The crew here are all looking forward to getting our hands on 16-07 RNLB Lester the new Tamar class lifeboat in the near future and are ready to begin the intensive learning stage of our training.

There will be a mechanics training course, held at the Lifeboat College in Poole to help them adapt to the layout of the new boat and bring them up to speed with all the new technology aboard.

There will then be a Coxswains course, again at the Lifeboat College, this will give the boats officers a chance to acquaint themselves with the workings of the new lifeboat and prepare them for further familiarisation training with the rest of the crew.

There are also plans to trial the new boathouse slipway when the modification work is completed by the contractors. The rest of the crew will then get a chance for some serious hands-on training which will bring us all a step closer to a new chapter in our stations history.

Before the lifeboat can take over as the station boat, the crew need to be able to get, and use the new equipment, without having to spend time trying to find it. Although all the usual drills the crew carry out on exercise will be done aboard the new lifeboat, the learning curve will initially be quite steep for everyone.

While all this is happening the relief Mersey class lifeboat RNLB Royal Shipwright will remain on operational service at Cromer.

During this period of intense training, inspectors from RNLI Headquarters will be keeping a close eye on our progress and they will make the final decision about when RNLB Lester is officially handed over to the station to begin her operational time at Cromer.

It is expected that the naming ceremony for the new lifeboat will take place in the early part of 2008.

All the relevant dates and information will be posted on our Homepage and/or Calendar, so keep your eyes peeled!! 

During the past few months work has been ongoing to reconstruct the slipway in preparation for the arrival of our new Tamar class lifeboat.

The relief Tamar  16-01 was at Cromer on 23rd October for trials of the slipway and boathouse.

Cromer’s new boat stayed at Lowestoft for the crew to be able to start training and arrived at Cromer on the 9th December on completion of the building work.

For more information see this page!