A rescue lifeboat is a
boat
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
rescue craft
A rescue craft is a boat, ship or aircraft used in rescuing.
The most common are Lifeboat (rescue) for inshore and closer to shore rescues. For operations further out from shore helicopters & ships are mainly used.
Most Government agencies rely ...
which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine. Lifeboats may be rigid,
inflatable
An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflata ...
or rigid-inflatable combination-hulled vessels.
Overview
There are generally three types of boat, in-land (used on lakes and rivers), in-shore (used closer to shore) and off-shore (into deeper waters and further out to sea). A rescue lifeboat is a boat designed with specialised features for searching for, rescuing and saving the lives of people in peril at sea or in estuaries.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
rescue lifeboats are typically vessels crewed by volunteers, intended for quick dispatch, launch and transit to reach a ship or individuals in trouble at sea. Off-shore boats are referred to as 'All-weather' and generally have a range of 150–250 nautical miles. Characteristics such as capability to withstand heavy weather, fuel capacity, navigation and communication devices carried, vary with size.
A vessel and her crew can be used for operation out to away from a place of safe refuge, remaining at or on the scene to search for several hours, with fuel reserves sufficient for returning; operating in up to gale force sea conditions; in daylight, fog and darkness. A smaller inshore rescue boat (IRB) or inshore life boat (ILB) and her crew would not be able to withstand (or even survive) these conditions for long.
In countries such as Canada and the United States, the term 'motor lifeboat', or its US military acronym MLB, is used to designate shore-based rescue lifeboats which are generally crewed by full-time coast guard service personnel. These vessels stay on standby service rather patrolling in the water, rather like a crew of fire fighters standing by for an alarm. In Canada, some lifeboats are 'co-crewed', meaning that the operator and engineer are full-time personnel while the crew members are trained volunteers.
Types of craft
Inflatable boats (IB, RIB and RHIB)
Older inflatable boats, such as those introduced by the
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
(RNLI) and
Atlantic College
Atlantic College (formally the United World College of the Atlantic; alternatively styled UWC Atlantic College, UWCAC, or UWCA) is an independent boarding school in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. Founded in 1962, it was the first of ...
in 1963, were soon made larger and those over often had plywood bottoms and were known as RIBs. These two types were superseded by newer types of RIBs which had purpose built hulls and flotation tubes. A gap in operations caused the
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
Lifeguard Service to reintroduce small 2 man IRB's, which have since been adopted by other organisations such as the RNLI as well.
Lifeboats
Larger non-inflatable boats are also employed as lifeboats. The RNLI fields the
Severn class lifeboat
The Severn class is the largest lifeboat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The class, which is long, was introduced in to service in 1996. It is named after the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. The li ...
and
Tamar class lifeboat
Tamar-class lifeboats are all-weather lifeboats (ALBs) operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. They have replaced the majority of the older Tyne ALBs. The prototype was built in ...
as all-weather lifeboats (ALB). In the United States and Canada, the term motor life boat (
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
) refers to a similar (though slightly smaller) class of non-inflatable lifeboats, the latest of which is the
47-foot Motor Lifeboat. In France, the
SNSM mainly equips all-weather lifeboats of the 17.6 m series of the "Patron Jack Morisseau" class.
History
China
A regular lifeboat service operated from 1854 to 1940 along the middle reaches of the Chang jiang or
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
, a major river which flows through south central China. These waters are particularly treacherous to waterway travellers owing to the canyon-like gorge conditions along the river shore and the high volume and rate of flow. The 'long river' was a principal means of communication between coastal (Shanghai) and interior China (
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
, once known as Chungking).
These river lifeboats, usually painted red, were of a wooden pulling boat design, with a very narrow length-to-beam ratio and a shallow draft for negotiating shoal waters and turbulent rock-strewn currents. They could thus be maneuvered sideways to negotiate rocks, similar to today's inflated rafts for 'running' fast rivers, and also could be hauled upstream by human haulers, rather than beasts of burden, who walked along narrow catwalks lining the canyon sides.
United Kingdom
The first lifeboat station in Britain was at
Formby
Formby is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, which had a population of 22,419 at the 2011 Census.
Historically in Lancashire, three manors are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 under "For ...
beach, established in 1776 by
William Hutchinson,
Dock Master for the
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
Common Council.
