Arun class lifeboat
Encyclopedia
The Arun class lifeboat is a fast all-weather lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
designed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
(RNLI) for service at its stations around the coasts of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. They were operated by the RNLI between 1971 and 2008. Many have been sold to see further service in the lifeboat and coastguard services of other countries.
The class takes its name from the River Arun
River Arun
The Arun is a river in the English county of West Sussex. Its source is a series of small streams in the St Leonard's Forest area, to the east of Horsham...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England.
History
The RNLI's first lifeboat capable of speeds in excess of 10 knots (19.6 km/h) was the 14 knots (27.4 km/h) introduced in 1967. This was based on an American design, but in 1971 it was replaced by the Arun which was designed by the RNLI and gave vastly improved accommodation and increased the speed to 18.5 knots (36.3 km/h).The first prototype boat entered service at in 1972 but moved on to where it was stationed until 1997. Two more boats were introduced in 1973 and 1974 and then full production started in 1975 although small numbers of Waveneys were still built until 1982. By 1990 46 Arun Class boats had been launched. The following year saw the launch of the first 25 knots (49 km/h) and class boats.
The three prototype boats were withdrawn in 1994–1997, the third of which then went on display at the National Lifeboat Museum. The production series boats were taken out of regular service between 1998 and 2007. While a few have found new uses around the coast of Great Britain, the majority have been sold to other lifeboat operators around the world, predominantly in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and some further boats were built new for service in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Those travelling long distances go as deck cargo on larger ships but those going to closer harbours are generally sailed across under their own power. The first boat to go to Iceland, the Richard Evans, was loaded as deck cargo on a container ship but was washed overboard during the passage – the only Arun to have been lost at sea.
Design
The design was developed for the RNLI by J.A. MacLachlan working for naval architects G.L. Watson of GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Initially proposed with 'chines' along the hull to disperse the spray and improve stability when underway at speed, this caused a high deck above water which proved difficult when trying to get people aboard from the water, so the chines were dispensed with on the second boat and the deck curved down nearer the water. The three prototypes were built with wooden hulls and were respectively 51 in 7 in (15.72 m), 52 feet (15.8 m) and 54 feet (16.5 m) long. The next four boats were 54 ft (16.5 m) long with glass reinforced plastic (GRP) hulls but the remainder were 52 ft (15.8 m) long. These all had GRP hulls except for one built in 1986 with a steel hull. It was regarded as the best of the class for seakeeping, although the slowest. The GRP hulls were moulded in blue material in the outer skin. After a while it was found that water was accumulating in the fibreglass which added up to 2 tons to the weight. The boats had the coloured layer stripped off and replaced by a new one made with clear gel which reduced the amount of water absorbed.
The large watertight cabin gave it self-righting capability. Two survivor cabins are situated below decks where first aid and emergency equipment is stowed. The hull is divided into 26 watertight compartments as protection against sinking should it be holed. There is also a flying bridge above the main cabin with an auxiliary steering position which can be used when additional height or visibility is required during an operation. The boat won a Design Council award in 1982.
Two Caterpillar D343 460 hp diesel engines are fitted although there was some variation among the fleet. Fuel tanks have 620 gallon capacity which gives an operating range of 250 nautical miles (463 km).
