RNLI expects Douglas lifeboat cover to return in 2027 as Port St Mary crew voice sadness

Lifeboat cover is expected to return to Douglas during 2027, the RNLI has said, with a new coastal-class lifeboat due in the capital in late 2028. Meanwhile, volunteers at Port St Mary say they are saddened that their station’s all-weather lifeboat operations will end in 2028.

According to Manx Radio, an Atlantic 85 class lifeboat will provide interim cover from Douglas until the coastal-class vessel enters service. The charity said it was adapting to what it called the changing nature of lifesaving at sea.

Sam Holliday, the RNLI’s Head of Region for Wales, the West and the Isle of Man, said the charity expected “life-saving cover out of Douglas at some stage in 2027”, with the switch to the coastal lifeboat following towards the end of 2028.

The coastal class is a 12.5-metre lifeboat built chiefly for search and rescue within 10 nautical miles of shore, though it is capable of going further out, Manx Radio reported.

Douglas Lifeboat Station has not been operational for a period, and the RNLI has said it intends to rebuild a sustainable crew there. The charity is also looking at the station’s future infrastructure and is working with the Department of Infrastructure on a development at Manx Marine, where a tender to fit out a unit has been completed.

Mr Holliday told Manx Radio the RNLI was assessing interest in the work and hoped to make an award soon. He said the aim was to find a long-term home for the station and to keep a lifesaving service running from Douglas.

Earlier this week it was confirmed that the RNLI would not replace Port St Mary’s Trent-class all-weather lifeboat. The charity is phasing out the Trent class. The station also operates an inshore lifeboat.

In a post on the station’s social media, reported by Manx Radio, the Port St Mary crew said they “were saddened by the news” that all-weather operations would end in 2028.

The crew said Trent-class lifeboats “have served our station and community exceptionally well in recent years”. They added that their current Trent, Henry Heys Duckworth, would remain part of the station’s lifesaving capability until then. They also said the D-class inshore lifeboat, Frank Martin, would continue to play an important role in serving the community.