Porthdinllaen was the first of the four stations to receive its new lifeboat (John D Spicer) in August. And now the remaining three crews are in jubilant mood after receiving letters confirming the replacement of their Tyne class lifeboats with the faster, more advanced Tamars over the next two years.

Welsh RNLI work starts

Colin Williams, RNLI Divisional Inspector of Lifeboat for Wales, said: “The Tamar class is the most technologically advanced lifeboat ever produced by the RNLI. Being able to provide these fantastic new lifeboats is thanks to very generous bequests for which we are eternally grateful. The fact the charity is investing in four Tamars shows our commitment to saving lives at sea off the Welsh coast.”

The Tamar is considerably larger than the Tyne (16 metres as opposed to 14) and enables much faster response times, with a top speed of 25 rather than 17 knots. The Tamar also includes computerised information management systems that enable crew to control many of the lifeboat's functions from the safety of their seats. More advanced ergonomics help reduce the impact of the waves, and a powered Y boat stored behind a transom door enables immediate deployment.

As regards the plans for the new boathouses, Mr Williams explained that the RNLI had faced significant challenges in the design process: “From the listed status of some of our current boathouses to sites of Special Scientific Interest and extreme tidal conditions - the challenges of designing homes for these new lifeboats has not been easy. The support we’ve had from local councils, various governing bodies and the public should not be underestimated and we thank our supporters for their continued patience as we provide the necessary bases for 21st century lifeboating.” Visit RNLI for more.