: ‘Once onboard in the wheelhouse, visitors will be shown where volunteer lifeboat crew members, the cox, helm, navigator and mechanic sit, and get to see the equipment they use and find out more about each crew members’ role. There is a lot of electronic equipment to see, as well as safety kit and navigational tools to look at, including radar screens, chart plotters, VHF and safety equipment.’

Visitors will also have the chance to go down into the survivors cabin and up onto the flying bridge where the cox has controls that mirror the helm’s controls inside the boat. After the tour, visitors are welcome to go back into the boat-house, where the D Class in-shore lifeboat is kept. There they can find out more about the history and operational aspects of the RNLI charity and Fowey lifeboat station, and also visit the RNLI shop which has plenty of interesting gifts, toys, cards and lifeboat themed items for sale.

Fowey lifeboat station was established over 165 years ago, and during that time their volunteer crews have been presented with 14 awards for gallantry.

The open lifeboat sessions will be subject to weather and operational issues such as shouts. People are asked to check the Facebook pages @FoweyLifeboat and FoweyLifeboatCommittee for up-to-date details.

Fowey RNLI

Fowey RNLI

Fowey RNLI

Fowey lifeboat in action

Fowey RNLI

Fowey RNLI shop

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, Twitter 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.

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