Howth Lifeboat Returns Home Following Essential Maintenance

Wednesday 20 May 2026

While some of Howth RNLI volunteers were welcoming the team from Ireland AM to Howth Lifeboat Station yesterday, another group of dedicated crew members were making an important journey across the Irish Sea to bring the Howth All-Weather Lifeboat (14-33) home following routine engine maintenance.

Howth Trent class lifeboat 14-33 with relief lifeboat 14-17 at Howth lifeboat station. Photo Credit: RNLI/Howth

The crew left Howth in the early hours of the morning at 5:30am before travelling to Wales, where final checks and inspections were carried out on the vessel. After the maintenance work was successfully completed, the lifeboat departed at 4:40pm for the return crossing to Ireland, arriving safely back into Howth shortly after midnight.

The operation highlighted the extensive behind-the-scenes work required to keep RNLI lifeboats operational and rescue-ready throughout the year. Scheduled maintenance is a critical part of RNLI operations, ensuring lifeboats remain safe, reliable and capable of responding when emergency callouts occur.

During the maintenance period, Howth RNLI has continued to operate using relief Trent-class All-Weather Lifeboat 14-17. The RNLI relief fleet plays a key role in maintaining full operational cover at stations around the coast while lifeboats undergo servicing and repairs.

Station volunteers confirmed that 14-33 will now undergo final preparations before returning to active service in the coming weeks. Once complete, relief lifeboat 14-17 will move on to support another RNLI station elsewhere in the country.

The return of the lifeboat marks the conclusion of another carefully coordinated operation carried out by RNLI volunteers, whose work continues both on and off the water to ensure lifesaving services remain available at all times.