The first non-submersible ('unimmergible') lifeboat is credited to
Lionel Lukin
Lionel Lukin (18 May 1742 – 16 February 1834) was a British inventor and lifeboat designer.
Bibliography
* Frederick Robus: ''Lionel Lukin of Dunmow: The Inventor of the Lifeboat''. Robus Broth. 1925
Web
''Life Boat''(Made up in Brit ...
, an
Englishman
The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history and culture. The English identity is of Anglo-Saxon origin, when they were known in ...
who, in 1784, modified and patented a Norwegian
yawl
A yawl is a type of boat. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put.
As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast p ...
, fitting it with water-tight cork-filled chambers for additional
buoyancy
Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the p ...
and a
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
keel
The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...
to keep the boat upright.
The first boat specialised as a lifeboat was tested on the
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wate ...
in England on January 29, 1790, built by
Henry Greathead. The design won a competition organised by the private ''Law House'' committee, though
William Wouldhave
William Wouldhave (1751–1821) is a rival of Lionel Lukin for recognition as inventor of the lifeboat. His tombstone (erected thirteen years before Lukin’s) describes him as:
::::::‘''Inventor of that invaluable blessing to mankind the Lif ...
and Lionel Lukin both claimed to be the inventor of the first lifeboat. Greathead's boat, the ''Original'' (combined with some features of Wouldhave's) entered service in 1790 and another 31 of the same design were constructed. The boat was rowed by up to 12 crew for whom cork jackets were provided. In 1807 Ludkin designed the ''Frances Ann'' for the Lowestoft service, which wasn't satisfied with Greathead's design, and this saved 300 lives over 42 years of service.
[
]
The first self-righting design was developed by
William Wouldhave
William Wouldhave (1751–1821) is a rival of Lionel Lukin for recognition as inventor of the lifeboat. His tombstone (erected thirteen years before Lukin’s) describes him as:
::::::‘''Inventor of that invaluable blessing to mankind the Lif ...
and also entered in the Law House competition, but was only awarded a half-prize. Self-righting designs were not deployed until the 1840s.
These lifeboats were crewed by 6 to 10 volunteers who would row out from shore when a ship was in distress. In the case of the UK the crews were generally local boatmen. One example of this was the
Newhaven Lifeboat, established in 1803 in response to the wrecking of
HMS ''Brazen'' in January 1800, when only one of her crew of 105 could be saved. The UK combined many of these local efforts into a national organisation in 1824 with the establishment of the
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
. One example of an early lifeboat was the
Landguard Fort Lifeboat of 1821, designed by
Richard Hall Gower
Captain Richard Hall Gower (1768–1833) was an English mariner, empirical philosopher, nautical inventor, entrepreneur, and humanitarian.
Mariner
Richard was the youngest son of Rev. Foote Gower, physician and antiquarian, and Elizabeth, a s ...
.
In 1851,
James Beeching
James Beeching (1788 – 7 June 1858) was an English boat builder. He invented a "self-righting lifeboat", and designed a type of fishing boat which became characteristic of the port of Great Yarmouth in the 19th century. He also built ships fo ...
and James Peake produced the design for the Beeching–Peake SR (self-righting) lifeboat which became the standard model for the new
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
fleet.
The first motorised boat, the ''Duke of Northumberland'', was built in 1890 and was steam powered.
In 1929 the motorised lifeboat ''Princess Mary'' was commissioned and was the largest oceangoing lifeboat at that time, able to carry over 300 persons on rescue missions. The ''Princess Mary'' was stationed at Padstow in Cornwall, England.
United States
The
United States Life Saving Service
The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian effort ...
(USLSS) was established in 1848. This was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers. In 1915 the USLSS merged with the
Revenue Cutter Service
)
, colors=
, colors_label=
, march=
, mascot=
, equipment=
, equipment_label=
, battles=
, anniversaries=4 August
, decorations=
, battle_honours=
, battle_honours_label=
, disbanded=28 January 1915
, flying_hours=
, website=
, commander1=
, co ...
to form the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
(USCG).
In 1899 the Lake Shore Engine Company, at the behest of the Marquette Life Saving Station, fitted a two-cylinder
engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...
to a lifeboat on
Lake Superior
Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. Its operation marked the introduction of the term motor life boat (MLB). By 1909, 44 boats had been fitted with engines whose power had increased to .
