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Lifeboat Fleet Strategy
For more than 200 years, the RNLI has been driven by a simple mission: to save lives at sea.
In our third century of lifesaving, our rescue work is needed more than ever. However, the way people use the coast and the water is changing, and our service must evolve to meet those changing needs.
To save the greatest number of lives, while keeping our people safe, we must evolve to ensure we have the right capability of lifeboats in the right places.
Our data shows that:
- 98% of coastal rescues take place less than 10 nautical miles from shore.
- 1.8% occur between 10 and 25 nautical miles offshore.
- Just 0.2% happen more than 25 nautical miles offshore.
This has led to the development of the RNLI’s Lifeboat Fleet Strategy which was first announced in 2025 as part of our 5-Year Plan.
Please watch the video below to hear more from Simon Ling, Future Strategy and Plans Lead, about how the strategy is progressing and the next phase of implementation. If the video fails to load, it can also be viewed here.