St Ives RNLI Welcomes New Shannon Lifeboat Launch and Recovery Equipment in Early Morning Sea Swap

A Decade-Old System Replaced in a Carefully Planned Operation

In the early hours of Saturday, 15th February, St Ives RNLI successfully replaced its Shannon class lifeboat’s launch and recovery equipment in a carefully coordinated sea-based operation. The outgoing system had been in service for nearly ten years, assisting in 185 incidents and 201 training exercises.

Rather than navigating the narrow streets of St Ives with the massive machinery, the RNLI’s technical team opted for a unique swap-by-sea method, transporting the new system by landing craft.

How the Swap Was Carried Out

The RNLI’s Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) acts as a mobile slipway, allowing lifeboats to be launched and recovered from the beach. Weighing 37 tonnes and stretching 23 metres, it can carry an 18-tonne Shannon lifeboat over various terrains, including steep shingle and wet sand.

Robert Crawford, RNLI Area Technical Manager, explained the logistics behind the operation:

“Imagine trying to transport this 23-meter-long piece of kit through the narrow streets of St Ives and replace it with a whole new one. The south west RNLI technical team recognised this wouldn’t be feasible, and we devised a plan to swap out the old with the new via sea.”

The previous system, SC08, was originally delivered to St Ives in 2016. Now due for a refit, it has been swapped out for a new system, SC28, in an operation that took months of planning.

Timing the Tides for Precision

With permission from the Hayle harbourmaster, the new equipment was loaded onto a landing craft and transported via the Hayle estuary to St Ives Harbour. Careful planning around the incoming spring tide was crucial to ensure both loading and unloading could be completed on schedule.

Matt Parr, RNLI Plant and Machinery Trainer, described the process:

“Preparations began at 4:30 am when we headed to St Ives Lifeboat Station and waited for the landing craft. It arrived there at 5 am and the SC08 was loaded onboard and transported over to the boat yard in Hayle where we unloaded. The new SLARS equipment was then loaded onto the landing craft and arrived at the lifeboat station to unload at 7:30 am.

“The sea conditions were perfect, and everything went according to plan despite it being a very rainy, very wet and very cold morning!”

What Happens Next?

Following the swap, the outgoing SC08 system is being sent to Clayton Engineering Limited, a company that has supplied RNLI launch and recovery equipment for over 35 years. Once refurbished, it will either be placed in the RNLI’s relief fleet or reassigned to another station in need of upgraded equipment.

With the new SLARS system now fully operational, St Ives RNLI is equipped to continue its vital work saving lives at sea.