Almost there...

Sunday 17 Jul 2022

With the excitement of the station's new Shannon lifeboat leaving its build slot at the All-Weather Lifeboat Centre and being lifted into the water for the first time in Poole, Shannon training starting for the crew and both current Wells lifeboats suddenly being busy in the Summer hot weather, it's easy to forget that contractors have continued to work feverishly to finish the new boathouse. As the shop and visitor spaces and crew room are starting to be fitted out, the last bits of the roof, cladding and signage have been put into place.

However, there's still a way to go with a list of snags and smaller jobs to be sorted and a delay to the groundworks to finish the southern apron and add steps and a ramp on the beach bank side of the building. As a result, the building will now be handed over towards the end of August and plans to open some parts and move some assets over sooner have been shuffled back. The shop will now not be open in time for the school holidays and the inshore lifeboat will, for now, continue to operate from the current lifeboat station alongside the all-weather lifeboat.

Our new Shannon lifeboat is being commissioned and trialled in Poole with the aim of arriving in Wells in late September. Intensive training for the new boat and equipment is now underway with courses for Wells crew scheduled both in Wells and at the Lifeboat College in Poole over the coming weeks. To help with this, a SLRS launching carriage and subsequently a relief Shannon lifeboat will arrive in Wells in the next few weeks.