The Queen's cousin, the Duke of Kent spent much of Monday visiting three sites in Falmouth and officially launched the RNLI's £100,000 appeal to raise the money needed to upgrade the lifeboat station.

The Duke arrived at the station onboard the port's all-weather lifeboat, the Richard Cox Scott. Once there he chatted with around 30 operational and fundraising RNLI volunteers, including coxswain Jon Blakeston, and met coastguards from the nearby operation centre at Pendennis Point.

The royal visitor, who has been president of the RNLI since 1969, had the chance to look at some historic mementos of the station before unveiling a plaque to commemorate this year's 150th anniversary of Falmouth RNLI and launch the fundraising appeal.

It is hoped to reach the target within a year with the money going towards the total cost of alterations and upgrades to the current station which are needed to accommodate the new, faster and bigger Atlantic 85 lifeboat when it arrives in two years. The new lifeboat will replace the current Atlantic 75 lifeboat Eve Pank when she reaches the end of her operational life and will work alongside the Richard Cox Scott.

The Duke’s first port of call of the day was Cornwall Marine Network’s Falmouth HQ as the not-for-profit marine trade organisation celebrates the milestone of supporting 3,000 people into employment since its inception in 2005.

He met CMN's chairman, Michael Brougham, and CEO Paul Wickes, along with marine apprentices Jonathan Rundle and Sam Robathan.

The Duke was then taken on a guided tour of Falmouth Wharves by Keynvor MorLift’s (KML)managing director, Diccon Rogers, when he heard how the site has been preserved as a deep-water hub of commercial maritime industries after plans by a previous owner to develop a luxury hotel and apartments there were rejected.

The wharves were “saved” when tenants KML succeeded in buying the site, with essential financial support from CMN, which manages the Cornwall Marine Capital Fund. The purchase has safeguarded the existing employment of around 100 people and allowed KML to refurbish the site to become their headquarters, with the creation of 39 new jobs.

The Duke met marine apprentices working in boatbuilding and marine engineering through a scheme supported by CMN, before unveiling a commemorative plaque in KML's newly refurbished headquarters.

Mr Rogers said afterwards: “KML has particular strengths in marine civil engineering and marine renewable energy all around the UK.

“The Duke was particularly interested in our work in the Orkney Islands for Rolls Royce Energy – and here in Falmouth to see the heavy gradings of Cornish granite armour stone being exported from the wharves to the vulnerable sections of coastal railway line and cliff in South Devon. He also asked many questions about the Oceanus wave energy converter device which we will be reinstalling on the Wave Hub off Hayle.”