Tamar class lifeboat
The Barrow Lifeboat Grace Dixon
Class overview
NameTamar class
Builders
Operators Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Preceded byTyne
Cost£2.6m ($2.91m)
Built2000–2013[2]
In service2006–Present
Planned27
Building0
Completed27
Active27
Retired1 (Prototype)
General characteristics
Displacement31.5 t (31 long tons)
Length16.3 m (53 ft 6 in)
Beam5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
Draught1.4 m (4 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 × Caterpillar C18 diesel engines 1,000 hp (746 kW)
  • 2 × fixed pitch 5-blade propellers
  • 4,600 litres fuel (1,215 US Gallons)
Speed25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h)
Range250 nmi (460 km)
Capacity118 (self-righting up to 44)
Complement7

Tamar-class lifeboats are all-weather lifeboats (ALBs) operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. They have replaced the majority of the older Tyne ALBs. The prototype was built in 2000 and 27 production boats were constructed between 2006 and 2013.

The class name comes from the River Tamar in south west England which flows into the English Channel, where the hulls from SAR Composites were fitted-out by Babcock International Group.[2]

History

Since 1982 the RNLI had deployed Tyne lifeboats at stations which launched their boats down slipways or needed to operate in shallow waters. The organisation desired to increase the speed and range of their operations so introduced faster Severn and Trent boats starting in 1994 at locations where they could be moored afloat.[3] The RNLI then needed to produce a boat with similar capabilities but with protected propellers and other modifications that would allow it to be launched on a slipway.

Although nominally the replacement for the Tyne ALBs, only twenty-seven Tamars have been built (compared to forty Tynes). The remaining Tynes will be replaced by Shannon boats.

The prototype Tamar was built in 2000 and was used for trials until 2006. It was sold in December 2008 to Kent Police, becoming Princess Alexandra III, the force's permanent maritime vessel operating out of Sheerness.[4] The first production boat, Haydn Miller entered service at Tenby in March 2006.[5] A few of the early boats suffered problems such as fuel leaking under the floor of the engine room around hydraulic lines. These boats were recalled and the problems rectified.

The 27th and last Tamar-class lifeboat, allocated to The Mumbles, was launched 12 March 2013 in Devonport Dockyard and after sea trials was handed over to the RNLI on 21 May 2013.[6][2] Ten lifeboat stations keep Tamars moored afloat, 13 launch them down slipways, and the remaining four form a Relief Fleet to cover when boats are unavailable for service. Most of the slipway stations required entirely new boathouses and slipways to accommodate the Tamar, but at Cromer and Angle the existing fairly modern boathouses were adapted and at Sennen Cove the capacious old boathouse was able to be modified to take the new boat. Towards the end of Tamar production, the boathouse building programme fell behind boat delivery dates and the last four boats went on station moored afloat pending boathouse completion, which was not finally achieved until October 2016, when the new St. Davids boathouse was opened.

Description

A Y Class inflatable boat on the transom ready to be deployed.

The Tamar has a new design of crew workstation with seats that can move up and down 20 centimetres (7.9 in) as the boat passes through rough seas at high speed, and a networked computerised Systems and Information Management System (SIMS) which allows the crew to monitor and control the boat entirely from within the wheelhouse. The coxswain and helmsman have seat-mounted throttles, trackerball and joystick controls of the rudder.[7] Alternatively the boat may be monitored and controlled by two controls on the bridge: Dual throttle controls and joystick on the left; dual throttle, wheel and control-screen on the right. All aspects of the vessel may also be controlled from this position.

The lifeboat is completely water-tight allowing it to self-right with up to 60 people on board. The boat has the potential to carry a maximum of 120 passengers on board, but without self-righting capability. The Survivors Space has room for 10 sitting and 8 standing. The Survivors Space is accessed either through the Wheelhouse or the fore deck Emergency Escape Hatch.

Each Tamar carries a Y Class inflatable boat which can be deployed and recovered while at sea.[8] There is a provision for a PWC (Personal Water Craft, more commonly known as a jetski) to be specified instead, should it prove more suitable.

All Tamar Class lifeboats have sea water sourced open loop heat pump systems on board to keep the crew comfortable in high or low temperature conditions.[9]

Fleet

ON[lower-alpha 1] Op. No.[lower-alpha 2] Name In service [10] Station Launching method MMSI[11] Comments
1251 FS002 Unnamed 2000–2006 Prototype Afloat 654900000 Named Princess Alexandra III
Sold to Kent Police in 2006.
10/17 Renamed Lemreye 1
Fisheries Protection Vessel, Nouadhibou, Mauritania[10]
1280 16-01 Peter and Lesley-Jane Nicholson 2005– Relief fleet 235014281
1281 16-02 Haydn Miller 2006– Tenby Slipway 235014279
1282 16-03 The Misses Robertson of Kintail 2006– Peterhead Afloat 235030389
1283 16-04 Spirit of Padstow 2006– Padstow Slipway 235030388
1284 16-05 Helen Comrie 2006– Longhope Afloat 235030387
1286 16-06 Frank and Anne Wilkinson 2007–2008
2008
2008		 Relief fleet
Barrow
Relief fleet
Slipway