The sailors of the MLBs are called ''"surfmen"'', after the name given to the volunteers of the original USLSS. The main school for training USCG surfmen is the National Motor Lifeboat School (NMLBS) located at the
Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment
United States Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, situated near Cape Disappointment, Washington, at the mouth of the Columbia River, is the largest United States Coast Guard search and rescue station on the Northwest Coast, with 50 crewmember ...
at the mouth of the Columbia River, which is also the boundary separating Washington State from Oregon State. The sand bars which form at the entrance are treacherous and provide a tough training environment for surf lifesavers.
Canada
Canada established its first lifeboat stations in the mid-to-late 19th century along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as well as along the shores of the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. The original organisation was called the "Canadian Lifesaving Service", not to be confused with the
Royal Life Saving Society of Canada
The Royal Life Saving Society Canada, commonly known as the Lifesaving Society or LSS, is a Canadian registered charity that works to prevent water-related injuries through various programs across Canada. The Lifesaving Society is an independent ...
, which came later at the turn of the 20th century.
In 1908, Canada had the first lifeboat (a pulling sailing boat design) to be equipped with a motor in North America, at Bamfield, British Columbia.
France
The
Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer
The Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (SNSM) is a French voluntary organisation founded in 1967 by merging the Société Centrale de Sauvetage des Naufragés (founded in 1865) and the Hospitaliers Sauveteurs Bretons (1873). Its task is s ...
(SNSM) is a French voluntary organisation founded in 1967 by merging the Société Centrale de Sauvetage des Naufragés (founded in 1865) and the Hospitaliers Sauveteurs Bretons (1873). Its task is saving lives at sea around the French coast, including the overseas départments and territories.
Modern lifeboats
Lifeboats have been modified by the addition of an
engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...
since 1890 which provides more power to get in and out of the swell area inside the surf. They can be launched from shore in any weather and perform rescues further out. Older lifeboats relied on sails and oars which are slower and dependent on wind conditions or manpower. Modern lifeboats generally have electronic devices such as
radios
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitt ...
and
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
to help locate the party in distress and carry medical and food supplies for the survivors.
The
Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat
A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are ...
(RHIB) is now seen as the best type of craft for in-shore rescues as they are less likely to be tipped over by the wind or breakers. Specially designed
jet rescue boats have also been used successfully. Unlike ordinary pleasure craft these small to medium-sized rescue craft often have a very low freeboard so that victims can be taken aboard without lifting. This means that the boats are designed to operate with water inside the boat hull and rely on flotation tanks rather than hull displacement to stay afloat and upright.
Inflatables (IB)s fell out of general use after the introduction of RIBs during the 1970s. Conditions in New Zealand and other large surf zones was identified and Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRB), small non rigid powered boats, were introduced by New Zealand at
Piha
Piha is a coastal settlement in West Auckland, on the western coast of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially ...
Beach and have been put into use in many other countries including Australia and the RNLI in the UK.
Australasia
In
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
surf lifesaving
Surf lifesaving is a multifaceted social movement that comprises key aspects of voluntary lifeguard services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia, the movement has expanded globally to other countries, inc ...
clubs operate
inflatable rescue boat
Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRBs) are rubber boats with an outboard motor used in surf lifesaving. IRBs have been used for all forms of surf rescue, retrieval, and service by Surf Lifesaving in New Zealand, Australia, and Del Mar, California since t ...
s (IRB) for in-shore rescues of swimmers and surfers. These boats are best typified by the rubber Zodiac and are powered by a 25-horsepower outboard motor. In the off season, these boats are used in competitive rescue racing.
In addition to this, most states have a power craft rescue service. RWCs (Rescue Water Craft, Jetski) are common to many beaches, providing lifesaving service. The state of New South Wales operates dual hull fiberglass offshore boats, while Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia operate aluminum hull Jet Rescue Boats, of about 6m in length. Some regions such as North Queensland and the Northern Territory operate RNLI style rigid hull inflatables.
In Auckland, New Zealand two 15-foot surf jet rescue boat powered by three stage Hamilton jet units were stationed in the 1970s and 1980s at Piha Beach the home of the
Piha Surf Life Saving Club
Piha Surf Life Saving Club (sometimes called Piha Lifeguard Service) is a surf lifesaving club for the southern section of Piha, on the west coast of Auckland, New Zealand, some 45 km from the Auckland City centre. The patrol was featured i ...
