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35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class lifeboat

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Class overview
Name35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class
Builders
Succeeded byLiverpool-class
Cost£3,000- £14,000
Built
  • Single engine: 1929–1940
  • Twin engine: 1947–1950
Completed
  • Single engine: 22
  • Twin engine: 5
Lost3
Retired24
General characteristics
Displacement
  • Single engine: 5–6 long tons (5.1–6.1 t)
  • Twin engine: 8–9 long tons (8.1–9.1 t)
Length35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Beam8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)-9 ft 10 in (3.00 m)
Draught2 ft 8 in (0.81 m)
Propulsion
  • Single engine: 35bhp Weyburn AE6 6-cyl. petrol
  • Twin engine: 18bhp Weyburn AE4 4-cyl petrol/20bhp Ferry FKR.3 3-cyl.diesel
Speed8 knots (9.2 mph; 15 km/h)
Crew7/8

The 35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class was a 10.8 m displacement hull lifeboat built in single engine form between 1929 and 1940 and in twin-engined form between 1947 and 1950. The boats were operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1929 and 1965.

History

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The need to provide motor lifeboats at stations using carriage launching had first been addressed with the 35 ft (10.7 m) Self-righting motor type of 1921. Three of these boats were built and were to all intents and purposes pulling and sailing boats with an auxiliary engine. The definitive boat for production appeared in 1929, six inches (15 cm) longer and with the same 8 ft 10 in (2.7 m) beam as the second and third 35ft types. After the first two boats had been put on station, a crash programme of production was instituted in 1931 and twelve boats were produced that year. These gave many stations their first motor lifeboats, but experience proved that stability was lacking and from ON 763 beam was increased by 5 inches (13 cm). The final two single engine boats saw further beam increases, to 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m) and 9 ft 10 in (3.0 m) respectively. In common with the similar but non self-righting Liverpool-class, post war production switched to twin-engined versions, but only five were built. The RNLI was increasingly switching to more stable non self-righting lifeboats and the single engine 35ft 6in Self-righting motors were replaced at most stations by Liverpool-class boats in the early 1950s after only around twenty years service. The twin-engined boats had even shorter lives, being replaced at three stations by Liverpools and at the other two by 37 ft (11.3 m) Oakleys after less than fifteen years service.

Description

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The challenge of producing a motor lifeboat light enough to be manhandled for carriage launching resulted in a boat weighing around 5+12 long tons (5.6 t). The single RNLI-designed, Weyburn Engineering built AE6 6-cylinder petrol engine produced 35 bhp and sat in a watertight engine room beneath pent roof access hatches ahead of an aft cockpit shelter from which the mechanic operated the engine controls. Apart from a small shelter forward the boats were open. As described above, beam was increased during production in an attempt to improve stability. After World War II, five twin engined boats were built which had a beam of 10 ft (3.0 m) and a larger shelter covering the engine room and very similar to the contemporary twin engined Liverpools. The first two of these boats were powered by two 18bhp Weyburn AE4 4-cylinder petrol engines, but the final three had 20bhp Ferry FKR3 3 cylinder diesels.