RNLI fleet
'ON' is the RNLI's sequential Official Number; 'Op. No.' is the operational number painted onto the boat.| ON | Op. No. | Name | Built | In service | Principal stations | Further use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1018 | 52-01 | Arun | 1971 | 1972–1997 | Commercial use at Dundee Dundee Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea... |
|
| 1025 | 52-02 | Sir William Arnold | 1973 | 1973–1997 | Pleasure boat at Cork Cork (city) Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban... |
|
| 1037 | 54-03 | Edward Bridges (C.S. No. 37) | 1974 | 1975–1994 | Preserved at Chatham Historic Dockyard Chatham Historic Dockyard Chatham Historic Dockyard is a maritime museum on part of the site of the former royal/naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, England.Chatham Dockyard covered 400 acres and was one of the Royal Navy's main facilities for several hundred years until it was closed in 1984. After closure the dockyard was... |
|
| 1049 | 54-04 | Tony Vandervell | 1976 | 1975–1999 | Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
|
| 1050 | 54-05 | B.P. Forties | 1975 | 1975–1998 | Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
|
| 1051 | 54-06 | The Gough Ritchie | 1976 | 1976–1998 | Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
|
| 1052 | 54-07 | City of Bradford IV | 1976 | 1977–1998 | (1977–1987) (1991–1998) |
Ship's tender in Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
| 1053 | 52-08 | Joy and John Wade | 1977 | 1977–2001 | Iceland | |
| 1056 | 52-09 | Spirit of Tayside | 1978 | 1978–1999 | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
|
| 1057 | 52-10 | Solidan | 1978 | 1978–2001 | (1978–1997) | Iceland |
| 1058 | 52-11 | Elizabeth Ann | 1979 | 1979–2001 | Australia | |
| 1059 | 52-12 | Walter and Margaret Couper | 1979 | 1979–2001 | Finland | |
| 1061 | 52-13 | George and Olive Turner | 1980 | 1980–2000 | Iceland | |
| 1062 | 52-14 | Edith Emilie | 1980 | 1980–1999 | Pilot boat at Montrose Montrose -Places:Scotland* Montrose, AngusAustralia* Montrose, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart* Montrose, Victoria, a suburb of MelbourneCanada* Montrose, British Columbia* Montrose , neighborhood in Edmonton, Alberta* Montrose No... |
|
| 1067 | 52-15 | Hyman Winstone | 1980 | 1980–2002 | (1985–1998) | Madeira Madeira Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union... |
| 1070 | 52-16 | Richard Evans (C.S. No. 39) | 1981 | 1981–2003 | (1981–2000) | Sold to Iceland but wrecked during delivery. |
| 1071 | 52-17 | Sir Max Aitken | 1981 | 1981–2001 | Trip boat on the River Crouch River Crouch The River Crouch is a river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex.The distance of the Navigation between Holliwell Point which is north of Foulness Island and Battlesbridge is 17.5 Miles, i.e. 15.21 Nautical Miles.-Route:... |
|
| 1073 | 52-18 | Robert Edgar | 1981 | 1981–2002 | (1981–1997) | Pleasure boat in New Zealand |
| 1076 | 52-19 | Marie Winstone | 1981 | 1981–2002 | (1981–1994) (1995–2001) |
Finland |
| 1077 | 52-20 | Duchess of Kent | 1982 | 1982–2002 | Madeira | |
| 1078 | 52-21 | The Davina and Charles Matthew Hunter | 1982 | 1982–2003 | (1982–2001) | Iceland |
| 1081 | 52-22 | Ralph and Bonella Farrant | 1982 | 1982–2003 | (1994–1999) | China |
| 1082 | 52-23 | Margaret Frances Love | 1982 | 1983–2003 | (1983–1996) (1997–2003) |
China |
| 1085 | 52-24 | Mabel Alice | 1982 | 1983–2003 | Trip boat at Portishead Portishead, Somerset Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess... |
|
| 1086 | 52-25 | A.J.R. & L.G. Uridge | 1983 | 1983–2003 | Finland | |
| 1092 | 52-26 | St Brendan | 1984 | 1984–2001 | Fishing boat at Holyhead Holyhead Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland.... |
|
| 1093 | 52-27 | Charles Brown | 1984 | 1984–2005 | China | |