.
Canada
The
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in ...
operates makes and models of motor lifeboats that are modified RNLI and USCG designs such as the
Arun and the
47 footer (respectively).
France
The
SNSM operates over 500 boats crewed by more than 3200 volunteers, from all-weather lifeboats to jetskis, dispersed in 218 stations (including 15 in overseas territories). In 2009 the SNSM was responsible for about half of all sea rescue operations and saved 5,400 lives in 2816 call-outs and assisted 2140 boats in distress. The service has 41 all-weather rescue boats, 34 first-class rescue boats, 76 second-class lifeboats and 20 light rescue boats (and an amphibious rescue boat), and many inflatable boats. All these boats are made unsinkable by injection into the hull of very light materials (closed cell polyurethane foam) : with these buoyancy reserves, the boat itself full of water always remains in positive buoyancy; they also have a tight sealed compartment. All-weather lifeboats from 15 meters to 18 meters are self-righting. The first class lifeboat have capacities close to the all-weather rescue boats, the second class lifeboat are intended for slightly less difficult conditions. The first and second class boats, respectively 14 meters and 12 meters, which are the most recent boats, are self-righting.
The boats are dispersed in 185 stations (including 15 in overseas territories).
Germany
In
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, the
German Maritime Search and Rescue Service
The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (german: Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger - DGzRS, ; lit. ''German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked Persons'') is responsible for Search and Rescue in German territorial waters ...
(DGzRS) has provided naval rescue service since 1865. It is a civilian, non-profit organisation which relies entirely on individual funding (no government support) and has a variety of boats and ships, the biggest being the
Hermann Marwede with 400 tons displacement, the largest lifeboat in the world, operating from the island of Helgoland. The DGzRS operates from 54 stations in the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
and the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
. It has 20 rescue cruisers (usually
piggybacking a smaller rescue boat), mostly operated by own full-time personnel and 40 rescue boats operated by volunteers.
Voluntary organisations such as the German Red Cross (
Wasserwacht
The Wasserwacht (; ''water watch'' or ''water guard'') is a German lifeguard service. It is one of the five voluntary societies of the German Red Cross. The Wasserwacht is a non-profit organization made up of on volunteers.
Tasks
The main tas ...
) and
DLRG
The German Life Saving Association (german: Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft or DLRG) is a relief organization for life saving in Germany. The DLRG is the largest voluntary lifesaving organization in the world.
With around 560,000 mem ...
provide lifeguarding and emergency response for rivers, lakes, coasts and such like.
Netherlands
The Dutch lifeboat association
Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij (KNRM) has developed jet-driven RIB lifeboats. This has resulted in 3 classes, the largest is the
Arie Visser
Arie is a masculine given name.
As a Dutch name, Arie (pronounced ) is generally a short form of Adrianus, but sometimes also of Arend or Arent, Arnout or Arnoud, or even Aaron.
As a Hebrew, Jewish, or Israeli name, Arie (pronounced ) is a tr ...
class: length 18,80 m, twin jet, 2 x , max. speed , capacity 120 persons.
Some local lifeguard organisations also respond on the SAR.
Scandinavia
Most
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
n countries also have volunteer lifeboat societies.
UK and Ireland
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
(or RNLI) maintains lifeboats around the coasts of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
crewed largely by unpaid volunteers, most part-time, with equipment funded through voluntary donations.
In Britain, the RNLI design and build several types of all-weather motor lifeboats, the
Arun class kept permanently afloat, the
Tyne class slipway-launched boat and the
Mersey class carriage-launched boat. More recently the Arun replacement
Trent
Trent may refer to:
Places Italy
* Trento in northern Italy, site of the Council of Trent United Kingdom
* Trent, Dorset, England, United Kingdom Germany
* Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen United States
* Trent, California, ...
and
Severn
, name_etymology =
, image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG
, image_size = 288
, image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle
, map = RiverSevernMap.jpg
, map_size = 288
, map_c ...
class prototype models were delivered in 1992 with the first production Trent arriving in 1994 and the Severn in 1996. The first production
Tamar class, replacement for the Tyne went into service in December 2005 and the
FCB2 class replacement for the Mersey is being developed for deployment sometime in 2013. The FCB2 class of lifeboat was on 11 April 2011 accepted as a proven design and given the class name
Shannon, continuing the RNLI tradition of naming all weather lifeboat classes after rivers in the British Isles. Scarborough lifeboat station in North Yorkshire and Hoylake lifeboat station on the Wirral are two of the first stations to be allocated one of the new boats. Scarborough's Shannon class lifeboat will be named Frederick William Plaxton in his memory as he left a substantial legacy to the RNLI specifically to purchase Scarborough's next all weather lifeboat.