Fleet

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Single engine

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ON[a] Name Built In service[1] Stations Comments[1]
726 City of Nottingham 1929
Saunders-Roe, Cowes
1930–1936
1936–1949
Hythe
Clovelly
Sold in 1950.
August 2021, Restored to original at Lawrenny Quay, Daugleddau estuary.
727 Westmorland 1930
Saunders-Roe, Cowes
1930–1940
1940–1951
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Cullercoats
Sold June 1951. Renamed Swallow. Owned by Northern Shipbreakers, Peterhead in 1961
737 Louisa Polden 1931
Saunders-Roe, Cowes
1931–1951 Redcar Sold in 1951. Broken up at Stockton-on-Tees in the 1980's
738 J.H.W. 1931
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1931–1939
1939–1947
Lytham St Annes
Padstow No.2
Sold April 1948. Renamed Navette. Last seen, Thames area, 1990's
739 Lily Glen - Glasgow 1931
Saunders-Roe, Cowes
1931–1952 Girvan Sold May 1952. Renamed Seeker II.
June 2014, derelict in a field off Harbour Road, Rye
740 Cyril and Lilian Bishop 1931
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1931–1950 Hastings Sold November 1950.
December 2022, on permanent display, Old London Road, Hastings.
741 Morison Watson 1931
Saunders-Roe, Cowes
1931–1953 Kirkcudbright Sold in 1953. Renamed Scauronian. Broken up at Terregles, Dumfries, August 1998.
742 Herbert Joy II 1931
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1931–1951 Scarborough Sold in 1951. Renamed Viking Raumur. Broken up at Acaster Boatyard, York in the 1980's.
743 John and Sarah Eliza Stych 1931
Saunders-Roe, Cowes
1931–1938
1938–1939
Padstow No.1
St Ives
Wrecked on service 23 Jan 1939, seven crew lost.
744 Laurana Sarah Blunt 1931
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1931–1952 Youghal Sold in 1952. Renamed Laurana (UL3), broken up west of Ullapool, 2005
745 Lady Harrison 1931
Saunders-Roe, Cowes
1931–1948
1949–1951
Ramsey
Aberystwyth
Sold in 1952. Burnt at site of Husbands Shipyard, Marchwood, Southampton, April 2005.
746 William Maynard 1931
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1931–1939
1939–1941
1941–1948
1948–1949
1949–1953
Cloughey
Relief fleet
Ferryside
Whitehills
Relief fleet
Sold February 1953. Renamed Endura. Lost in Channel off Dungeness, December 1970.
747 Stanhope Smart 1931
Saunders-Roe, Cowes
1931–1947
1947–1951
Bridlington
Padstow No.2
Sold in 1951 to Liberia.
748 Mary Ann Blunt 1931
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1931–1950 Clogherhead Sold in 1951. With Balbriggan Sea Scouts, 1951
752 John and William Mudie 1932
Thorneycroft, Chiswick
1932–1950 Arbroath Sold June 1951. Renamed Sharon.
July 2022, ashore at Kingholm Quay, Dumfries.
756 Civil Service No.4 1932
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1932–1948 Whitehills Damaged beyond repair on service 16 June 1948, although last reported as a yacht in Newfoundland in the 1970's
757 Frederick Angus 1932
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1932–1949 Aberystwyth Sold August 1949. Renamed Yr Ystwyth.
August 2015, Last reported damaged, at Oakford, Nr Aberaeron.
763 Caroline Parsons 1933
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1933–1938 St Ives Wrecked on service 31 January 1938
767 Catherine Harriet Eaton 1933
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1933–1953 Exmouth Sold in 1953. Renamed Sharan, wrecked in Martins Haven Bay, Pembrokeshire, 1976.
768 Thomas and Annie Wade Richards 1933
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1933–1953 Llandudno Sold in 1953. Renamed Dolphin (AB6), believe broken up at Tranmere 2003/04
785 Sir Heath Harrison 1936
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1936–1949
1949–1955
Port St Mary
Relief fleet
Sold January 1956. Renamed King John III.
December 1979, last reported as Pilot Boat, Western Dock, Dover in the 1970's
826 Guide of Dunkirk 1940
Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge
1941–1963 Lizard-Cadgwith Sold in 1963.
December 2022, privately owned at Mevagissey Harbour.

Twin engine

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ON[a] Name Built In service[1] Stations Comments[1]
851 Tillie Morrison, Sheffield 1947
J. Samuel White, Cowes
1947–1953
1953–1959
Bridlington
Llandudno
Capsized on service at Bridlington 19/8/1952, one crew lost. Sold November 1959
878 M.T.C. 1950
Groves & Guttridge, Cowes
1950–1963 Hastings Sold in 1964
879 E.C.J.R. 1950
Groves & Guttridge, Cowes
1951–1956
1956–1963
Scarborough
Relief fleet
Capsized on service 8/12/1954, three crew lost. Sold March 1963
880 Isaac and Mary Bolton 1950
Groves & Guttridge, Cowes
1951–1963 Cullercoats Sold in 1964
881 City of Leeds 1950
Groves & Guttridge, Cowes
1951–1965 Redcar Sold March 1965
  1. ^ a b ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society.