Liverpool-class lifeboat

Former Clovelly, twin engined RNLB William Cantrell Astley (ON 871)
Class overview
Operators:	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Succeeded by:	Oakley
Built:	Single engine: 1931–1941 Twin engine: (1940), 1945–1954
In service:	1931–1984
Completed:	Single engine: 28 Twin engine: 32
Retired:	60
General characteristics
Type:	Motor lifeboat
Displacement:	6-8 tons
Length:	35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Propulsion:	Single engine: 35hp Weyburn AE6 Petrol Twin engine: 2 x 18hp Weyburn AE4 Petrol/20hp Ferry Kadenacy FKR3 Diesel
Speed:	6.5–7.5 knots (7.5–8.6 mph)
Range:	70–120 nautical miles (130–220 km)
Crew:	7

The Liverpool-class lifeboat was a non self-righting boat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from its stations around the coast of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The boats were designed for carriage launching and there were two types built, single and twin engined.

History

The Liverpool-class, designed by James Barnett, was derived from the 35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class and had many similarities with it. Lifeboatmen at many stations preferred non self-righting boats due to their better stability and the Liverpool was designed to be light enough for carriage launching at these stations. The single engined version entered service in 1932 and was powered by an RNLI designed, Weyburn Engineering built AE6 six cylinder 35 hp petrol engine mounted in a watertight compartment. Like all early motor lifeboats, the Liverpool class carried an auxiliary sailing rig and had a drop keel just forward of the engine room. 28 boats were built between 1931 and 1941. The introduction of tractors to assist with carriage launching enabled the RNLI to consider a heavier, twin engined version of the Liverpool and a prototype was ordered but was destroyed in an air raid at the builder's yard at Cowes in May 1942. Production got underway early in 1945 and the boat was powered by two 18hp Weyburn AE4 four cylinder petrol engines mounted in a watertight compartment. The extra redundancy of twin engines reduced the need for auxiliary sails. 31 boats were built between 1945 and 1954, the last 21 of which were powered by 20hp Ferry Kadenacy FKR3 diesels.

Description

The Liverool was based on the 35ft 6in Self-righting motor introduced in 1929, but had greater beam (10ft rather than 8ft 10in) and much shallower endboxes. The shelter was extended forward to cover the engine compartment, which was watertight and allowed the engine to continue to operate as long as the air intake was not submerged. The single propeller was protected by the keel. The twin engined variant was visually very similar but had 8in more beam and the twin propellers were in protective tunnels. In the mid 1960s the petrol engines in the first ten boats were replaced by 47hp Parsons Penguin diesels (as were a couple of the Ferry engined boats). Only one single engined boat, ON 832, was re-engined with a diesel engine, a Parsons Porbeagle of 47hp.

