New Quay’s Mersey class lifeboat left the town for the last time on Tuesday, October 10, after more than 30 years’ service helping to save lives at sea.

The Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge lifeboat was on service for over 31 years and, until her retirement last month, was the last serving Mersey class lifeboat in Wales.

Launching on service 219 times, assisting 216 people and saving 21 lives, the lifeboat has served Cardigan Bay since April 1992, when New Quay’s Oakley class lifeboat was withdrawn.

Tivyside Advertiser: Dan Potter New Quay RNLI Coxswain for nearly 30 years with the Mersey for the last time

Launching the Mersey for the final time, Dan Potter, New Quay RNLI’s coxswain said: “It is a very emotional day. I’ve been on the crew for 42 years and coxswain for 29 years, most of her lifetime here. She has been a fantastic lifeboat and has always brought us home safely.

“It has been an honour to serve as coxswain of the Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge, a role I thoroughly enjoy. I am indebted to my friends, Winston Evans and the late Mervyn Thomas, who taught me a lot about lifeboat operations, and to the brilliant people who form the crew. We all have to rely on each other, and I get tremendous cooperation from everyone concerned.”

Tivyside Advertiser: Stormy Stan with New Quay RNLI legend Winston Evans who was the coxswain for 2 years on the Mersey

Since June, the New Quay RNLI volunteer crew have undergone intensive training before the new Shannon class lifeboat, the Roy Barker V, was officially placed on service last month.

Dan added: “It was also an honour to bring home our new Shannon class lifeboat earlier this summer, and now this marks the transition to the future of all-weather lifeboat operations in New Quay and in Ceredigion.”

Roger Couch, lifeboat operations manager said, “The Frank and Lena of Stourbridge has been a reassuring sight to all who spend time at sea in Cardigan Bay and a huge part of our lifesaving history. She will be missed.”

At a cost of £2.2m, the new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat now stationed at New Quay was 2.5 times more expensive to build than the Mersey, even allowing for inflation.

Tivyside Advertiser: New Quay RNLI's new state-of-the-art Shannon class lifeboat launched to escort the Mersey out of

Roger added: “Now we look to the future with our state-of-the-art Shannon class all-weather lifeboat. She’s the first RNLI all-weather lifeboat to be propelled by waterjets instead of traditional propellers, making her the most agile and manoeuvrable all-weather lifeboat yet.

"Designed to revolutionise the way we save lives at sea, the Shannon class lifeboat is almost 50 per cent faster than the Mersey, with a top speed of 25 knots – a crucial factor when lives are at risk.”

A fundraising appeal for the new Shannon lifeboat is running throughout the year.