Waveney Class Lifeboats

Waveney class ON 1006 "Connel Elizabeth Cargill" pictured during the Arklow Maritime Festival in August 1987. Photo Tom Nolan

The Waveney class lifeboat was the first class of lifeboats operated by the RNLI capable of operating at speeds in excess of 10 knots. The class is based on an American Coast Guard design. The RNLI bought one of the 44-foot lifeboats from the USCG for trials around the coasts of the UK & Ireland.

The prototype was never given a name although the crews nicknamed it "The Yank". It entered trials in 1964. The first production boat entered service in 1967 and the Waveney class continued to be built in batches at various yards. A total of 22 were built for RNLI service.

The last Waveney was built in 1982 and the class was replaced by the Trent and Severn class lifeboats. Many of the retired Waveney class lifeboats were sold to other rescue organisations across the world.

Waveney Class Facts

Introduced: 1964 (Last built 1982)

Length: 13.67m

Width: 4.2m

Launch Type: Afloat

Fuel Capacity: 1,340 litres

Crew: 5

Range: 190 nautical miles

Max Speed: 15.4 Knots

Engines: 2 Diesel engines of various models

O.N.	Op. No.	Name	Year Built	Service History	Notes
-	44-001	-	1964	Trials 1964 to 1967 Relief 1967 to 1996	(1)
1001	44-002	John F. Kennedy	1966	Dun Laoghaire 1967 to 1990 Relief 1990 to 1996
1002	44-003	Khami	1967	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston 1967 to 1980 Relief 1980 to 1997	(2)
1003	44-004	Faithful Forrester	1967	Dover 1967 to 1979 Relief 1979 to 1984 Holyhead 1984 to 1985 Relief 1985 to 1997	(2)
1004	44-005	Margaret Graham	1967	Harwich 1967 to 1980 Relief 1980 to 1986 Amble 1986 to 1999
1005	44-006	Arthur and Blanche Harris	1967	Barry Dock 1968 to 1974 Relief 1974 to 1979 Donaghdee 1979 to 1986 Relief 1986 to 1993 Courtmacsherry Harbour 1993 to 1995 Relief 1995 to 1996	(2)
1006	44-007	Connel Elizabeth Cargill	1968	Troon 1968 to 1985 Arklow 1995 to 1990 Relief 1990 to 1997	(2)
1026	44-008	Eric Seal (Civil Service No. 36)	1974	Eyemouth 1974 to 1996	(3)
1027	44-009	Helen Turnbull	1974	Sheerness 1974 to 1996 Achill 1996 to 1998 Relief 1998
1028	44-010	Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse II	1974	Plymouth 1975 to 1988 Fowey 1988 to 1996 Relief 1996 to 1997	(4)
1029	44-011	Augustine Courtauld	1974	Poole 1974 to 1983 Relief 1983 to 1985 Troon 1985 to 1987 Relief 1987 to 1990 Arklow 1990 to 1997 Relief 1997 to 1999	(2)
1033	44-012	The White Rose of Yorkshire	1974	Whitby 1974 to 1988 Invergordon 1989 to 1996 Relief 1996 to 1999	(5)
1034	44-013	Thomas James King	1974	St Helier 1975 to 1989 Relief 1989 to 1993 Dunbar 1993 to 1996 Relief 1996 to 1997
1035	44-014	St Patrick	1974	Dunmore East 1975 to 1996	(2)
1036	44-015	Lady of Lancashire	1975	Fleetwood 1976 to 1989 Dun laoghaire 1990 to 1995 Relief 1995 to 1996
1042	44-016	Ralph and Joy Swann	1976	Ramsgate 1976 to 1990 Tobermory 1990 to 1991 Portree 1991 to 1996 Relief 1996 to 1998
1043	44-017	The Nelsons of Donaghadee	1976	Donaghadee 1976 to 1977 Relief 1978 to 1990 Sunderland 1990 to 1997 Relief 1997 to 1998	(4)
1044	44-018	The Scout	1977	Hartlepool 1977 to 1997	(6)
1045	44-019	Louis Marchesi of Round Table	1977	Hewhaven 1977 to 1985 Relief 1985 to 1986 Alderney 1986 to 1994 Exmouth 1994 to 1996 Relief 1996 to 1997	(4)
1060	44-020	John Fison	1980	Harwich 1980 to 1996 Relief 1996 to 1999	(4)
1065	44-021	Barham	1980	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston 1980 to 1996 Relief 1996 to 1999
1079	44-022	The William and Jane	1982	Blyth 1982 to 1995 Larne 1996 to 1998	(4)

Lifeboats highlighted in GREEN were based at Irish Lifeboat stations.

Notes

(1) Now on display at the RNLI Museum, Chatham.

(2) Sold to the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol (Australia) for further service.

(3) Sold to the Sea Rescue Institute of Namibia for further service.

(4) Sold to the Royal New Zealand Coastguard Federation for further service.

(5) Sold to the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary for further service.

(6) Sold to the 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