Waveney-class lifeboat

	Larne Lifeboat RNLB William and Jane (ON 1079) in October 1997
Class overview
Builders	USCG, Curtis Bay, USA (44-001); Brooke Marine, Lowestoft (44-002–007); Groves & Guttridge, Cowes (44-008–015); Bideford Ship Yard (44-016–019); Fairey Marine, Cowes (44-020–022);
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Preceded by	Rother, Solent
Succeeded by	Arun
Built	1964–1982
In service	1964–1999
Completed	22
Retired	22
Preserved	1
General characteristics
Type	motor lifeboat
Displacement	18–19 tons
Length	44 ft 10 in (13.67 m)
Beam	12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Draught	4 ft 2 in (1.27 m)
Propulsion	Two diesel engines (various models)
Speed	15.4 knots (17.7 mph)
Range	190 nautical miles (350 km)
Crew	5

The Waveney-class lifeboat was the first class of lifeboats operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) capable of operating at speeds in excess of 10 knots (12 mph).^[1] Based on an American design, 22 saw operational service between 1964 and 1999 at the RNLI's stations around the coast of the United Kingdom and Ireland. After being superseded by faster boats in the 1990s, many were sold for further use with lifeboat services abroad, notably in Australia and New Zealand.

The class name comes from the River Waveney which discharges into the North Sea at Great Yarmouth.

History

In the 1960s the RNLI's fleet consisted of motor lifeboats of limited speed due to the shape of their hulls. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) had developed a 44-foot motor lifeboat which planed across the surface of the water, the consequence of which is a reduced wetted surface area to the hull, and therefore a much higher speed.^[2] One was built for the RNLI by the USCG in Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard, Maryland,^[3] and this was put through extensive trials and proved capable of operating in restricted spaces, even though the propellers lacked the usual protection afforded to lifeboats.^[2]

The prototype was never given a name although the crews nicknamed it "The Yank".^[2] It entered trials in 1964 but the first production boats did not start to emerge until 1967. After six had been placed in service there was a hiatus which lasted until 1974 when production was restarted, and then continued through until 1982 by which time 22 were in service. The entire fleet was replaced between 1996 and 1999 as new Trent and Severn lifeboats came into service, but many were sold for further use as lifeboats or pilot boats.^[4]

The boats launched in 1967 and 1968 were built by Brooke Marine at Lowestoft and those in 1974/5 by Groves and Gutteridge in Cowes. The 1976/7 batch came from Bideford Ship Yard and the last three from Fairey Marine in Cowes.^[3]

Two 50-foot (15 m) long versions were built as the first of a proposed fleet of Thames-class lifeboats but the class was cancelled in favour of an Arun class with a different hull shape and improved crew facilities.^[2]

Description

The Waveney-class lifeboat at Dunmore East lifeboat was kept on a mooring.

The steel hull is 44 feet 10 inches (13.67 m) long and 12 feet 8 inches (3.86 m) wide, drawing 4 feet 2 inches (1.27 m) of water. The hull is divided into seven watertight compartments including two survivor compartments and a crew space. The coxswain operates the boat from an open wheelhouse. Powered by a pair of diesel engines, it has an operating radius of 95 nautical miles (176 km).^[1]

The prototype was built with twin 200 brake horsepower (150 kW) Cummins V-6 engines but in 1973 was upgraded to 250 bhp (190 kW) Ford Mermaid 595T 6-cylinder engines. The first batch of production boats were initially built with pairs of 215 bhp (160 kW) Cummins V-6 engines. All these, including the by then re-engined prototype were fitted in the early 1980s with 203 bhp (151 kW) Caterpillar D3208 V-8 engines. The Groves & Guttridge built boats of 1974/5 had more powerful 260 bhp (190 kW) General Motors V-8 engines which they retained throughout their service life. The four boats of the 1976/7 Bideford Ship Yard build were originally fitted with 250 bhp Ford Mermaid 595T 6-cylinder engines but these were changed within five years for 250 bhp Caterpillar D3208T V-8 engines as had by then been fitted to the three final boats.^[3]

