35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class lifeboat
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | 35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class |
Builders |
|
Succeeded by | Liverpool-class |
Cost | £3,000- £14,000 |
Built |
|
Completed |
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Lost | 3 |
Retired | 24 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement |
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Length | 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) |
Beam | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)-9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) |
Draught | 2 ft 8 in (0.81 m) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 8 knots (9.2 mph) |
Crew | 7/8 |
The 35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class was a displacement hull lifeboat built in single engine form between 1929 and 1940 and in twin-engined form between 1947 and 1950. The boats were operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1929 and 1965.
History
The need to provide motor lifeboats at stations using carriage launching had first been addressed with the 35ft Self-righting motor type of 1921. Three of these boats were built and were to all intents and purposes pulling and sailing boats with an auxiliary engine. The definitive boat for production appeared in 1929, six inches longer and with the same 8ft 10in beam as the second and third 35ft types. After the first two boats had been put on station, a crash programme of production was instituted in 1931 and twelve boats were produced that year. These gave many stations their first motor lifeboats, but experience proved that stability was lacking and from ON 763 beam was increased by 5 inches. The final two single engine boats saw further beam increases, to 9ft 6in and 9ft 10in respectively. In common with the similar but non self-righting Liverpool-class, post war production switched to twin-engined versions, but only five were built. The RNLI was increasingly switching to more stable non self-righting lifeboats and the single engine 35ft 6in Self-righting motors were replaced at most stations by Liverpool-class boats in the early 1950s after only around twenty years service. The twin-engined boats had even shorter lives, being replaced at three stations by Liverpools and at the other two by 37ft Oakleys after less than fifteen years service.
Description
The challenge of producing a motor lifeboat light enough to be manhandled for carriage launching resulted in a boat weighing around 5½ tons. The single RNLI designed, Weyburn Engineering built AE6 6-cylinder petrol engine produced 35 bhp and sat in a watertight engine room beneath pent roof access hatches ahead of an aft cockpit shelter from which the mechanic operated the engine controls. Apart from a small shelter forward the boats were open. As described above, beam was increased during production in an attempt to improve stability. After World War II, five twin engined boats were built which had a beam of 10ft and a larger shelter covering the engine room and very similar to the contemporary twin engined Liverpools. The first two of these boats were powered by two 18bhp Weyburn AE4 4-cylinder petrol engines, but the final three had 20bhp Ferry FKR3 3 cylinder diesels.
Fleet
Single engine
ON[a] | Name | Built | Builder | In service | Principal Station | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
726 | City of Nottingham | 1929 | Saunders-Roe, Cowes | 1930–1936 1936–1949 |
Hythe Clovelly |
Sold in 1950 |
727 | Westmorland | 1930 | Saunders-Roe, Cowes | 1930–1940 1940–1951 |
Berwick Cullercoats |
Sold June 1951 |
737 | Louisa Polden | 1931 | Saunders-Roe, Cowes | 1931–1951 | Redcar | Sold in 1951 |
738 | J.H.W. | 1931 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1931–1939 1939–1947 |
Lytham St Annes Padstow No.2 |
Sold April 1948 |
739 | Lily Glen - Glasgow | 1931 | Saunders-Roe, Cowes | 1931–1952 | Girvan | Sold May 1952 |
740 | Cyril and Lilian Bishop | 1931 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1931–1950 | Hastings | Sold November 1950 |
741 | Morison Watson | 1931 | Saunders-Roe, Cowes | 1931–1953 | Kirkcudbright | Sold in 1953 |
742 | Herbert Joy II | 1931 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1931–1951 | Scarborough | Sold in 1951 |
743 | John and Sarah Eliza Stych | 1931 | Saunders-Roe, Cowes | 1931–1938 1938–1939 |
Padstow No.1 St Ives |
Wrecked on service 23/1/1939, seven crew lost. |
744 | Laurana Sarah Blunt | 1931 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1931–1952 | Youghal | Sold in 1952 |
745 | Lady Harrison | 1931 | Saunders-Roe, Cowes | 1931–1948 1948–1951 |
Ramsay Aberystwyth |
Sold in 1952 |
746 | William Maynard | 1931 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1931–1939 1939–1941 1941–1948 1948–1949 1949–1953 |
Cloughey Relief fleet Ferryside Whitehills Relief fleet |
Sold February 1953 |
747 | Stanhope Smart | 1931 | Saunders-Roe, Cowes | 1931–1947 1947–1951 |
Bridlington Padstow No.2 |
Sold in 1951 |
748 | Mary Ann Blunt | 1931 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1931–1950 | Clogher Head | Sold in 1951 |
752 | John and William Mudie | 1932 | J. Thorneycroft, Chiswick | 1932–1950 | Arbroath | Sold June 1951 |
756 | Civil Service No.4 | 1932 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1932–1948 | Whitehills | Damaged beyond repair on service 16/6/1948 |
757 | Frederick Angus | 1932 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1932–1949 | Aberystwyth | Sold August 1949 |
763 | Caroline Parsons | 1933 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1933–1938 | St Ives | Wrecked on service 31/1/1938 |
767 | Catherine Harriet Eaton | 1933 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1933–1953 | Exmouth | Sold in 1953 |
768 | Thomas and Annie Wade Richards | 1933 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1933–1953 | Llandudno | Sold in 1953 |
785 | Sir Heath Harrison | 1936 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1936–1949 1949–1955 |
Port St Mary Relief fleet |
Sold January 1956 |
826 | Guide of Dunkirk | 1940 | Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge | 1941–1963 | Cadgwith | Sold in 1963 |
Twin engine
ON[a] | Name | Built | Builder | In service | Stations | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
851 | Tillie Morrison, Sheffield | 1947 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1947–1953 1953–1959 |
Bridlington Llandudno |
Capsized on service at Bridlington 19/8/1952, one crew lost. Sold November 1959 |
878 | M.T.C. | 1950 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1950–1963 | Hastings | Sold in 1964 |
879 | E.C.J.R. | 1950 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1951–1956 1956–1963 |
Scarborough Relief fleet |
Capsized on service 8/12/1954, three crew lost. Sold March 1963 |
880 | Isaac and Mary Bolton | 1950 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1951–1963 | Cullercoats | Sold in 1964 |
881 | City of Leeds | 1950 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1951–1965 | Redcar | Sold March 1965 |