The RNLI plans to replace Eastbourne’s Trent-class lifeboat with a Coastal Lifeboat in 2028, according to its fleet announcement published on Monday 12 October.
Eastbourne is specifically listed among the stations scheduled for changes that year. The announcement gives no exact local changeover date; this is a future fleet plan, not a notice of an immediate service withdrawal.
The charity says station allocations consider neighbouring lifeboats and other search-and-rescue services. Its Eastbourne station is at Sovereign Harbour, off Pevensey Bay Road.
Sources / Checked 12 October 2026 at 18:21 BST: RNLI fleet announcement; RNLI Eastbourne station information.