THE announcement that Fowey is to lose its all-weather lifeboat has been met with a wave of concern.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has revealed that the port’s Trent class lifeboat, the Maurice and Joyce Hardy, is soon to be retired after nearly 30 years of service.

The vessel will be replaced by an inshore Atlantic class lifeboat.

Following the announcement, fears have been expressed that the move will result in a downgrading of the lifeboat service provided in the Fowey area.

One person commenting on the Fowey RNLI Facebook page said: “There is no doubt that moving from an all-weather lifeboat to an inshore lifeboat is a downgrade in terms of capability, endurance and crew safety and comfort.”

Another person said: “This doesn't sound like an upgrade for Fowey, sadly.”

The removal of the all-weather lifeboat will mean the closest all-weather craft to Fowey will be at Plymouth, which the RNLI says is 18 nautical miles to the east and at Falmouth, 20 nautical miles to the south west. Looe, at eight nautical miles to the east, has a D-class inshore lifeboat and an Atlantic class vessel.

An RNLI spokesperson said: “At nearly 30 years old, the Maurice and Joyce Hardy is one of the last operational Trent class lifeboats in the RNLI fleet.

“The Trent class was the RNLI’s first all-weather lifeboat capable of 25 knots, setting the precedent for the RNLI fleet. It was developed in the early 1990s and introduced to the RNLI fleet in 1994.

“Fowey RNLI’s Trent, the Maurice and Joyce Hardy, arrived on station on September 25, 1996. An official naming and dedication ceremony for the new lifeboat took place on October 4, 1997, when the Trent and Fowey’s new inshore lifeboat were christened and the new shore facility with an RNLI shop, officially opened.

“When the lifeboat retires from service in the summer, it will be replaced by a new Atlantic 85 B-Class inshore lifeboat.”

RNLI lifesaving operations lead Tom Mansell said: “With the Trent reaching the end of its operational life, it is important to look at the longer-term lifesaving operations in Fowey and what is the best configuration of lifeboats for the station.

“The sea use around Fowey has changed over the years. It’s a busy and popular port with yachts, small sailing dinghies, motorboats, paddleboarders and kayakers, and swimmers and it’s incidents involving these types of craft and activities that the volunteer crew at Fowey are called to most often.

“The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat is best suited for these types of services and will work alongside Fowey’s D-class lifeboat and flanking stations, where a mixture of all-weather lifeboats and inshore lifeboats operate and are well positioned to support Fowey RNLI. This will allow our volunteers to respond to any incident, both inshore and at distance along this stretch of coast.

“The charity is committed to investing in the future of Fowey RNLI. The Atlantic 85 is one of the fastest RNLI lifeboats and will take the station into the RNLI’s next century of lifesaving.”

Fowey will receive a relief Atlantic 85 lifeboat while the station’s new lifeboat is built.

The Atlantic 85 B class lifeboat is one of the fastest in the RNLI fleet with a top speed of 35 knots.

The RNLI says that though she’s an inshore lifeboat, designed to operate in shallower water, the B-class can handle challenging open sea conditions too and is designed to operate safely in near-gale conditions.

The RNLI adds that the B-class lifeboat is ideal for rescues close to shore, near cliffs and rocks – areas inaccessible to all-weather lifeboats and is also capable of being beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to her engines.

Furthermore, the RNLI states that the speed, manoeuvrability, agility and versatility of these vessels has dramatically improved the efficiency and effectiveness of its search and rescue services.

Fowey RNLI lifeboat operations manager Chris Ogg said: “This is the start of a new era of lifesaving for Fowey RNLI. It is always sad to say goodbye to a lifeboat, especially one that has served our volunteers and the community of Fowey so well for over 30 years.

“The Maurice and Joyce Hardy is such a familiar sight for locals and visitors to Fowey, but the station and crew are looking forward to the introduction of the Atlantic 85. It’s a new challenge and will ensure the lifeboat station has the most appropriate asset for the types of service it deals with and will secure the future of Fowey Lifeboat Station.

“We are now working with our crew on the roll-out of a training programme which will include training at the RNLI lifeboat college in Poole and on station in Fowey.”

Among the raft of concerns expressed by followers of the Fowey RNLI page were those about the distance all-weather lifeboats will have to travel to reach the Fowey area.

One person wrote: “Dress it up how you like but this would appear to be a significant downgrade with all-weather capability reduced and it now having to come from 20-plus miles away to the east or west of Fowey. Best part of an hour travelling time plus mustering and launch time away at their top speed.”

Another said: “I’m concerned for crew safety. Without an all-weather boat you can’t go out in all conditions. It’s a long way between Plymouth and Falmouth’s all-weather boats.”

A further person said: “That’s a step down.”

Responding to the views expressed, Fowey RNLI said: “Thanks for your comments. This is not a downgrade. The state-of-the-art 35-knot Atlantic lifeboat will replace the Trent, which at nearly 30 years old has served Fowey well but is reaching the end of its operational life.

“The Atlantic 85 is a very capable lifeboat that offers something different to our lifesaving capabilities.

“Working alongside all-weather lifeboats from flanking stations, and Fowey’s existing D-class lifeboat, the addition of an Atlantic 85 at Fowey will improve the life-saving effect of the RNLI on this stretch of coastline.”