Fleet

Single screw boats

ON[lower-alpha 1]	Name	Built	Builder	In service	Principal Station	Comments
750	Oldham	1931	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1931–1952	Hoylake	Sold in 1952
760	Anne Allan[1]	1932	Thorneycroft, Chiswick	1932–1953	Skegness[2]	Sold in 1953
764	Nellie and Charlie	1933	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1933–1950	Anstruther	Sold April 1951
765	Fifi and Charles	1933	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1933–1962	Weston-super-Mare	Sold October 1962
766	The Always Ready	1933	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1933–1954	Runswick	Sold May 1954
770	Harriot Dixon	1934	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1934–1964	Cromer No.2	Sold December 1964
771	The Three Sisters	1934	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1934–1954	Coverack	Sold in 1954
772	Elizabeth and Albina Whitley	1934	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1934–1948 1948–1952	Flamborough Relief fleet	Sold January 1953
773	Joseph Braithwaite	1934	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1934–1949 1950–1952	Maryport Relief fleet	Sold December 1952
781	W.R.A.	1935	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1936–1954 1954–1958	North Sunderland Relief fleet	Sold in 1958
782	Margaret Dawson	1935	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1936–1955 1955–	Gourdon Relief fleet
786	Foresters Centenary	1936	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1936–1961	Sheringham	Sold 1961. Now in a museum in Sheringham
791	Elizabeth Wills Allen	1936	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1936–1950 1950–1953	Seaham Harbour Relief fleet	Sold February 1953
792	Annie Ronald and Isabella Forrest	1936	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1936–1949 1949–1956 1956–1958 1959–1964	St Abbs Relief fleet Scarborough Llandudno	Sold March 1965
793	Clarissa Langdon	1937	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1937–1962 1963 1963–1965	Boulmer Seaham Harbour Relief fleet	Sold March 1965
794	Richard Silver Oliver	1937	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1937–1939 1940–1945 1945–1952 1953–1961 1961–1963	Cullercoats Newquay Ilfracombe Criccieth Relief fleet	Capsized on exercise at Cullercoats 22/4/39. 6 lost. Sold in 1963
795	Frank and William Oates	1937	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1937–1951 1952–1956 1956–1964	Exmouth Girvan Relief fleet
796	Herbert John	1937	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	-	Cloughey	Destroyed by fire at builders yard 18/6/37
797	Howard D	1937	Saunders-Roe, Cowes	1937–1948 1948–1953 1953–1956 1956–1964	St Helier Flamborough Arbroath Relief fleet	Under enemy control at St. Helier 1940-1945. Sold in 1964. Located at the Maritime Museum in Jersey.[3]
798	Ann Isabella Pyemont	1937	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1937–1965	Kilmore Quay	Sold 1966
799	Helen Sutton	1937	Saunders-Roe, Cowes	1937–1952 1952–1958	Peel Relief fleet	Sold in 1958
800	Sarah Ann Austin	1937	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1937–1961 1962–1965	Blackpool Relief fleet	Sold August 1965
825	Herbert John	1939	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1939–1952 1952–1966	Cloughey Youghal	Sold in 1966. Now in private ownership.[4]
827	George and Elizabeth Gow	1939	Morgan Giles, Teignmouth	1939–1943 1943–1946 1947–1962 1962–1964	Aberdeen No.2 Royal Air Force Aberdeen No.2 Relief fleet	Used by RAF as a rescue craft in the Azores 1943-1946. Sold in 1965
831	Caroline Oates Aver and William Maine	1939	Groves & Guttridge	1940–1948 1948–1960	St Ives Ferryside	Sold July 1960
832	Lucy Lavers	1939	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1940–1959 1959–1968	Aldeburgh Relief fleet	This Lifeboat was one of the Little Ships of the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. Sold 1968
833	The Cuttle	1940	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1940–1953 1953–1964 1964–1966	Filey Skegness Relief fleet	Sold August 1966
834	Jose Neville	1941	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1941–1964 1964–1966	Caister Relief fleet	Sold August 1966. Now a fishing vessel named Concorde in Southwold.[5]

Twin screw boats

All boats were built by Groves & Guttridge, Cowes except for ON 877 (J. Samuel White, Cowes) and ON 882 (Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge).

