Shannon-class lifeboat
Scarborough's Shannon-class 13-15 RNLB Frederic William Plaxton
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Class overview | |
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Builders |
|
Operators | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Preceded by | Mersey class lifeboat, Tyne-class lifeboat & Trent-class lifeboat |
Cost | £2.5m |
Built | 2012– |
In service | Spring 2013 |
Planned | ~50 |
Active | 29 (25 at stations, 4 relief fleet) |
General characteristics (1st Experimental boat, Camarc hull) | |
Displacement | 14.6 long tons (15 t) |
Length | 13.6 m (44 ft 7 in) |
Beam | 4.54 m (14 ft 11 in) |
Draught | 0.75 m (2 ft 6 in) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h) |
Range | 250 nmi (460 km) |
Complement | 5 |
General characteristics (Prototype, RNLI hull) | |
Displacement | 17 long tons (17 t) |
Length | 13.6 m (44 ft 7 in) |
Beam | 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) |
Draught | 1.0 m (3 ft 3 in) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h) |
Range | 250 nmi (460 km) |
Complement | 6 Crew, 23 (Self-Righting) 79 (Non Self-Righting) |
The Shannon-class lifeboat[2] (previously FCB2 – Fast Carriage Boat 2) is the latest class of lifeboat currently being deployed to the RNLI fleet to serve the shores of the British Isles. The Shannon class will replace the Mersey class carriage-launched lifeboat and, the remaining Tyne-class lifeboats and will also replace the Trent-class lifeboats in due course.
History
The experimental boat, named Effseabee Too underwent sea trials during 2005–2008. It is based on a Camarc Pilot vessel design, and was designed by RNLI engineers, with a fibre-reinforced composite hull, powered by twin water jets. It had a top speed of approximately 30 knots (56 km/h), but was planned to be rated down to 25–27 knots when the final design was put into production. In 2008, FCB2 development was delayed due to hull shape issues, as trials showed crews would be subjected to unacceptable shocks and excessive horizontal shaking in high seas. The RNLI indicated that the project would be extended by at least three more years to research a new hull shape.
In April 2009 it was announced a new hull had been chosen. The Shannon class prototype boat was completed late 2011 when active service was expected to start in mid-2013.[3]
In April 2011 it was announced the class would be named after the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. This is the first time that the name of an Irish river has been used for a class of RNLI lifeboat.[2]
After boatyard acceptance in March 2012 the first of the fleet went through sea acceptance trials in 2012.
Early hulls were moulded by SAR Composites and up to ON1318 were fitted out by Berthon Boat Co. of Lymington.[4]
From ON1319 fitting-out progressively switched to the RNLI All-Weather Lifeboat Centre (ALC) at Poole, to which hull moulding also transferred from ON1330.
Service
The first Shannon-class to be delivered for service was demonstrated at Dungeness, Kent on 21 February 2014.[5] The boat, to begin active service the following month, has been named The Morrell in honour of Barbara Morrell, a keen fundraiser for the RNLI who bequeathed the service £6 million which she asked to be used for a lifeboat for Kent.[5][6][7][8][9]
The Shannon class uses similar Systems and Information Management System (SIMS)[10] technology to that of the Tamar class lifeboat so that crew members can operate all of the boat's systems collaboratively without leaving their seats. Crew seats are also similar to the Tamar, sprung to reduce the shocks in heavy seas. [11]
Most Shannons are launched by a newly designed Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) by which a tractor propels the lifeboat on its cradle into the water. The cradle is then tilted and acts as a mobile slipway as the boat is launched by release of a single bow strop from the wheelhouse, rather than the old carriage launched method of four chains being released by crew members on deck. Recovery is bow first onto the cradle, which then rotates through 180 degrees, enabling the boat to be launched again within ten minutes. Some Shannons will be kept afloat at moorings or a pontoon berth and the boats are also capable of being slipway launched, although only Swanage currently has a slipway launched Shannon. The boat at Workington uses the same unique davit crane system as the previous Tyne class boat.
