New Shannon class water jet lifeboat arrives at RNLI Montrose station

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) Shannon class vessel is powered by water jets rather than traditional propellers. The boat has now arrived at the charity's Montrose station in Angus. The cost of the lifeboat was bequeathed to the charity by supporter Ruth Grant Smith who died in 2005 She left left money to fund an all-weather lifeboat to be named after her husband Ian Grant Smith. The new lifeboat is 50% faster than RNLB Moonbeam, the vessel which has been used by Montrose crews for the past 25 years. Water-jets allow the vessel to be more manoeuvrable, able to operate in shallow waters and be intentionally beached Ray Wilkie, lifeboat operations manager said: "We're very pleased to finally have the Shannon on station so that the crew can really get to grips with the new boat." Coxswain Scott Murray said: "The new boat is faster and more manoeuvrable than Moonbeam and the way it handles is very impressive. All this means that we'll be able to reach casualties more quickly." Each Shannon costs £2.1m and has an operational lifetime of 25 years but the life expectancy of its hull and wheelhouse is 50 years.