A multi-million-pound lifeboat upgrade has been confirmed at Anstruther Lifeboat Station.
A Shannon class lifeboat will be coming to Anstruther after successful station trials last week.
The RNLI revealed last month that the all-weather lifeboat at the lifeboat station was to be upgraded to a Shannon class lifeboat.
The Shannon, which is capable of speeds of 27 knots, is the latest to be designed by the RNLI and is the most agile and manoeuvrable lifeboat in the fleet.
Ttrials of the Shannon and the Supercat tractor and carriage were conducted last week.
A spokesman said that it was particularly important to test the operational limits of the new launch and recovery system in the challenging environment of the deep mud of the outer harbour.
Pushing the rig to its limits provided valuable information on how the Shannon might best be launched and recovered in the future.
Station coxswain Michael Bruce said: “After 25 years working with the Mersey class Kingdom of Fife it is a real honour for us at Anstruther to be part of the upgrade to Shannon class lifeboat in the coming years.
“This week was a great opportunity for us all to learn about the changes needed to hold the state of the art equipment here at Anstruther and has allowed myself and the crew to see first-hand the changes the RNLI are making in allowing us the current technologies to further strengthen our capabilities and aim to save lives at sea.”
