The Atlantic 21 Inshore lifeboat was the first generation

rigid 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 ...

(RIB), in the B-class series of Inshore

lifeboats Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen ...

, that were operated around the shores of the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

and the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...

by the

Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...

(RNLI), between 1972 and 2008. The Inshore boat was designed at

Atlantic College UWC Atlantic (formally the United World College of the Atlantic, and often referred to by its original name, Atlantic College) is an Private schools in the United Kingdom, independent boarding school in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. Fo ...

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

, the birthplace of the RIB, after which the craft is named. The college was also one of nine locations where the RNLI first established lifeboat stations using smaller inshore watercraft. Atlantic College Lifeboat Station was operated by the RNLI between 1963 and 2013. The development of the Atlantic 21 resulted in the larger , with production beginning in 1993. The Atlantic 75 gradually replaced the Atlantic 21, with the majority of the ninety-six Atlantic 21 lifeboats retired from service by 2006. Just a handful remained on service into 2007 and 2008, with the last two Atlantic 21 lifeboats, at Enniskillen Lifeboat Station (Upper and Lower), both withdrawn from operational duties on 26 February 2008.

Description

The Atlantic 21 can be launched from a davit, carriage or floating boathouse depending on the location of the station and the available facilities. The lifeboat is a

(RIB), with the hull constructed of

Fibre-reinforced plastic Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP; also called fibre-reinforced polymer, or in American English ''fiber'') is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually glass (in fibreglass), carbon (in carbon-fibre ...

, subdivided into water-tight compartments, and manufactured at Halmatic Ltd. of

Havant Havant ( ) is a town in the south-east corner of Hampshire, England. Nearby places include Portsmouth to the south-west, Southampton to the west, Waterlooville to north, Chichester to the east and Hayling Island to the south. The wider borough ...

. The boats are then fitted out at the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre in at East Cowes,

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

. A roll-bar is fitted above the engines, which carries an inflatable air-bag for self-righting, which can be inflated by a crew-member from a gas bottle should the boat capsize. The boat carries a variety of equipment which includes two VHF radios,

first aid kit A first aid kit or medical kit is a collection of supplies and equipment used to give First aid, immediate medical treatment, primarily to treat injuries and other mild or moderate medical conditions. There is a wide variation in the contents o ...

and oxygen,

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

navigation system,

night vision equipment A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The ...

, self-righting system, anchor and various warps, toolkit, towing system, illuminating and distress

pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...

, spotlight, torches.

Atlantic 21 Fleet

References

External links

RNLI FLeet

* Atlantic College Lifeboat Station
RIB History (2017 video) at UWC Atlantic College
{{RNLI lifeboat classes B-class lifeboats