RNLI fleet

ON^[a]	Op. No.^[b]	Name	Built	In service	Principal Stations^[5]	Comments^[4]^[6]
–	44-001	–	1964	1964–1996	Falmouth^[7]	Preserved at Chatham Historic Dockyard
1001	44-002	John F. Kennedy	1966	1967–1990 1990-1996	Dún Laoghaire Relief fleet	Sold 1996. Renamed Sarah JFK. Oct 2019, Renamed Fortitude, Charter Boat, Lagos, Nigeria.
1002	44-003	Khami	1967	1967–1980 1980–1990 1990 1990–1997	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Relief fleet Ramsgate Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to RVCP Australia
1003	44-004	Faithful Forrester	1967	1967–1979 1979–1984 1984–1985 1985-1997	Dover Relief fleet Holyhead Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to RVCP Australia
1004	44-005	Margaret Graham	1967	1967–1980 1980–1986 1986–1999	Harwich Relief fleet Amble	Sold 1999. Renamed St Hilda of Whitby. December 2021, Unaltered Pilot boat at Whitby
1005	44-006	Arthur and Blanche Harris	1968	1968–1974 1974–1979 1979–1985 1985–1993 1993–1995 1995–1996	Barry Dock Relief fleet Donaghadee Relief fleet Courtmacsherry Harbour Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to RVCP Australia
1006	44-007	Connel Elizabeth Cargill	1967	1968–1985 1986–1990 1990–1991 1991 1991–1997	Troon Arklow Relief fleet Portree Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to RVCP Australia
1026	44-008	Eric Seal (Civil Service No. 36)	1974	1974–1996	Eyemouth	Sold 1999 to Sea Rescue Institute, Namibia
1027	44-009	Helen Turnbull	1974	1974–1996 1996–1997 1997	Sheerness Achill Island Relief fleet	Sold 1999. Renamed Badger, pleasure boat, Douglas. February 2019, Renamed Sturm, pleasure boat, Bowling Basin, West Dunbartonshire.
1028	44-010	Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse II	1974	1974–1987 1987–1996 1996–1997	Plymouth Fowey^[8] Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to New Zealand
1029	44-011	Augustine Courtauld	1974	1974–1983 1983–1985 1985–1987 1987–1988 1988–1990 1990–1997	Poole Relief fleet Troon Plymouth Relief fleet Arklow	Sold 1999 to RVCP Australia
1033	44-012	The White Rose of Yorkshire	1974	1974–1988 1988–1996 1996–1997	Whitby Invergordon Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to Canada
1034	44-013	Thomas James King	1975	1975–1989 1989–1993 1993–1995 1995–1997	St Helier Relief fleet Dunbar Relief fleet	Sold 1998. Renamed Northesk, Pilot boat Montrose. April 2022, Renamed Ledra Express, Workboat, Ledra Ena Shipping, Limassol, Cyprus^[5]
1035	44-014	St Patrick	1975	1975–1996	Dunmore East	Sold 1999 to RVCP Australia
1036	44-015	Lady of Lancashire	1975	1976–1989 1990–1995 1995–1996	Fleetwood Dún Laoghaire Relief fleet	Sold 1996. Renamed St Boisil, Pilot boat Berwick-on-Tweed. August 2022, Private Ownership, Berwick-on-Tweed
1042	44-016	Ralph and Joy Swann	1976	1976–1990 1990–1991 1991–1996 1996–1997 1997–1998	Ramsgate Tobermory Portree Relief fleet Achill Island	Sold 1998. Trip boat West Swann at Port Howard, West Falklands
1043	44-017	The Nelsons of Donaghadee Wavy Line	1976	1976–1978 1978–1990 1990–1997	Donaghadee Relief fleet Sunderland	Sold 1997 to New Zealand
1044	44-018	The Scout	1977	1977–1997	Hartlepool	Sold 1997 to ADES Uruguay
1045	44-019	Louis Marchesi of Round Table	1977	1977–1985 1985–1986 1986–1994 1994–1996 1996–1997	Newhaven Relief fleet Alderney Exmouth^[9] Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to New Zealand
1060	44-020	John Fison	1980	1980–1996 1996–1999	Harwich Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to New Zealand
1065	44-021	Barham	1980	1980–1996 1996–1999	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Relief fleet	Sold 1999 to New Zealand.
1079	44-022	The William and Jane	1982	1982–1995 1996–1999	Blyth Larne	Sold 1999 to New Zealand.

^ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
^ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

Other fleets

Australia

RVCP Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol was formed in 1937. In 2008 it amalgamated with Australian Volunteer Coast Guard and Volunteer Rescue Association to form Marine Rescue New South Wales.

