For four years the Cardigan Bay coastline fought tooth and nail to retain an all-weather lifeboat at New Quay.
Now, following a major fund-raising drive and constant campaigning by locals, the new 'Roy Barker V' all-weather lifeboat is sailing the waves en-route to its new home at the New Quay Lifeboat Station.
Despite the station serving one of the largest sections of the West Wales Coast, extending from Barmouth right down to Fishguard, the RNLI decided that the Mersey class all-weather lifeboat previously stationed at New Quay would be replaced by an inshore Atlantic 85.
This meant that for the first time since the 19th century, New Quay wouldn’t be served by an all-weather boat.
But now, following the RNLI’s announcement in 2021 that they were reversing their decision, the brand new Roy Barker V is firmly on his way to New Quay after the crew left Poole on Thursday afternoon.
With the hull number 13-48, the new £2.5m Shannon class lifeboat will be calling at Brixham, Newlyn, Dunmore East in Ireland and across to Pwllheli before arriving in New Quay this Sunday, June 25, at precisely 13.48 - to match its hull number.
The decision to downgrade the service on this 70-mile stretch of coastline back in 2017 was described as ‘crazy’ by crew members.
Shortly after the announcement was made, a campaign group called the Ceredigion Lifeboat Campaign was started in New Quay, which set about raising awareness of the importance of having an all-weather lifeboat at the town’s lifeboat station, which was the only one in the county.
Following a review of Cardigan Bay in 2021, the RNLI eventually announced that they would replace the former lifeboat with, crucially, a new Shannon class, all-weather vessel.
“It’ll be great to welcome the new all-weather lifeboat into New Quay on Sunday, particularly after such a hard fight to get it here,” commented one of the New Quay Lifeboat crew members.
“At the moment New Quay is full of flags and bunting to welcome its arrival, so we know that we’re in for a very special event this Sunday afternoon.”
A flotilla of boats will gather to accompany it into New Quay to the accompaniment of a band which will be positioned on the pier. More live music will follow in The Black Lion Hotel, New Quay.
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