New boathouse to home 'best ship in the fleet' (From Western Telegraph)

New boathouse to home 'best ship in the fleet'

A triumphant fortnight in the history of the RNLI has just taken place in Tenby.

In October Tenby will be the first station in Britain to take delivery of the RNLI's new breed of life-saving craft - the hi-tech £2million Tamar.

A pre-production Tamar has spent two weeks in Tenby, and on Friday made the concluding launches of her sea and boathouse trials.

Lifeboatmen, RNLI officials and the project's engineers and designers were delighted with the trials.

Said coxswain Alan Thomas: "She is a fantastic boat and handles beautifully - the best ship in the fleet."

And station training co-ordinator Bobby James added: "A crewman might get to see a new lifeboat once in his RNLI life, but to get a new boathouse as well is something very special."

The £5.5 million state-of-the art boathouse off Castle Hill has been under construction for 18 months.

As this was the first time that a Tamar and the new slipway had come together, the trials were closely monitored by the RNLI. "The result is a triumph of design," said operations director Michael Vlasto.

Added RNLI engineering and supply director, David Morgan: "Years of planning and work has led up to this time, and it's been an extremely successful two weeks."

Tenby's current lifeboat, the RFA Sir Galahad, which has been on station since 1986, will start a new life when she leaves the town in October.

Said RNLI operations director Michael Vlasto: "She has many years left in her, and will either go to another lifeboat station or our reserve fleet."

Tenby's new £5.5 million lifeboat station was visited by Wales Tourist Board chairman Philip Evans (second left) on Friday.

He is pictured with some of the project team - RNLI operations staff officer Hugh Fogarty, Tamar projects manager Neil Chaplin, Tamar electronics designer John Nurser, RNLI engineering and supply director David Morgan and RNLI estates manager Howard Richings. Inset is the old lifeboat station now facing demolition.