In the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) third century of lifesaving, the charity’s rescue work is increasing in demand and as vital as ever – but the way people are using the coast and the water is changing, which will require an evolutionary response from the RNLI.
Compelling data, provided by RNLI lifeboat crews, lifeguards and partners, and compiled over many years, shows that the majority of incidents the charity’s lifeboats respond to are now within the operational capabilities of an inshore lifeboat. Between 2017-2024, 98% of the RNLI’s lifeboat response was within 10 nautical miles of the shore, 1.8% was between 10 and 25 nautical miles and just 0.2% of incidents were at a range greater than 25 nautical miles offshore. RNLI lifeboats responded to 9,058 operational services in 2025, over three and half times what was expected of us 50 years ago.
In Wales, four RNLI lifeboats stations will see a change in asset. Trent class lifeboats which are currently operational in Fishguard and Holyhead will be replaced by the RNLI’s new Coastal Lifeboat. Angle’s Tamar class lifeboat will be replaced by the Coastal Lifeboat.
Rhyl will be allocated the new Atlantic 85 Mk4 lifeboat, which will replace the current Shannon class lifeboat.
The RNLI’s Lifeboat Fleet Strategy is designed to ensure that the charity has the most appropriate lifeboats in the right places which will save the greatest number of lives in the most effective way and, will crucially, keep our people safe. The RNLI has reviewed its lifeboat fleet laydown and has developed a considered plan, to be delivered over the next 15 years, to ensure it meets the changing needs of its volunteers, supporters and the communities we serve.
The second phase of lifeboat asset changes, which will take effect between 2028-2030, have been outlined in the strategy and the affected lifeboat stations have been informed. Twenty four lifeboat stations, out of the 238 which operate around the UK and Ireland, will undergo a lifeboat capability change in this period. It will see the modernisation of the charity’s lifeboat fleet through the gradual exit of the Trent class All Weather Lifeboat, which first entered service in 1994, by the end of 2028. It will also see a significant capability upgrade to Shannon all-weather lifeboat and the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat, together with the introduction of the new Coastal Lifeboat class in 2028.
Careful consideration has been given to the age, capabilities, location and pattern of lifeboats around the coast of the UK and Ireland, in response to the changing nature of lifesaving. This work has been informed by changes in search and rescue technology, and it has drawn on a combination of in-depth data, insights and specialist knowledge. Numerous potential options have been explored, tested and refined to meet different lifesaving scenarios.
Peter Sparkes, RNLI Chief Executive, said:
‘The RNLI has constantly evolved and improved our service over 202 years. We make evidence-based decisions and strive to ensure that we have the right lifeboats in the right places, at the right time to save as many lives as possible around the coast of the UK and Ireland and, crucially, to enable us to bring our selfless, dedicated people home safely. We are responding to the changing nature of lifesaving at sea by adapting our service to ensure it is fit for our nations’ future needs.’
‘What will never change is our charity’s purpose, to save lives at sea and our mission, to save every one.
‘We have a responsibility to our volunteer crews to make sure we are providing them with the most capable lifeboat, personal protective equipment and best training to enable them to save lives at sea as safely and effectively as possible.
‘And as a charity, we must also be clear that we are spending our donors’ money wisely in the right areas and where it will have the most impact. Our 2040 Lifeboat Fleet Strategy provides us with the guiding principles, clear priorities, and actionable information necessary to make these decisions.
‘The changes we are announcing now are fundamental to meeting our goal of a future-fit and sustainable lifesaving service that keeps our own people safe and enables us to save every one we can.’
The RNLI’s Lifeboat Fleet Strategy should be seen in the context of a 365/24/7 all-weather search and rescue service. It carefully considers the needs of an individual lifeboat station nested within the wider service around the Irish and UK Coastline. Our layered and integrated lifesaving service, which incorporates water-safety training, lifeguards and lifeboats, will start on shore and work out to a range of 75 nautical miles. We are optimising the capability of all our lifeboats, whilst rationalising legacy classes of the all-weather lifeboat fleet, investing in technology and newer, far more capable boats.
Use of the sea around the UK and Ireland has changed profoundly over the last 50 years. Far fewer lifeboat services are to boats and vessels, increasingly we are responding to people who start out from the beach and use the coast for recreational purposes, such as open water swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding.
When deciding which lifeboats to place at a station, the RNLI considers the capabilities across flanking stations and other search and rescue services to ensure coverage and meet the lifesaving demand.
