Plans for the new boathouse and slipway
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It gives us great pleasure and satisfaction to formally announce that the RNLI is investing in Anstruther to provide us with the latest in lifeboat technology, greatly enhancing the ability to save lives at sea in our area!
Plans are now in force to provide the new Shannon class of Lifeboat, which will supercede the current Mersey class All Weather lifeboat (ALB) which is currently in service.
The ‘Kingdom of Fife’ was launched in 1991 and has consistently proven to be a valuable friend in protecting us, and the people who use our waters.
However, she is coming to the end of her operational life and does not meet with the RNLI’s objective to have a fleet capable of speeds of 25 knots,
protecting the British Isles.
Unfortunately, the new Shannon class lifeboat will not fit into our current lifeboat station!!
So, we had to seek an innovative solution to support this new capability!
Our architects have been busy, designing a fantastic new building, mirroring the silhouette of the East Basin.
A project that amounts to one of the most significant inward investments the East Neuk has seen! The completed construction will be something that we can all be very proud of.
Anstruther Lifeboat Operations Manager Roy Giles commented:
“I would like to express our upmost gratitude to the people of the East Neuk for the support it has provided , which greatly enabled us to get planning permission, resulting in our plan to break ground in 2022. As the build is on a different site to the existing station there will be no disruption to the Lifesaving service our volunteers are able to provide”
The Shannon is the latest class of all-weather lifeboat to join the RNLI fleet. She’s the first modern all-weather lifeboat to be propelled by waterjets, instead of traditional propellers, making her our most agile and manoeuvrable all-weather lifeboat yet. Designed entirely in-house by a team of RNLI architects and engineers, the RNLI harnessed cutting-edge technology to ensure this new lifeboat meets the demands of a 21st century rescue service, building on systems developed for her big sister, the Tamar Class Lifeboat. Furthermore, Anstruther’s Shannon is designed to be launched and recovered from the slipway, or beach, via a state of the art, faster and safer launch and recovery system.
More information will follow as plans progress.