Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from X-class lifeboat)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Since its inception, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has provided lifeboats to lifeboat stations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Once past their operation life, the boats have mostly been sold by the RNLI and purchased for domestic use, marine businesses for usage such as further sea lifesaving functions, diving, fishing and pleasure trips or to maritime lifesaving institutions from other countries to continue a lifesaving role. Some lifeboats of particular historic note have been preserved in museums.

History

File:Girvan Harbour, Ayrshire.JPG
Girvan harbour and lifeboat
File:1863 New Brighton Lifeboat.jpg
An 1863 tubular lifeboat from New Brighton, Merseyside

The Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) was founded in March 1824.[1] The RNIPLS provided lifeboats to local committees, the Coastguard and harbour authorities. The Duke of Northumberland financed a competition for a standard design of a lifeboat. The winner was William Plenty, of Newbury, Berkshire. These "pulling boats" (rowing) were between 18 and 26 feet in length and were powered by between 4 and 10 oars. They had cork in their hull and shaped air-cases fore and aft.[2] Their double-ended designs could operate a rudder from either end, so there was no need to turn.

The RNIPLS suffered from lack of funds and poor organization. Following the loss of the RNIPLS lifeboat Providence and 20 of her crew of 24 in the mouth of the river Tyne in December 1849, the need for reorganisation was recognised. Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland, then First Lord of the Admiralty, took control. Richard Lewis was appointed secretary. The RNIPLS was replaced by the RNLI. Plenty's design was retired and a new design was introduced. These were larger, self-righting boats. They had a narrow beam, were 34 or 35 feet long with higher end-boxes containing the air-cases and were tested to self-right when capsized.

Later lifeboats were increased in length and were optionally powered by sail. Motors were introduced in the early 1900s. They had a greater range, facilitating the merging of lifeboat stations. Innovation in the design of lifeboats is continuous.

In 1962 the need for inshore lifeboats (ILB) was recognised. A French design was adopted, this was an inflatable of 16 foot length and a 40 hp engine with a speed of 20 knots and introduced as the D Class. It was faster than conventional lifeboats, at that time, could traverse shallow waters, go alongside persons in the water without harming them, and the running costs were much less than conventional lifeboats. In 1972 a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) was developed at Atlantic College in South Wales and introduced as the B Class Atlantic 21.

Current lifeboats

File:RNLI Spirit of Guernsey 2.JPG
Severn-class RNLI Spirit of Guernsey at St Peter Port

The RNLI operated 431 lifeboats in 2022.[3]

Class In service
Template:Lbb 11
Template:Lbb 41
Template:Lbb 40
Template:Lbb 27
Template:Lbb 33
Template:Lbc IRB 3
Template:Lbc ILB 122
Template:Lbc ILB 143
Template:Lbc ILB 4
Template:Lbc hovercraft 7

A number of other craft are also in operation including personal watercraft, boarding boats and Template:Lbc tenders.

The Template:Lbc are undergoing life extension[4] and the Template:Lbc are being replaced by newly-built Template:Lbbs.

List of lifeboat classes

Pulling and sailing lifeboats

The first lifeboats were powered by oars and most, except a few very early ones, had sails. A few were rebuilt with petrol engines after 1904.

