47ft Watson-class lifeboat
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | 47ft Watson class |
Builders |
|
Operators | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Preceded by | 46ft 9in Watson-class |
Succeeded by | Tyne-class |
Cost | £35,000-£40,500 |
Built | 1955-1963 |
In service | 1956-1991 |
Completed | 18 |
Lost | 2 |
Retired | 16 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | 47ft Watson |
Displacement | 23 tons |
Length | 47 ft (14 m) |
Beam | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
Draught | 4 ft 5 in (1.35 m) |
Propulsion | 2 × 60bhp Gardner 5LW 5-cyl. diesel |
Speed | 9 knots |
Range | 280 nm |
Crew | 8 |
The 47 ft Watson-class was a class of non self-righting
History
The 47 ft Watson was the final development of the basic hull design laid out by George Lennox Watson in the late nineteenth century and was designed by James Barnett. They were the final Watson type boats to be built and survived in service almost to the end of the displacement hull era. The prototype, Dunnet Head (Civil Service No.31) (ON 920), was built in 1955 and was placed on station at Thurso in January 1956. Unfortunately, on 10 December 1956, the boathouse at Thurso caught fire and both it and the lifeboat inside were destroyed. No further 47 ft Watsons were built during 1956 and production of the 46 ft 9in Watson continued during that year. Production of the new type resumed in 1957, with the first being a replacement boat for Thurso, still Civil Service no.31, but named Pentland. Production continued until 1963 when large displacement hull development turned to the self-righting 48 ft 6in Oakley-class and later Solent-class.
Description
Compared to the preceding
Fleet
ON[a] | Name | Built | Builder | In service | Stations | Comments[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
920 | Dunnet Head (Civil Service No.31) |
1955 | William Osbourne | 1956 | Thurso | Destroyed by fire in boathouse on 10 December 1956. |
940 | Pentland (Civil Service No.31) |
1957 | J. Samuel White | 1957–1970 | Thurso | Modified to be self-righting from 1974.
Sold March 1991. In June 2022 was reported to be in unaltered condition working as a pleasure boat at Milford Haven Marina. |
1970–1974 | Relief fleet | |||||
1974–1985 | The Mumbles | |||||
1986–1990 | Workington | |||||
947 | Margaret | 1958 | Groves & Guttridge | 1959–1986 | Dunbar | Sold in 1987. Renamed Theo, sunk at Rathmullan, Ireland, in 2006. |
950 | Kathleen Mary | 1959 | William Osbourne | 1959–1977 | Newhaven | Modified to be self-righting from 1978.
Sold April 1990. Renamed Katie May. Reported in December 2020 to be a pleasure boat but in unaltered condition at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum. |
1977–1979 | Relief fleet | |||||
1979–1987 | Porthdinllaen | |||||
1987–1988 | Appledore | |||||
951 | Francis K. Wotherspoon of Paisley | 1959 | William Osbourne | 1959–1979 | Islay | Sold October 1986. Reported in December 2022 to be in unaltered condition but working as a pleasure boat in Douglas, Isle of Man. |
1979–1981 | Relief fleet | |||||
1981 | Fishguard | |||||
1982–1986 | Workington | |||||
953 | Sarah Jane and James Season | 1960 | Groves & Guttridge | 1960–1986 | Teesmouth | Sold in 1989. Renamed Manx Voyager. Reported in December 2021 to be at Ramsey, Isle of Man in unaltered condiiton. |
1986–1988 | Shoreham Harbour | |||||
954 | Solomon Browne | 1960 | William Osbourne | 1960–1981 | Penlee | Wrecked on service 19 December 1981. Eight crew lost. |
955 | The Robert | 1960 | William Osbourne | 1960–1978 | Broughty Ferry | Modified to be self-righting from 1976.
Sold February 1992. Reported in November 2022 as being in unaltered condition as a pleasure boat at Kingswear in Devon. |
1978–1984 | Baltimore | |||||
1985–1988 | Lytham St Annes | |||||
1989–1991 | Beaumaris | |||||
957 | The Jeanie | 1961 | Groves & Guttridge | 1961–1986 | Portpatrick | Sold in 1987. Renamed Jeanie Brandon. Reported in October 2017 to be unaltered but used as a pleasure boat on the River Danube near the Rhine Canal.
|
958 | Laura Moncur | 1961 | Groves & Guttridge | 1961–1984 | Buckie | Modified to be self-righting from 1972. Sold November 1988. By December 2022 it had been restored as a pleasure boat at Blakeney, Norfolk. |
1984–1986 | Relief fleet | |||||
1986–1987 | Appledore | |||||
1987–1988 | Relief fleet | |||||
959 | Helen Wycherley | 1961 | Groves & Guttridge | 1961–1969 | Whitehills | Sold December 1988. Reported in June 2022 to be at Whitby, North Yorkshire. |
1969–1987 | Courtmacsherry Harbour | |||||
1987–1988 | Relief fleet | |||||
962 | T.G.B. | 1962 | J. Samuel White | 1962–1969 | Longhope | Capsized on service at Longhope 17 March 1969, eight crew lost.
Sold in 1986. On display at the Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine since July 1986. |
1969–1978 | Arranmore | |||||
1978–1985 | Relief fleet | |||||
963 | A.M.T. | 1962 | J. Samuel White | 1962–1986 | Howth | Sold June 1989. Renamed Amity. In December 2021 it was reported to still be in unaltered condition and working as a pleasure boat at Quay Lane Boatyard, Gosport. |
1986–1989 | Relief fleet | |||||
964 | The Baltic Exchange | 1962 | J. Samuel White | 1962–1988 | Salcombe | Capsized on service 10 April 1983, righted by air bag.
Sold in 1989. Reported in December 2022 as being in unaltered condition and in use as a pleasure boat at Blyth, Northumberland. |
965 | Louisa Anne Hawker | 1962 | Groves & Guttridge | 1962–1986 | Appledore | Sold August 1987. By November 2019 it was in use as a pleasure boat in unaltered condiiton at Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. |
969 | William Myers and Sarah Jane Myers | 1963 | J. Samuel White | 1963–1990 | Sunderland | Modified to be self-righting from 1975.
Sold in 1992. Renamed D'ouwe Draeck. Last reported in July 2016 on the River Vecht between Weesp and Muiden in the Netherlands. |
1990–1992 | Relief fleet | |||||
970 | Frederick Edward Crick | 1963 | J. Samuel White | 1963–1986 | Lowestoft | Sold October 1986. In November 2019 it was reported to be in storage on the River Yonne, at Migennes in France. |
971 | Joseph Soar (Civil Service No.34) |
1963 | J. Samuel White | 1963–1985 | St Davids | Modified to be self-righting from 1976.
Sold August 1992. Reported in December 2022 to be a pleasure boat in unaltered condition at Coleraine in Northern Ireland. |
1986–1988 | Dunbar | |||||
1988–1990 | Shoreham Harbour |
- ^ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
References
- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society.