Sheppey has a new lifeboat. The Judith Copping Joyce reached the Island on Wednesday afternoon and was greeted by a water salute after sailing from the RNLI's headquarters in Poole, Dorset, .

She will replace the all-weather Trent-class George and Ivy Swanson which has served Sheppey for the past 26 years.

VIDEO: Sheerness RNLI welcomes new lifeboat (courtesy RNLI Sheerness)

The new £2.2 million vessel arrived flying flags after motoring from Newhaven and was greeted off Minster by the George and Ivy Swanson and the D-class inshore lifeboat Buster.

She then cruised along the shore to Garrison Point where one of the Svitzer tugs laid on a water salute.

It had been hoped the Shannon-class boat, named after the longest river in Ireland, would arrive before Christmas but the Covid lockdown scuppered the timetable.

However, coxswain and mechanic Robin Castle, along with deputy second coxswain Clive Hancock and navigator Andy Barnes managed to travel to Poole last year for training and reported at the time that it was "an absolutely awesome boat" with "amazing capabilities".

The new boat carries the identifier 13-38 as it is 13 metres long and is the 38th Shannon to be built. It will be berthed at Sheerness docks.

The self-righting vessel features a fibre-composite reinforced hull and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 25 knots (30mph) powered by two Scania 650hp engines which operate water jets instead of propellers which allow the lifeboat to operate in shallow waters just 1m deep.

Coxswain Castle said: "The ultra-modern technology and design will enhance our lifesaving capability in the Thames and Medway estuary waters.

"The crew will now undergo intense training on the new lifeboat learning new techniques so it can be operational in the next few months."

Work began building the 18-tonne boat in 2019. It is the smallest and lightest of the current range of all-weather boats and has a range of 250 nautical miles. It also features shock-absorbing seats and an anti-slam hull. The crew can operate and monitor many functions from the safety of their seats.

RNLI spokesman Vic Booth said: "She will transform the way Sheerness RNLI volunteers are able to save lives at sea. It is ideally suited for offshore searches or rescues in shallower waters such as the creeks and channels of the Medway."

It was designed in-house by the RNLI. The first Shannon was delivered to Dungeness in 2014.

The arrival of a new lifeboat is usually greeted with a great fanfare but celebrations had to be muted this time because of coronavirus restrictions. She is named after Judith Copping Joyce who lived in Barnet, Hertfordshire and left her entire estate to the RNLI.

The first RNLI lifeboat stationed on Sheppey was the Ernest William and Elizabeth Ellen Hinde in 1969. Today Sheerness is one of the busiest lifeboat stations in the country regularly launching more than 100 times a year.

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