Class Build period Total built Typical length Self-righting Notes
Template:Lbb 1851 Template:Cvt Yes Winner of the RNLI's design competition in 1851, the design was quickly developed into the Template:Lbc.[5]
Template:Lbb 1884–1895 3 Template:Cvt No Designed for the Norfolk Shipwreck Association at Cromer before they became part of the RNLI in 1857. Also used at several other nearby stations and the RNLI built three replacements for them to a similar design.Template:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1790–1804 23 Template:Cvt No The first widely-adopted lifeboats were based on Henry Greathead's Original design. They were double-ended and fitted with cork buoyancy aids. At least one remained in service for 40 years to be withdrawn by the RNLI. They are sometimes referred to as the 'North Country lifeboat'.Template:Sfn
Liverpool 1892–1916 40 Template:Cvt No Template:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1860–1918 44 Template:Cvt No A sailing lifeboat designed to operate further from shore and around the sandbanks common off East Anglia. It was broader than the self-righting types which made it less likely to capsize.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1825–1850 29 Template:Cvt No A small lifeboat based on a whaleboat.Template:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1851–1916 500+ Template:Cvt Yes A lighter boat developed from the Template:Lbb design in 1851. This was the standard RNLI boat for most of the second half of the nineteenth century and evolved over time. Being so widely used they were often referred to simply as 'self-righters'.[6]Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1825–1850s Template:Cvt No One of the institution's first standard designs.Template:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1856–1896 5 Template:Cvt No A tubular design with a slatted floor suspended between two tubes that were joined together at either end. They saw service at Template:Lbs and Template:Lbs.Template:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1900–1918 17 Template:Cvt Yes A variation of the self-righting design.Template:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1892–1915 42 38 to 45 ft (12 to 14 m) No Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Template:Lbb 1869–1910 5 Template:Cvt Yes A small boat built for Template:Lbs and Template:Lbs.Template:Sfn

Early powered lifeboats

The RNLI launched its first steam-powered lifeboat in 1889, but by 1905 was experimenting with petrol-engined boats. The first ones were based on pulling and sailing designs and had a single engine but retained sails. Boats with two engines started to appear in 1923 and diesel-engined boats in 1939.

Class Op. No. prefix Entered service Total built Length Displacement (tons) Speed (knots) Range (nmi)
Template:Lbb – 1923 37 Template:Cvt 28 to 40 9.5 300
Template:Lbb 70 1965 3 Template:Cvt 78 to 85 11.5 1,700
Dover[Note 1][7][8] – 1930 1 Template:Cvt 27 17.25 94
Template:Lbb [Note 2] – 1938 1 Template:Cvt
Template:Lbb [Note 3] – 1931 60 Template:Cvt 6 to 8 7.5 70 to 120
Template:Lbb [Note 4] – 1921 3 Template:Cvt 14 to 17 8 115
Template:Lbb 37 1958 31 Template:Cvt [Note 5] 12 8 140
Template:Lbb [Note 6] – 1925 3 Template:Cvt 21 to 23 8
Template:Lbb 37 1972 11 Template:Cvt 13 8 140
Self-righting[Note 7] – 1908 48 Template:Cvt 5+ 8
Template:Lbb 48 1969 11 Template:Cvt 27 9.5 240
Steam (hydro jet)Template:Sfn – 1889 3 Template:Cvt 31
Steam (screw propeller) – 1898 3 Template:Cvt
Steam tug[9] – 1901 1 Template:Cvt 133 10
Template:Lbb – 1936 9 Template:Cvt 4+ 6.5+ 40
Template:Lbb 50 1973 2 Template:Cvt 24+ 17.5 210
Template:Lbb – 1909 213 Template:Cvt Up to 23 8 280

Fast and all-weather lifeboats

The advent of lifeboats with a new hull shape in the 1960s allowed them to exceed Template:Cvt. They eventually became designated as 'all-weather lifeboats' to differentiate them from the inshore lifeboats that were unable to operate in some storm conditions. The first, the Template:Lbc, were adapted from an American design.[10]

Class Op. No. prefix Entered service Total built Length Displacement (tonnes) Speed (knots) Range (nmi) Crew Survivor capacity Launch method
Template:Lbb[11] 52[Note 8] 1971 46 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 18.5 250 6 Afloat
Template:Lbb[11] 33 1981 10 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 20 140 4 8 Afloat
Template:Lbb 40 1968 1 Template:Cvt Afloat
Template:Lbb[12] – 1981 3[Note 9] Template:Cvt 28 4
Template:Lbb[13][14] 12 1988 38 Template:Cvt 14 17 140 6 43 Carriage, slipway or afloat
Template:Lbb[13][15] 17 1996 46 Template:Cvt 42 25 250 7 124 Afloat
Template:Lbb[16] 13 2013 47+ [Note 10] Template:Cvt 18 25 250 6 79 Carriage, slipway or afloat
Template:Lbb[13][17] 16 2005 27 Template:Cvt 32 25 250 7 118 Slipway or afloat
Template:Lbb[13][18] 14 1994 38 Template:Cvt 28 25 250 6 73 Afloat
Template:Lbb[13][11] 47 1982 40 Template:Cvt 24.4 18 240 6 20 Slipway or afloat
Template:Lbb[10][11] 44 1964 22 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 15 205 5 Afloat