| 1098 | 52-28 | Sir Max Allen II | 1984 | 1984–2005 | (1984–1999) (1999–2004) |
China |
| 1099 | 52-29 | The Joseph Rothwell Sykes and Hilda M | 1984 | 1984–2002 | (1984–1998) | Finland |
| 1100 | 52-030 | Snolda | 1986 | 1986–2007 | (1986–1998) | Iceland |
| 1103 | 52-31 | Newsbuoy | 1984 | 1984–2004 | Faroe Islands Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland... |
|
| 1106 | 52-32 | Keith Anderson | 1985 | 1985–2003 | (1985–1999) | China |
| 1107 | 52-33 | City of Belfast | 1985 | 1985–2003 | China | |
| 1108 | 52-34 | Margaret Russell Fraser | 1984 | 1986–2004 | Iceland | |
| 1113 | 52-35 | City of Dublin | 1986 | 1986–2003 | Iceland | |
| 1118 | 52-36 | Roy and Barbara Harding | 1987 | 1987–2004 | (1987–1997) (1998–2004) |
Iceland |
| 1123 | 52-37 | Kenneth Thelwall | 1987 | 1987–2004 | (1987–1997) (1998–2003) |
China |
| 1134 | 52-38 | City of Glasgow III | 1987 | 1987–2005 | Iceland | |
| 1135 | 52-39 | Mickie Salvensen | 1988 | 1988–2006 | (1988–1998) | Iceland |
| 1136 | 52-40 | City of Plymouth | 1987 | 1988–2004 | Iceland | |
| 1143 | 52-41 | Ann Lewis Fraser | 1988 | 1988–2004 | (1988–1998) (1998–2003) |
China |
| 1144 | 52-42 | Murray Lornie | 1988 | 1989–2005 | Iceland | |
| 1149 | 52-43 | The Queen Mother | 1989 | 1989–2009 | Sold to the Montevideo Pilot Association, Uruguay as Ederra 4 | |
| 1150 | 52-44 | Hibernia | 1989 | 1989–2007 | China | |
| 1159 | 52-45 | Mabel Williams | 1990 | 1990–2007 | (1990–1998) | China |
| 1160 | 52-46 | Duke of Atholl | 1990 | 1990–2007 | Iceland | |
Australia
| Name | RNLI ON | Built | Sold | Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P V Danial Thain | 1056 | 1978 | 1999 | Port Stephens Port Stephens Port Stephens is a large natural harbour located about north-east of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. It lies wholly within the Port Stephens Local Government Area although its northern shoreline forms the boundary between the Port Stephens and Great Lakes LGAs... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
| P&O Nedlloyd Encounter | 1058 | 1979 | 2002 | Ulladulla, New South Wales |
Canada
Ten boats were built for the Canadian Coast Guard, they were all built in Canada with aluminium hulls except for the British-built prototype which has a steel one.Chile
| Name | RNLI ON | Built | Sold | Station | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitan Eduardo Simpson Roth | 1051 | 1976 | 1998 | Valparaiso Valparaíso Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region... |
54 ft (16.5 m) boat |
China
| Name | RNLI ON | Built | Sold | Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huaying 390 | 1150 | 1989 | 2007 | Waigaoqiao |
| Huaying 391 | 1159 | 1990 | 2007 | Donghai |
| Huaying 392 | 1143 | 1988 | 2006 | Shantou Shantou Shantou , historically known as Swatow or Suátao, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, with a total population of 5,391,028 as of 2010 and an administrative area of... |
| Huaying 393 | 1081 | 1982 | 2004 | Fuzhou Fuzhou Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area.... |
| Huaying 394 | 1107 | 1985 | 2004 | Dalian Dalian Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's... |
| Huaying 395 | 1106 | 1985 | 2004 | Dalian |
| Huaying 396 | 1093 | 1984 | 2005 | Shenzen |
| Huaying 397 | 1098 | 1984 | 2005 | Zhangjiang Zhangjiang Zhangjiang High-Tech is a technology park in Pudong, Shanghai. It is operated by Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development Co., Ltd.As of 2005, there were 110 research and development institutions and 327 companies in the technology park.-History:... |
| Huaying 398 | 1082 | 1982 | 2004 | Donghai, Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... |
| Huaying 399 | 1123 | 1987 | 2004 | Wenzhou Wenzhou Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010.... , Zhejiang Zhejiang Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital... |