 235030386
1287 16-07 Lester 2008– Cromer Slipway 235030385
1288 16-08 Grace Dixon 2008– Barrow Slipway 235050564
1289 16-09 Baltic Exchange III 2008– Salcombe Afloat 235050655
1290 16-10 Edward and Barbara Prigmore 2008–2009
2009–2010
2010		 Relief fleet
Sennen Cove
Relief fleet
Slipway

 235050566
1291 16-11 Mark Mason 2009– Angle[12] Slipway 235050567
1292 16-12 George Sullivan 2009– St Helier Afloat 235050568 RNLI crew at St Helier stood down on 17 November 2017, until 12 December 2017.[13][14]
1293 16-13 Victor Freeman 2009–2010
2010–2010
2010–		 Relief fleet
Shoreham Harbour
Relief fleet		 235050627
1294 16-14 City of London III 2010– Sennen Cove[15][16] Slipway 235050719
1295 16-15 Enid Collett 2010– Shoreham Harbour Slipway 235050721
1296 16-16 Molly Hunt 2010– Appledore[17] Afloat 235050722
1297 16-17 Alfred Albert Williams 2010– Bembridge[18] Slipway 235050723
1298 16-18 Killarney 2010– Kilmore Quay[19] Afloat 235050725
1299 16-19 Irene Muriel Rees 2011– Walton and Frinton Afloat 235069211
1300 16-20 Rose 2011– The Lizard[20] Slipway 235069212
1301 16-21 John Buchanan Barr 2011–2023
2024–		 Portpatrick[21]
Relief fleet		 Afloat

 235069213
1302 16-22 Alan Massey 2012– Baltimore[22] Afloat 235069214
1303 16-23 Diamond Jubilee 2012–2022
2023–		 Eastbourne[23]
Ramsgate		 Afloat
Afloat		 235069215 Diamond Jubilee reassigned to Ramsgate, Nov 2023[24]
1304 16-24 John D Spicer 2012– Porthdinllaen[25] Slipway 235069216
1305 16-25 Kiwi 2013– Moelfre[26] Slipway 235069217
1306 16-26 Norah Wortley 2013– St Davids[27] Slipway 235069182
1307 16-27 Roy Barker IV 2014– The Mumbles[28] Slipway 235069218 Temporarily Afloat[29]
  1. ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

References

  1. ↑ "RNLI takes over lifeboat hull construction". Maritime Journal. 1 February 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Thomas, Tamsin (22 May 2013). "Praise for Babcock as final RNLI Tamar class lifeboat is completed". RNLI. Archived from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  3. ↑ Wake-Walker, Edward (2008). The Lifeboats Story. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 67–74. ISBN 978-0-7509-4858-6.
  4. ↑ "Kent police launch new boat". BBC News. 14 May 2008.
  5. ↑ Denton, Tony (2009). Handbook 2009. Shrewsbury: Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 35.
  6. ↑ "Last of 27 Tamar class lifeboats delivered by Babcock on-time". 21 May 2013. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Meeke, Keiran (16 October 2007). "A cause that's seaworthy". Metro: 17.
  8. ↑ Wake-Walker, Edward (2008). The Lifeboats Story. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-7509-4858-6.
  9. ↑ "What is a Water Source Heat Pump?".
  10. 1 2 Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society.
  11. ↑ "Particulars of Ship stations". www.itu.int. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  12. ↑ "Angle welcomes new Tamar lifeboat". Retrieved 18 March 2009.
  13. ↑ "RNLI close St Helier lifeboat station over crew concern". 17 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  14. ↑ "Jersey's all-weather lifeboat is back with temporary crew". Jersey Evening Post. 12 December 2017.
  15. ↑ "Tamar Class `City of London III` 16-14 Sennen Cove". Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  16. ↑ "Hundreds visit new Sennen Cove Tamar class lifeboat". Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  17. ↑ "Appledore Life-savers to get new £2.7m boat". Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  18. ↑ "Bembridge - Our Lifeboats".
  19. ↑ "First 'Tamar' Lifeboat Arrives at Kilmore Quay on Wednesday". Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  20. ↑ "The Lizard RNLI build and boat bulletin – number 13 – Monday 7 February 2011". RNLI. 7 February 2011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  21. ↑ "Portpatrick lifeboat funded by widow's £2.6m legacy". BBC News. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  22. ↑ "Baltimore Lifeboat". Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  23. ↑ "Eastbourne lifeboat named by Earl and Countess of Wessex". Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  24. ↑ "New Ramsgate lifeboat Diamond Jubilee takes up service after transfer from Eastbourne RNLI station". Kent Online. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  25. ↑ "New £2.7m lifeboat for Porthdinllaen on Llyn peninsula". BBC Wales. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  26. ↑ "Moelfre lifeboat RNLB Kiwi unveiled after £2.2m bequest". Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  27. ↑ "St Davids RNLI celebrates new lifeboat and station". Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  28. ↑ "Mumbles Tamar: £2.7m lifeboat arrives at Swansea home". Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  29. ↑ "Mumbles Pier safety concerns". Retrieved 19 September 2023.
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