Institute pours money into boats and stations
The RNLI are spending £10.8m on four new Tamar class lifeboats and £31.7m on associated shore work to house them.
The Porthdinllaen station in northwest Wales received its new lifeboat, John D Spicer, in August 2012, with three more boats following in 2013.
Moelfre will get the next lifeboat, which will be kept on a mooring until the new berth is constructed. Work is expected to start in the Spring of 2013 once planning is approved. The Mumbles and St Davids will follow in 2013.
Construction work at the RNLI bases is needed to allow for fast launch and storage facilities at each of the stations.
Collin Williams, RNLI divisional inspector of lifeboats for Wales, said, “The Tamar class is the most technologically advanced lifeboat ever produced by the RNLI, we owe it to our volunteer crews to provide them with the very best lifeboats.”
At 52ft (17m) long, the Tamar class lifeboat is 6ft (2m) longer, whilst the response speed has increased from 17 knots to 25 knots.
See MBM’s review of the new Shannon class lifeboat in the January issue, out on December 20.
