TWO lifesaving vessels are coming to Cornwall.

A Shannon class lifeboat from the RNLI’s relief fleet arrived in Falmouth on Wednesday, November 20, allowing the station’s volunteer lifeboat crew to commence training and familiarisation on the new lifesaving asset.

A second Shannon, also from the charity’s relief fleet, will arrive on station this week to enhance the crew training capability.

The two assets will berth in Pendennis Marina, alongside the station’s current Severn class lifeboat, which will remain on service until crew training and familiarisation on the Shannon is complete.

Crew training started in early November, with four of Falmouth’s lifeboat coxswains completing a week of training at the RNLI Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset. This week, five of the station’s mechanics are at the college conducting specialist training on a Shannon class lifeboat.

Comprehensive, on station crew training to convert existing knowledge from operating on a Severn class lifeboat, to a Shannon, will start at the end of November, lasting approximately three weeks.

Dickon Berriman, RNLI area operations manager, said: “This really starts the period of intense training for our volunteer crew and having two assets available will really maximise training time. A team of the charity’s coastal lifeboat trainers will base themselves at Falmouth lifeboat station providing structured practical and theory-based training for all crew, with specialist training designed for different roles on the lifeboat.

“As the crew are volunteers, the training needs to be flexible around them and their other commitments so bringing the training down to the station makes this much more accessible and means we can also use the lifeboats to increase their sea-time and really embed the training they receive.

“The team has really embraced the training and I commend them for the time and enthusiasm they have shown to adapt to this change. We’re confident with their existing seagoing knowledge and experience, the Falmouth crew will be trained and ready to be passed out on the Shannon early in the New Year.”

George and Frances Phelon will become the station’s relief lifeboat, replacing the Severn class Richard Cox Scott once the crew have passed out in early 2025.

Falmouth RNLI will be allocated a permanent Shannon class lifeboat later in 2025.

The Shannon is the latest class of all-weather lifeboat to join the RNLI fleet. Designed entirely in house by a team of RNLI engineers and built at the RNLI’s all weather lifeboat centre in Poole, the charity harnessed cutting-edge technology to ensure this new lifeboat meets the demands of a 21st century rescue service.

The Shannon will work alongside Falmouth’s current Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat to provide all weather cover to the port of Falmouth and beyond.