Independent services
There are at least 70 lifeboat services in Britain and Ireland that are independent of the RNLI, providing lifeboats and crews 24 hours a day all year round, manned by unpaid volunteers. They operate inland, inshore or offshore, according to local needs.
United States
The
United States Life Saving Service
The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian effort ...
began using motorised lifeboats in 1899. Models derived from this hull design remained in use until 1987.
Today in U.S. waters rescue-at-sea is part of the duties of the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
. The
coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
's MLBs, an integral part of the USCG's fleet, are built to withstand the most severe
conditions at sea. Designed to be
self-bailing,
self-righting and practically unsinkable, MLBs are used for surf rescue in heavy weather.
36' (foot)
The T model was introduced in 1929. At length overall, beam and with a two-ton lead keel, she was powered by a Sterling gas engine and had a speed of nine
knots
A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines.
Knot may also refer to:
Places
* Knot, Nancowry, a village in India
Archaeology
* Knot of Isis (tyet), symbol of welfare/life.
* Minoan snake goddess figurines#Sacral knot
Arts, entertainme ...
(17 km/h). From the early days of the 20th century the 36 MLB was the mainstay of coastal rescue operations for over 30 years until the 44 MLB was introduced in 1962.
Built at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, 218 36 T, TR and TRS MLBs were built between 1929 and 1956. Based on a hull design from the 1880s, the 36 TRS and her predecessors remain the longest active hull design in the Coast Guard, serving the Coast Guard and the Life Saving Services for almost 100 years, the last one, ''CG-36535'', serving
Depoe Bay MLB Station in
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
until 1987.
52' (foot)
In the mid-1930s the USCG ordered two 52-foot wooden-hulled motor lifeboats (MLBs) for service where there was a high traffic of merchants ships and heavy seas that had a high capacity in the number of person that could be rescued of approximately 100 and could tow ten fully loaded standard life boats used by most merchant vessels. Unlike the older 36-foot, the 52-foot MLBs had a diesel engine.
The 52-foot wooden-hulled MLBs were the only Coast Guard vessels less than in length that were given names,
CG-52300 ''Invincible'' and
CG-52301 ''Triumph''. Both were built at the
United States Coast Guard Yard
The United States Coast Guard Yard or just Coast Guard Yard is a United States Coast Guard operated shipyard located on Curtis Bay in northern Anne Arundel County, Maryland, just south of the Baltimore city limits. It is the largest industrial fac ...
; ''Invincible'' was initially assigned to Station Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and ''Triumph'' was assigned to Station Point Adams in Oregon. In time ''Invincible'' was also transferred to the Pacific Northwest at Station Grays Harbor. ''Triumph'' later capsized and sank during a rescue mission on January 12, 1961.
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]
By that time, the Coast Guard had already built two of the four steel-hulled successor
52-foot Motor Lifeboats. , the steel-hulled 52' MLBs continue in service.
44' (foot)
During the 1960s the Coast Guard replaced the MLB with the newly designed boat. These steel-hulled boats were more capable and more complicated than the wooden lifeboats they replaced.
In all 110 vessels would be built by the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay between 1962 and 1972 with an additional 52 built by the
RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
,
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in ...
and others under licence from the USCG.
The last active 44' MLB in the United States Coast Guard was retired in May 2009,
however these boats are still in active service elsewhere around the globe. The 44' MLB can be found in many
third world
The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " First ...
countries and is faithfully serving the
Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol
Responsibilities for traditional coast guard duties in Australia are distributed across various federal, state and community agencies. The de facto coast guard of Australia is the Maritime Border Command, a joint command of the Australian Defen ...
in Australia and the Royal New Zealand Coastguard Federation. The current engine configuration is twin Detroit Diesel 6v53s that put out each at a max RPM of 2800.
