Tynemouth RNLI to welcome new all-weather lifeboat
Tynemouth RNLI’s new Tamar class lifeboat, Irene Muriel Rees will arrive into the Tyne on Saturday 11 July 2026.
Tynemouth RNLI is set to welcome a new more modern, Tamar class all-weather lifeboat replacing the station’s current Severn class lifeboat, 17-34 Osier which has been in service at Tynemouth since 2021.
Tynemouth RNLI Coxswain Vincenzo ‘Enzo’ Stifanelli said:
‘The Tamar is a very capable all-weather lifeboat and will be ideal for the range of shouts we are tasked to. It's a more modern platform for our crews to continue to save lives at sea. The crew are really looking forward to welcoming the new boat to our station.’
The change forms part of a wider RNLI fleet modernisation programme announced in 2025, with a number of lifeboats around the coast being replaced and updated to ensure crews continue to have the best possible equipment to save lives at sea.
The new Tamar class lifeboat, 16-19 Irene Muriel Rees, was built in 2011. Most recently it was part of the RNLI’s relief fleet.
The Tamar was the first lifeboat to be fitted with SIMS - an RNLI innovation in marine engineering that has transformed the way crews operate their lifeboats, dramatically improving their safety.
SIMS, which stands for Systems and Information Management System (SIMS), allows the crew to control and monitor many of the lifeboat’s functions without having to leave the safety of their seats.
The Tamar has a total range of 250 nautical miles and a top speed of 25 knots (29mph), ensuring Tynemouth’s offshore capability is still maintained.
Volunteer crew members from Tynemouth will undertake familiarisation and operational training at the RNLI College in Poole, ahead of the lifeboat entering service at the station
Irene Muriel Rees is set to arrive at Tynemouth on the 11 July, around midday. Further details will follow on social media.
Tynemouth has been home to a Severn class lifeboat since 1998 with 17-20 Spirit of Northumberland, before she was withdrawn in 2021 and replaced by Osier.
Its replacement by the Irene Muriel Rees signals the next chapter in all-weather lifeboat capability on the Tyne, securing the station's future all weather capability for the years to come.
Enzo added:
‘Although it will be sad to say goodbye to Osier, we are excited for the future and look forward to continuing our lifesaving work with Irene Muriel Rees for many years to come.’
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For further information, please contact:
Josie Smith, Deputy Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI North and East, [email protected]
James Waters, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI North and East, [email protected]
Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for North East and East England, 07824 518641, [email protected]
Richard Grange, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for North East and East England, 07483 112015, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
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The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
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