Fleet
ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name[12][13] | Builder | In service | Principal Station | Launch method | MMSI[14] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1285 | --- | Effseabee Two | SAR[i]/BBC[ii] | 2005–2008 | Experimental boat | ||
1308 | 13-01 | Jock and Annie Slater | SAR/BBC | 2012–2019 2019- |
Relief fleet Wicklow |
235091414 | |
1309 | 13-02 | The Morrell | SAR/BBC | 2014– | Dungeness | Carriage | 235101095 |
1310 | 13-03 | R and J Welburn | SAR/BBC | 2014– | Exmouth | Carriage | 235101096 |
1311 | 13-04 | Storm Rider | SAR/BBC | 2014– | Relief fleet | 235101097 | |
1312 | 13-05 | Patsy Knight | SAR/BBC | 2014– | Lowestoft [15] | Afloat | 235101098 |
1313 | 13-06 | Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood | SAR/BBC | 2014– | Hoylake[16] | Carriage | 235106573 |
1314 | 13-07 | Reg | SAR/BBC | 2015– | Relief fleet | 235106574 | |
1315 | 13-08 | Derek Bullivant | SAR/BBC | 2015– | Lough Swilly | Afloat | 235106575 |
1316 | 13-09 | The Barry and Peggy High Foundation | SAR/BBC | 2015– | Ilfracombe [17] | Carriage | 235106576 |
1317 | 13-10 | Ian Grant Smith | SAR/BBC | 2015– | Montrose[18] | Afloat | 235106578 |
1318 | 13-11 | Nora Stachura | SAR/BBC | 2015– | St Ives | Carriage | 235106579 |
1319 | 13-12 | Cosandra | SAR/BBC/ALC[iii] | 2016– | Relief fleet | 235106581 | |
1320 | 13-13 | George Thomas Lacy | SAR/BBC | 2016– | Swanage | Slipway | 235106583 |
1321 | 13-14 | Kenneth James Pierpoint | SAR/ALC | 2016– | Fleetwood | Afloat | 235109051 |
1322 | 13-15 | Frederick William Plaxton | SAR/ALC | 2016– | Scarborough | Carriage | 235109052 |
1323 | 13-16 | Elizabeth and Leonard | SAR/ALC | 2016– | Amble | Afloat | 235109054 |
1324 | 13-17 | Joel and April Grunhill | SAR/ALC | 2017– | Skegness | Carriage | 235109055 |
1325 | 13-18 | William F. Yates | SAR/ALC | 2017– | Llandudno | Carriage | 235109056 |
1326 | 13-19 | Dorothy May White | SAR/ALC | 2017– | Workington | Davit | 235109062 |
1327 | 13-20 | Denise and Eric | SAR/ALC | 2017– | Selsey | Carriage | 235109063 |
1328 | 13-21 | Brianne Aldington | SAR/ALC | 2017–2019 2019- |
Relief fleet Clifden (Ireland) |
Afloat | 235113727 |
1329 | 13-22 | Antony Patrick Jones | SAR/ALC | 2017– | Bridlington | Carriage | 235113728 |
1330 | 13-23 | Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan | ALC | 2017– | Girvan | Afloat | 235113731 |
1331 | 13-24 | Barbara Ann | ALC | 2018– | Lytham St. Annes | Carriage | 235113732 |
1332 | 13-25 | Stella and Humphrey Berkley | ALC | 2018– | Leverburgh | Afloat | 235113733 |
1333 | 13-26 | John Metters | ALC | 2018– | Relief fleet | 235113734 | |
1334 | 13-27 | Joanna and Henry Williams | ALC | 2018- | Relief fleet | 232009169 | |
1335 | 13-28 | Richard and Caroline Colton | ALC | 2018- | Hastings | Carriage | 232009175 |
1336 | 13-29 | Helen Hastings | ALC | 2018- | Eyemouth | Afloat | 232009187 |
1337 | 13-30 | Ella Larsen | ALC | 2019- | Barmouth | Carriage | 232009189 |
1338 | 13-31 | Michael O’Brien | ALC | 2019- | Clogher Head | Carriage | 232009189 |
1339 | 13-32 | Ruth and David Arthur | ALC | 2019- | Relief fleet | 232009231 | |
1340 | 13-33 | Bridie O'Shea | ALC | 2019- | Relief fleet | 232009300 | |
1341 | 13-34 | Anthony Kenneth Heard | ALC | 2019- | Rhyl | Carriage | 232009301 |
1342 | 13-35 | Frank and Brenda Winter | ALC | Peel | Carriage | 232009302 | |
1343 | 13-36 | John and Elizabeth Allen | ALC | Seahouses | Carriage | 232009305 | |
1344 | 13-37 | Agnes A.P. Barr | ALC | 2020 | Invergordon | Afloat | 232009306 |
1345 | 13-38 | Mrs. Judith Copping Joyce | ALC | 2020 | Sheerness | Afloat | 232009307 |
1346 | 13-39 | Roger Smith | ALC | 2020 | Pwllheli | Carriage | |
1347 | 13-40 | Eric's Legend | ALC | 2020 | Relief Fleet | ||
1348 | 13-41 | William and Agnes Wray | ALC | 2020 | Dunmore East | ||
1349 | 13-42 | Anne and James Ritchie | ALC | 2020 | |||
1350 | 13-43 | Louis Ivan | ALC | 2021 | |||
1351 | 13-44 | George and Frances Phelon | ALC | 2021 | |||
1352 | 13-45 | ALC | 2021 | Relief Fleet | |||
1353 | 13-46 | Roy Barker V | ALC | 2021 | |||
1354 | 13-47 | ALC | 2021 | Relief Fleet | |||
1355 | 13-48 | Robert and Catherine Steen | ALC | 2021 |
References
- ^ "RNLI Press Release 16/01/09". Rnli.org.uk. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ a b "Newest class of RNLI lifeboat to be named after River Shannon". Rnli.org.uk. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "New hull design announced for latest class of RNLI lifeboat". Rnli.org.uk. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "Introducing the Shannon Class lifeboat". Chriswah. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ a b "Shannon superlifeboat arrives at Dungeness". bbc.co.uk. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ http://rhyl-lifeboat.co.uk/rhyl-rnli-station-allocated-new-shannon-class-all-weather-lifeboat
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Swanage RNLI Lifeboat Station". Blog.swanagelifeboat.org.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Newest lifeboat for new Montrose RNLI station". BBC News Online. BBC. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ "SIMS: Technology that puts crew safety first | RNLI". RNLI Magazine. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ RNLI FCB2 newsletter Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Donate toward our lifesaving future". RNLI. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "NavynutsRNLIShannonclass". Lifeboatsonline.com. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Particulars of Ship stations". www.itu.int. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Lowestoft to receive new RNLI Shannon class lifeboat". Rnli.org. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Generous legacy from former Wren to fund Hoylake's new RNLI lifeboat". Rnli.org. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ "Berthon Welcomes Benefactor of New Ilfracombe Lifeboat". chriswah. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- ^ "New Shannon class water jet lifeboat arrives at RNLI Montrose station". BBC News. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.