Mersey Class Lifeboats
The Mersey class lifeboat is designed primarily to operate from a carriage on a beach but can also operate off a slipway or lie afloat.
The wheelhouse is set well aft and the sheerline is flattened towards the bow.
The propellers and rudders lie in partial tunnels set into the hull that, along with the main and two bilge keels, provide excellent protection from damage in shallow water or slipway operations.
The mast and aerials can be collapsed to fit into a boathouse.
The Mersey can carry an X boat, a small unpowered and manually launched inflatable daughter boat for the crew to access areas where the lifeboat cannot reach.
The Mersey class is now in the process of being replaced by the new Shannon Class lifeboat.
Mersey Class Facts
Introduced: 1988 (Last built 1993)
Length: 11.62m
Width: 4m
Load: 14.3 tonnes
Launch Type: Carriage, slipway or afloat
Fuel Capacity: 1,110 litres
Crew: 6
Range: 240 nautical miles
Max Speed: 17 Knots
Engines: 2 x Caterpiller 3208T marine diesel; 280hp each at 2,800rpm
O.N. | Op. No. | Name | Year Built | Service History | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1119 | 12-000 | - | 1987 | Trials 1987 to 1988 | (1) |
1124 | 12-001 | Peggy and Alex Caird | 1988 | Bridlington 1988 to 1995 Relief 1995 to 2009 Bembridge 2009 to 2010 Relief 2010 to 2015 | |
1125 | 12-002 | Sealink Endeavour | 1987 | Trials 1987 to 1989 Hastings 1989 to 2018 | |
1161 | 12-003 | Doris M Mann of Ampthill | 1990 | Wells 1990 to 2023 | |
1162 | 12-004 | Royal Shipwright | 1990 | Relief 1990 to 2007 Cromer 2007 to 2008 Relief 2008 to 2016 | |
1163 | 12-005 | Lady of Hilbre | 1990 | Hoylake 1990 to 2014 Relief 2014 to 2021 | |
1164 | 12-006 | Andy Pearce | 1990 | Llandudno 1990 to 2017 Relief 2017 to 2018 | |
1165 | 12-007 | Spirit of Derbyshire | 1990 | Ilfracombe 1990 to 2015 | |
1166 | 12-008 | Lincolnshire Poacher | 1990 | Skegness 1990 to 2017 Relief 2017 to 2021 | |
1167 | 12-009 | The Princess Royal (Civil Service No. 41) | 1990 | St Ives 1990 to 2015 Relief 2015 to 2016 | |
1168 | 12-010 | Lily and Vincent Anthony | 1990 | Pwllheli 1991 to 2021 Relief 2021 to date | |
1148 | 12-11 | Lifetime Care | 1988 | Relief 1989 to 2017 | |
1169 | 12-12 | Marine Engineer | 1991 | Relief 1991 to 1995 Bridlington 1995 to 2017 Douglas 2018 to 2022 | |
1170 | 12-13 | Keep Fit Association | 1991 | Filey 1991 to 2021 Relief 2021 to date | |
1171 | 12-14 | Ann and James Ritchie | 1991 | Ramsey 1991 to 2019 Relief 2019 to 2021 | |
1172 | 12-15 | Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge | 1991 | New Quay 1992 to date | |
1173 | 12-16 | Grace Darling | 1991 | Seahouses 1991 to 2020 Relief 2020 to 2021 | (2) |
1174 | 12-17 | Kingdom of Fife | 1991 | Anstruther 1991 to date | |
1175 | 12-18 | Fanny Victoria Wilkinson and Frank Stubbs | 1991 | Scarborough 1991 to 2016 Relief 2016 to 2018 | |
1176 | 12-19 | The Four Boys | 1991 | Sennen Cove 1991 to 1998 Relief 1998 to 1999 Amble 1999 to 2016 | |
1177 | 12-20 | Leonard Kent | 1991 | Margate 1991 to 2021 Newcastle 25/01/22 to date | |
1178 | 12-21 | Margaret Jean | 1992 | Relief 1992 to 1998 Lythan St Annes 1998 to 1999 Relief 1999 to 2008 Exmouth 2008 to 2014 Relief 2014 to 2020 | |
1181 | 12-22 | Ruby Clery | 1992 | Peel 1992 to 2021 Ramsey 2021 to 2022 Douglas 2022 to date | |
1182 | 12-23 | Robert Charles Brown | 1992 | Swanage 1992 to 2016 Relief 2016 to 2019 | |
1183 | 12-24 | Lil Cunningham | 1992 | Rhyl 1992 to 2019 | |
1184 | 12-25 | Bingo Lifeline | 1992 | Relief 1992 to 2020 | (2) |
1185 | 12-26 | Moira Barrie | 1992 | Barmouth 1992 to 2019 | |
1186 | 12-27 | Pride and Spirit | 1992 | Dungeness 1992 to 2014 Clifden 2014 to 2016 Relief 2016 to 2019 | (2) |
1187 | 12-28 | Mary Margaret | 1992 | Kilmore Quay 1992 to 2004 Relief 2004 to 2019 Peel 2019 to 2021 | |
1188 | 12-29 | Eleanor and Bryant Girling | 1992 | Newcastle 08/09/93 to 25/01/22 | |
1189 | 12-30 | Her Majesty The Queen | 1992 | Relief 1993 to 1996 Cromer 1996 to 1999 Lytham St Annes 1999 to 2018 Relief 2018 to date | |
1190 | 12-31 | Doris Bleasdale | 1992 | Clogherhead 03/03/93 to 08/07/19 Relief 2019 to date | |
1191 | 12-32 | Joy and Charles Beeby | 1992 | Berwick upon Tweed 1993 to date | |
1192 | 12-33 | Fishermans Friend | 1993 | Relief 1993 to 2016 Clifden 14/01/16 to ??/09/19 | |
1193 | 12-34 | Freddie Cooper | 1992 | Aldeburgh 1993 to date | |
1194 | 12-35 | Inchcape | 1993 | Arbroath 1993 to date | |
1195 | 12-36 | Royal Thames | 1993 | Eastbourne 1993 to 2012 Leverburgh 2012 to 2018 | |
1196 | 12-37 | Sylvia Burrell | 1993 | Girvin 1993 to 2017 Relief 2017 to 2018 |
Lifeboats highlighted in GREEN were based at Irish Lifeboat stations.
Notes
(1) Prototype Mersey class lifeboat used on trials. Sold in 1989
(2) Sold to ADES Uruguay for further service
O.N. is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat
Op.No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull