Newcastle RNLI to bid farewell to the last operational Mersey class lifeboat in charity’s fleet
- Pat Nolan
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Newcastle RNLI will bid farewell to their all-weather lifeboat, the last operational Mersey class lifeboat in the charity’s fleet, at 12.20pm on Sunday, 11 January. The time coincides with the number on the side of the Leonard Kent.
Newcastle RNLI’s volunteers have been proud custodians who have put to sea in a Mersey class lifeboat since 1993. Many of the volunteers, past and present, had the privilege to be onboard the Eleanor and Bryant Girling, before more recently crewing the Mersey that is soon to depart, the Leonard Kent.
Daniel Curran, Newcastle RNLI Launch Authority said: ‘This is a big occasion for all at the station and for the RNLI, as we bid a fond and final farewell to the Mersey. To mark the occasion, we want to invite volunteers and their families and RNLI supporters, to join us for what will be a historical weekend.’
Newcastle RNLI will open its station doors on Saturday 10 January from 11am until 4pm. All visitors will have the opportunity for one last viewing of the Leonard Kent.
Then on Sunday, 11 January at 12.20pm, everyone is welcome to watch the final launch of the Mersey from the station. This will be a historical moment as it will mark the last operational lifeboat to go afloat via what is known as a falls launching system which has a history dating back to around 1785. This allows the lifeboat to be launched at low water from a beach.
Everyone is welcome to come along and join the station during this weekend of events to celebrate the life of the Mersey class lifeboat both in Newcastle and across the RNLI.