30' (foot) surf rescue boat
Another surf capable boat that the Coast Guard has used in recent years is the
30' surf rescue boat (SRB) introduced in 1983.
The 30' SRB was self-righting and self bailing and designed with marked differences from the typical lifeboats used by the Coast Guard up until the early 1980s. The 30' SRB is not considered to be an MLB, but was generally used in a similar capacity. Designed to perform search and rescue in adverse weather the vessel is generally operated with a crew of two, a surfman and an engineer. The crew both stand on the coxswain flat, protected by the superstructure on the bow and stern. The boat's appearance has caused many to comment that it looks like a "Nike Tennis Shoe".
Since 1997 the introduction of the faster 47' MLB and the phasing out of the 44' MLBs made the 30 footers obsolete. The class of vessels underwent an overhaul in the early nineties to extend their life until the newer and faster 47' motor lifeboats came into service, and in the late 1990s most of the 30 footers were de-commissioned. One still remains on active duty at Motor Lifeboat Station Depoe Bay in
Depoe Bay, Oregon
Depoe Bay is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States, located on U.S. Route 101 on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 1,398 at the 2010 census. The bay of the same name is a harbor that the city promotes as the world's smallest naviga ...
and is used almost daily. This station was host to the last 36' motor lifeboat in the late 1980s.
47' (foot)
The USCG has since designed and built new aluminum lifeboats and the first production boat was delivered to the USCG in 1997.
The
47-Foot Motor Lifeboat is able to withstand impacts of three times the acceleration of gravity, can survive a complete roll-over and is self-righting in less than 10 seconds with all machinery and instruments remaining fully operational. The 47' MLB can travel at to reach her destination.
There are 117 operational with a total of 200 scheduled to be delivered to the USCG. A further 27 models are being built by MetalCraft Marine under licence to the
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in ...
.
Response Boat – Medium
The
Response Boat – Medium
The Response Boat – Medium (RB-M) is a utility boat used by the United States Coast Guard. It is a replacement for the Coast Guard's retired fleet of utility boats (UTB), which had been in use by the Coast Guard since the 1970s. On June 21, ...
is a replacement for the
41' boats and the
USCG
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
plans a fleet of 180 in the
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
Gallery
File:1863 New Brighton Lifeboat.jpg, An 1863 tubular lifeboat from New Brighton
File:Brighton Lifeboat 1875.jpg, Launching the lifeboat at Brighton, Sussex in 1875
File:AKrupp20090502 Holland(1).JPG, SK ''Alfried Krupp'', a 27.5 m/89 ft — class lifeboat of the German DGzRS with daughter boat
File:Albertus 2.jpg, Dutch local lifeguards responding to a SAR call.
File:Wiecher en jap visser politiek.jpg, The ''Wiecher en Jap Visser-Politiek'', Dutch RIB lifeboat
File:47mlbBigSurf.jpg, A 47-foot MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
of the US coast guard.
File:Aa Southport lifeboat station 01.jpg, Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
lifeboat station
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine. Lifeboats may be rigid, inflatable or rigid-inf ...
, England
File:Aa Southport lifeboat station 02.jpg, Inside Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
lifeboat station
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine. Lifeboats may be rigid, inflatable or rigid-inf ...
, England
File:Southport inshore rescue boat on trailer.jpg, Southport inshore rescue boat on trailer
File:Aa Southport inshore rescue boat on trailer 02.jpg, Southport inshore rescue boat on trailer showing special tractor
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...
which steers with an articulated front end, which is somewhat wedge-shaped to push obstructions aside
File:United_States_Coast_Guard_MLB_CG-36535,_off_Nehalem_River_MLB_Station_(circa_1975).jpg, US Coast Guard Motor Life Boat ''CG-36535'' off Nehalem River MLB Station, c. 1975
File:Djibouti-PatrolBoat.jpg, One of four refurbished 44-foot patrol boats supplied to the Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
Navy
File:USCG Response Boat Medium (RBM).jpg, A USCG Response Boat – Medium
The Response Boat – Medium (RB-M) is a utility boat used by the United States Coast Guard. It is a replacement for the Coast Guard's retired fleet of utility boats (UTB), which had been in use by the Coast Guard since the 1970s. On June 21, ...