RNLI ON	Name^[4]	Sold	Station	Comments^[6]
1002	P&O Nedlloyd Stratheden	1999–	Brighton le Sands	Sold before 2012. Renamed Khami, Private Ownership, Esperence, Western Australia 2014, Yacht Club Rescue Vessel, Beauty Point, Tasmania, Australia. Restored to RNLI Livery.
1003	P&O Nedlloyd Strathmore	1999–2011	Narooma	Sold 2011. Renamed Harbour Conquest, Crew transfer and utility vessel, with Harbour Services Australia, Freemantle. 2019, Private Ownership, Claremont, Western Australia
1005	P&O Nedlloyd Strathallan	1999–2007 2007–2009	Ulladulla Broken Bay	Sold 2009. Renamed Harbour Crusader, Crew transfer and utility vessel with Harbour Services Australia, Freemantle. Scrapped 2019
1006	P&O Nedlloyd Rawalpindi	1999–	Mosman	Sold before 2013. Workboat/houseboat, Brisbane River, Queensland, Australia
1029	P&O Nedlloyd Strathaird	1999–2002 2002–2011	Broken Bay, Trial Bay	Sold 2011. Renamed Augustine Courtauld, Work boat for Melbourne Charter Services P/L, Melbourne. Restored to RNLI Livery
1035	P&O Nedlloyd Strathnaver	1999–2009	Batemans Bay	Sold 2009. Renamed St. Patrick Strathnaver. Private Ownership, Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. 2022, Private Ownership, Somerville, Victoria, Australia, under restoration.

New Zealand

The Royal New Zealand Coastguard Federation, now Royal New Zealand Coastguard is the primary civilian marine search and rescue organisation for New Zealand. Unlike a number of other countries, the organisation is a non-governmental, civilian charitable organisation, with no enforcement powers.

RNLI ON	Name^[4]	In Service	Station	Comments^[6]
1028	Westgate Rescue (Taranaki Volunteer Coastguard)	2000–2012	Port Taranaki	Sold 2012. Renamed Harrier. 2015, Private Ownership, Bluff, New Zealand
1043	Nicholsons Rescue/Trust Porinua Rescue (Mana Volunteer Coastguard)	1998–2010	Mana Island	Sold 2010. Renamed Toucan, Sold 2015, Workboat, Lyttelton, New Zealand 2021, Workboat, Wanganui, New Zealand
1045	P&O Nedlloyd Rescue (Waiheke Volunteer Coastguard)	1999–2006	Waiheke Island	Sold 2006. Private Ownership, Whangārei, 2010 Private Ownership, Auckland
1060	Hamilton Rotary Rescue (Raglan Volunteer Coastguard)	1999–2005	Raglan	Sold 2006. Renamed Harbour Cruiser, Crew transfer and utility vessel, Harbour Services, Freemantle, Australia
1065	Barham (Hawkes Bay Volunteer Coastguard)	2000–2003	Napier	Sold 2003. Renamed Legend, Private Ownership, Auckland. 2008, Private Ownership, Seaview Marina, Wellington Harbor, New Zealand
1079	John Barton Acland Rescue (Kaikoura Volunteer Coastguard)	1999–2005	Kaikōura	Sold 2005. Renamed Gryphon, 2020, Newport, Oregon, USA

Other Rescue Services

RNLI ON	Name^[4]	In Service	Station	Comments^[6]
1026	Spirit of Standard Bank (Sea Rescue Institute of Namibia)	1999–2005 2005–2022	Walvis Bay Lüderitz	No longer in service. November 2022, On hardstanding at Lüderitz
1033	1a 001 The White Rose of Yorkshire (Canadian Lifeboat Institution)	1999–2008	Roberts Bank, Vancouver, Canada	Sold 2008. December 2022, Private Ownership, Ladner, British Columbia
1044	ADES 16 Montemar (14-016) (ADES Uruguay)	1997–2012	Puerto del Buceo, Uruguay	Sold 2015. December 2022, Workboat, Puerto del Buceo

References

^ ^a ^b Wake-Walker, Edward; Deane, Heather; Purches, Georgette (1989). Lifeboat! Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 41. ISBN 0-7110-1835-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kipling, Ray; Kipling, Susannah (2006). Never Turn Back. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 83–85. ISBN 0-7509-4307-6.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lawford, Clive. "RNLI (Waveney Class)". Clive Lawford. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Denton, Tony (2009). Handbook 2009. Shrewsbury: Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 26–29.
^ ^a ^b Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "44ft Motor Lifeboats". 44ft Motor Lifeboats. Clive Lawford. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
^ Morris, Jeff (2002). The History of the Falmouth Lifeboats (2nd ed.). Coventry: Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 18–19.
^ Leach, Nicholas (2002). Fowey Lifeboats. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. pp. 75–93. ISBN 0-7524-2378-9.
^ Salsbury, Alan (2010). A History of the Exmouth Lifeboats. Wellington, Somerset: Halsgrove. pp. 121–128. ISBN 978-0-85704-073-2.