Inshore lifeboats

Lifeboats designed for fast response to incidents close to shore. While there have been many designs since the first inshore rescue boats were introduced in 1963, they are divided into five classes:

Class Model Entered service Total built Length Displacement Speed (knots) Endurance (hours) Crew Survivor capacity Launch method
A Template:Lbb 1985 1 Template:Cvt 30 2–3 Afloat
A Template:Lbb 1967 5 Template:Cvt 25 5 2–3 Afloat
A Template:Lbb 1967 10 Template:Cvt 22 2–3 Afloat
C Zodiac IV 1970 30 Template:Cvt 26 4
B Template:Lbb [13] 1970 96 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 30 3 3 22 Carriage
B Template:Lbb [13] 1993 97 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 34 3 3 23 Carriage
B Template:Lbb [13][19] 2005 140+ [Note 11] Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 35 3 3-4 20 Carriage, davit or floating boathouse
D Avon S650 1971 4 Template:Cvt 20 3 10
D Dunlop 1965 11 2-3
D EA16 1987 257 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 20 3 3–4 Carriage or davit
D Humber 1981 2 2-3
D IB1[13][20] 2001 284+ [Note 12] Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 25 3 2-3 5 Carriage or davit
D RFD 320 1966 6 2-3 Used as Boarding Boats
D RFD PB16 1963 228 Template:Cvt 2–3 Carriage or davit
D Zodiac III 1971 64 2–3 Carriage or davit
Template:Lbb[21] Mark 1 2002 6 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 40 3 4 20 Afloat
Template:Lbb[21] Mark 2 2012 3 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 40 3 4 20 Afloat
Template:Lbb[21] Mark 3 2019 1 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt 45 3 4 20 Afloat

Other rescue craft

Class Type Entered service Total built Length Weight / Displacement Speed (knots) Endurance (hours) Crew Notes
Template:Lbb Inflatable rescue boat 2001 78+ Template:Cvt 165 kg 8 2 25 used by on lifeguard units, 3 deployed at lifeboat stations.[22]
BB Boarding boat [Note 13]
Template:Lbb Hovercraft 2002 7 Template:Cvt 3.86 tonnes 30 3 2-4 [23][13]
RWC Rescue water craft 2001 1 Fast craft used by lifeguard units.
X Inflatable rescue boat Unmotored boat normally carried on board Tyne-class lifeboats but is an option on the Template:Lbb and Template:Lbb.
Template:Lbb Inflatable rescue boat Template:Cvt 61 kg 10 or 25 2 2 A small powered boat which is normally carried on board the Trent-class lifeboats.
Template:Lbb Inflatable rescue boat Template:Cvt 25 2 Small powered boat normally found on board Template:Lbb and Template:Lbc lifeboats.

Historic Lifeboat Owners Association

The Historic Lifeboat Owners Association has been set up for individuals who own, maintain, crew or have a general interest in historic lifeboats. The association is a community whereby people can share knowledge, experience, information and advise on the subject, organizes social events and historic lifeboat rallies.

At the beginning of each summer an ex-lifeboat rally is held at Fowey in Cornwall whereby owners bring their boats and display them to the public; this event is organized by Fowey RNLI and is an opportunity to raise funds for the RNLI. Rallies have also been held in Falmouth, Belfast, Glasgow, Poole and Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.

Notes

Template:Reflist

See also

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Dead link
  3. ↑ Template:Cite report
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".


Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "Note", but no corresponding <references group="Note"/> tag was found

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Royal_National_Lifeboat_Institution_lifeboats&oldid=2474069#Operational_lifeboat_classes"