File:CCGC Sambro.jpg, Canadian Coast Guard Arun class medium endurance motor lifeboat
File:Rescue gad rausing 3.jpg, Swedish Sea Rescue Society's ''Rescue Gad Rausing'', stationed in Skillinge
Skillinge is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, in Österlen, Skåne County, Sweden with 859 inhabitants in 2010. Skillinge has become known particularly for its theatre.
Climate
Skillinge has a maritime climate with a moderated co ...
, outside Mälarhusen
File:Rescue gad rausing 1.jpg, ''Rescue Gad Rausing'', outside Mälarhusen
File:STCW-course at Alandica Shipping Academy, Fast Rescue Boat.jpg, Fast rescue boat during the STCW-course of the Alandica Shipping Academy
Alandica Shipping Academy (also ASA) offers maritime education in Åland, Finland and began operations in 2020. ASA offers basic courses and refresher courses for seafarers as well as undergraduate education at high school and college level. The e ...
in Åland
Åland ( fi, Ahvenanmaa: ; ; ) is an Federacy, autonomous and Demilitarized zone, demilitarised region of Finland since 1920 by a decision of the League of Nations. It is the smallest region of Finland by area and population, with a size of 1 ...
See also
*
Airborne lifeboat
Airborne lifeboats were powered lifeboats that were made to be dropped by fixed-wing aircraft into water to aid in air-sea rescue operations. An airborne lifeboat was to be carried by a heavy bomber specially modified to handle the external loa ...
*
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
*
Convoy rescue ship
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
*
International Maritime Rescue Federation The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) is a global organisation that unites and represents the world's operational marine rescue services, whether civilian or military—full-time or voluntary—large or small. All member organisations ...
*
James Beeching
James Beeching (1788 – 7 June 1858) was an English boat builder. He invented a "self-righting lifeboat", and designed a type of fishing boat which became characteristic of the port of Great Yarmouth in the 19th century. He also built ships fo ...
(1778–1858), inventor of the self-righting lifeboat
*
List of RNLI stations
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stations are the bases for the RNLI's fleet of search and rescue lifeboats that cover the coastal waters around the entire British Isles, as well as major inland waterways.
The service was establi ...
*
Muster drill
A muster drill, sometimes referred to as a lifeboat drill or a boat drill, is an exercise that is conducted by the crew of a ship prior to embarking on a voyage. A muster drill prepares passengers for safe evacuation, in the event of an emergen ...
*
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
*
Search and Rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
References
Books
* Sir John Cameron Lamb
''The life-boat and its work''(1911, W. Clowes on behalf of the Royal National LIfe-Boat Institution)
* John A Culver; ''The 36 foot Coast Guard motor life boat'' (1989 J.A. Culver)
* Bernard C. Webber; ''Chatham, "The Lifeboatmen"'' (1985 Lower Cape Pub., )
* Robert R. Frump, "Two Tankers Down: The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in U.S. Coast Guard History. (2008, Lyons Press. www.twotankersdown.com)
External links
Solent Rescue — Independent Lifeboat Rescue Organisation (UK)Roberts Bank Lifeboat, Delta BC, CanadaUSA 36 MLB
History of a 36 MLB
36-Foot Motor Lifeboat-Type TRU.S. Coast Guard History Program
USA 44 MLB
US Coast GuardDatasheet on the 44 MLB
44 Motor Life BoatA personal website on the 44 MLB
A 44 MLB on display in New Jersey
A 44 MLB in Australia
A 44 MLB in New Zealand
A 44 MLB
Sea Scout
Sea Scouts are a part of the Scout movement, with a particular emphasis on boating and other water-based activities on the sea, rivers or lakes (canoeing, rafting, scuba, sailboarding). Sea Scouts can provide a chance to sail, cruise on boats, ...
Ship in Washington
USA
47 MLB
US Coast GuardDatasheet on the 47 MLB
Textron Marinecontractor for the USCG 47 MLB
MetalCraft Marinecontractor for the CCG 47 MLB
Coast Guard Agencies
Canadian Coast GuardUSCG National Motor Life Boat SchoolUSCG Station Cape Disappointment, WA
Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionUnited Kingdom
sea-rescue.deLifeboat services around the world
Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger German SAR service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lifeboat (Rescue)
English inventions