Denmark
| Name | RNLI ON | Built | Sold | Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ziska | 1103 | 1984 | 2005 | Klaksvik Klaksvík Klaksvík is the second largest town of the Faroe Islands.The town is located on Borðoy, which is one of the northernmost islands .... , Faroe Islands Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland... |
Finland
| Name | RNLI ON | Built | Sold | Station | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hebe | 1086 | 1983 | 2003 | Kemi Kemi Kemi is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio. It was founded in 1869 by royal decree, because of its proximity to a deep water harbour.... |
|
| Janne Malén | 1099 | 1984 | 2002 | Uusikaupunki Uusikaupunki Uusikaupunki , is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is inland water. The population density is .The municipality is unilingually Finnish... |
|
| Mac Elliott | 1049 | 1975 | 1999 | Porkkala Porkkala Porkkala is a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland located at Kirkkonummi in Southern Finland.The peninsula had great strategic value, as coastal artillery based there would be able to reach more than halfway across the Gulf of Finland... , Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
54 ft (16.5 m) boat |
| Russarö | 1059 | 1979 | 2001 | Hanko | |
| Torbay | 1076 | 1981 | 2002 | Kaskinen Kaskinen Kaskinen is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Ostrobothnia region. The population of Kaskinen is and the municipality covers an area of of which is inland water . The population density is... |
|
Greece
The Greek boats were built in the United Kingdom with GRP hulls.Iceland
| Name | RNLI ON | Built | Sold | Station | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asgimur S Bjornsson | 1057 | 1978 | 2002 | Reykjavik Reykjavík Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay... |
|
| Bjorg | 1053 | 1977 | 2002 | Rif Rif The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the... |
|
| Einar Sigurjonsson | 1078 | 1982 | 2003 | Hafnarfjordur | |
| Jon Oddgeir | 1061 | 1980 | 2000 | Relief | Reported for sale in 2008 |
| 1070 | 1981 | 2003 | Wrecked on passage to Iceland | ||
| Gunnbjorg | 1118 | 1987 | 2004 | Raufarhofn Raufarhofn Raufarhöfn is a village located on the northeastern tip of the Melrakkaslétta peninsula in Iceland.As of January 2011, it has 194 inhabitants. It was a major fish processing station during the large herring catches in the mid 20th century.-External links:*... |
Replacement for ON 1070 lost on passage |
| Hafbjorg | 1113 | 1986 | 2004 | Neskaupstadur | |
| Hannes Þ Hafstein | 1050 | 1975 | 1999 | Sandgerdi | 54 ft (16.5 m) boat, previously Oddur V Gislason but replaced by ON 1100. |
| Hunabjorg | 1136 | 1987 | 2005 | Skagastrond | |
| Ingibjorg | 1108 | 1986 | 2006 | Hornafjordur Hornafjördur Hornafjördur is a small fjord in southeastern Iceland. The town Höfn is located on its shores.... |
|
| Oddur V Gislason | 1100 | 1986 | 2007 | Grindavik Grindavík Grindavík is a fishing town at the peninsula of Reykjanes at the south-western coast of Iceland.It is one of the few cities with a harbour at this coast. Most of the 2,800 inhabitants work in the fishing industry... |
Steel hull |
| Sigurvin | 1144 | 198 | 2005 | Siglufjordur | |
| Sveinbjörn Sveinsson | 1134 | 1987 | 2006 | Vopnafjordur | |
| Vordur II | 1135 | 1988 | 2006 | Patreksfjordur | |
| Gunnar Fridriksson | 1160 | 1990 | 2007 | Isafjordur | |
Madeira
| Name | RNLI ON | Built | Sold | Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | 1067 | 1980 | 2003 | Canical Caniçal Caniçal is a civil parish in the municipality of Machico in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. In 2001 the population was less than 4000 inhabitants, in an 11.85 km² area of islets and raised escarpments... |
| ? | 1077 | 1982 | 2003 | Canical |