ON[lower-alpha 1]	Name	In service	Principal Station	Comments
839	(W. and B.)	-	Prototype	Destroyed in an air raid at builders yard 4/5/1942
850	Cecil Paine	1945–1965 1965–1972 1972–1973	Wells Kilmore Quay Relief fleet	Sold in 1973
861	Edgar, George, Orlando and Eva Child	1948–1968 1968–1970 1970–1975 1975–1982	St Ives Relief fleet Blackpool Relief fleet	Sold in 1983
862	Thomas Corbett	1948–1970 1970–1974 1974–1981	Ramsey Hoylake Clogher Head	Sold in 1982. Now in private ownership in Birkenhead.[6]
863	St. Albans	1948–1970	New Quay	Sold December 1970
864	The Chieftain	1949–1982	Barmouth	Sold April 1982
869	Anthony Robert Marshall	1949–1968 1968–1972 1972–1979	Rhyl Relief fleet Abersoch	Sold in 1980
870	William and Laura	1949–1980	Newcastle	Sold September 1980
871	William Cantrell Ashley	1949–1968	Clovelly	Sold in 1968. Now at Hoylake Lifeboat Museum.[7]
872	J.B. Couper of Glasgow	1949–1953 1953–1965 1966–1971 1972–1974 1974–1975	St Abbs Kirkcudbright Youghal Poole Relief fleet	Sold February 1976
873	George Elmy	1950–1962 1963–1969 1969–1972	Seaham Harbour Relief fleet Poole	Capsized on service at Seaham 17/11/62. Nine lost. Sold September 1972. Underwent restoration before being displayed in Seaham.[8]
874	Robert Lindsay	1950–1953 1955–1960 1961–1968	Arbroath Girvan Criccieth	Capsized on service at Arbroath 27/10/1953. Six lost. Sold in 1968
875	Richard Ashley	1950–1966	Newbiggin	Sold in 1967
876	James and Ruby Jackson	1950–1965 1965–1967	Anstruther Relief fleet	Sold in 1969
877	George and Caroline Ermen	1950–1974	Clogher Head	Sold July 1974
882	B.H.M.H.	1951–1973 1973–1981 1981–1984	Minehead Relief fleet Clogher Head	Sold in 1985
891	Bassett-Green	1951–1962 1962–1969	Padstow No.2 Poole	Sold in 1969
892	Aguila Wren	1951–1964 1965–1972	Aberystwyth Redcar	Sold December 1972
893	Clara and Emily Barwell	1951–1963 1963–1968	Eyemouth Relief fleet	Sold February 1969
894	Oldham IV	1952–1970	Hoylake	Sold October 1970
895	Edith Clauson-Thue	1952–1969	Gourdon	Sold in 1969
902	Constance Calverley	1952–1965 1965–1970	Cloughey Relief fleet	Sold in 1970
903	Helen Harris - Manchester & District XXXI	1952–1972	Peel	Sold in 1972
904	Robert and Phemia Brown	19521966	Ilfracombe	Sold in 1967
905	Katherine and Virgoe Buckland	1953–1972	Pwllheli	Sold in 1972
906	W. Ross MacArthur of Glasgow	1953–1964 1964–1968	St Abbs Relief fleet	Sold February 1969. Later to Caister Lifeboat and renamed Shirley Jean Ayde in 1973. Sold to Pembroke Dock Authority and renamed Mariners Friend in 1992. Sold into private ownership 1994[9]
914	Tillie Morrison, Sheffield II	1953–1959	Llandudno[10]	Sold in 1969
915	Friendly Forester	1953–1983	Flamborough	Sold in 1984. Now at the maritime museum at Blackgang Chine[11]
916	Mary Noble	1953–1962 1962–1970 1970–1973	Exmouth Blackpool Relief fleet	Sold in 1974
917	ISA and Penryn Milsted	1953–1968	Filey	Sold in 1969
918	Eliott Gill	1953–1970 1970–1974	Runswick Relief fleet	Sold August 1974
927	Grace Darling	1954–1967 1967–1971 1971–1984	North Sunderland Relief fleet Youghal	Now at Chatham Historic Dockyard[12]

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.

References

1. "National Register of Historic Vessels – Anne Allan". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
2. Skegness Lifeboats – An illustrated History. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher:Landmark Publishing Ltd. Year Published:2008. Work: Page 117, Appendices – list of Skegness Lifeboats. ISBN 978-1-84306-423-7
3. "National Register of Historic Vessels - Howard D". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
4. "National Register of Historic Vessels - Herbert John". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
5. "Caister Lifeboats - Jose Neville". Caster Lifeboat. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
6. "National Register of Historic Vessels - Thomas Corbett". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
7. "Historic 'Liverpool Class' lifeboat at Albert Dock Pirate Festival". Bay TV Life Liverpool. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
8. "National Register of Historic Vessels - George Elmy". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
9. "Caster Lifeboats - Shirley Jean Ayde". Caster Lifeboat. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
10. "Tillie Morrison Sheffield II". Llandudno Lifeboat. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
11. "National Register of Historic Vessels - Friendly Forester". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
12. "National Register of Historic Vessels - Grace Darling". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 6 September 2013.

External links

• RNLI