Tamar-class lifeboat
![]() The Padstow lifeboat Spirit of Padstow
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Class overview | |
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Name: | Tamar class |
Builders: |
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Operators: | ![]() |
Preceded by: | Tyne |
Cost: | £2.6m |
Built: | 2000–2013[2] |
In service: | 2006– |
Building: | 0 |
Planned: | 27 |
Completed: | 27 |
Active: | 27 |
Retired: | 1 (Prototype) |
General characteristics | |
Displacement: | 31.5 t (31 long tons) |
Length: | 16 m (52 ft) |
Beam: | 5 m (16 ft) |
Draught: | 1.35 m (4.4 ft) |
Propulsion: |
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Speed: | 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h) |
Range: | 250 nmi (460 km) |
Capacity: | 118 (self-righting up to 44) |
Complement: | 7 |
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-class ALBs. The prototype was built in 2000 and 27 production boats were introduced between 2006 and 2013.
The class name comes from the River Tamar in south west England which flows into the English Channel where they were manufactured by Babcock International Group.[3]
History
Since 1982 the RNLI had deployed Tyne-class 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.[4] They 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-class ALBs, only twenty seven Tamars have been built (compared to forty Tynes). The remaining Tynes will be replaced by Shannon-class 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.[5] The first production boat, Haydn Miller entered service at Tenby in March 2006.[6] 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.[7][8] 10 lifeboat stations keep Tamars moored afloat, 13 launch them down slipways, and the remaining 4 form a Relief Fleet to cover when boats are unavailable for service.
Description
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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[citation needed]
Fleet
ON[lower-alpha 1] | Op. No.[lower-alpha 2] | Name | In service | Station | Launching method | Comments |
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1251 | FS002 | Princess Alexandra III | 2000–2006 | Prototype | Sold to the Kent Police in 2006. | |
1280 | 16-01 | Peter and Lesley-Jane Nicholson | 2005– | Relief fleet | ||
1281 | 16-02 | Haydn Miller | 2006– | Tenby | Slipway | |
1282 | 16-03 | The Misses Robertson of Kintail | 2006– | Peterhead | Afloat | |
1283 | 16-04 | Spirit of Padstow | 2006– | Padstow | Slipway | |
1284 | 16-05 | Helen Comrie | 2006– | Longhope | Afloat | |
1286 | 16-06 | Frank and Anne Wilkinson | 2007– | Relief fleet | ||
1287 | 16-07 | Lester | 2008– | Cromer | Slipway | |
1288 | 16-08 | Grace Dixon | 2008– | Barrow | Slipway | |
1289 | 16-09 | Baltic Exchange III | 2008– | Salcombe | Afloat | |
1290 | 16-10 | Edward and Barbara Prigmore | 2008– | Relief fleet | ||
1291 | 16-11 | Mark Mason | 2009– | Angle[11] | (Slipway) | |
1292 | 16-12 | George Sullivan | 2009– | St Helier | Afloat | |
1293 | 16-13 | Victor Freeman | 2010– | Relief fleet | ||
1294 | 16-14 | City of London III | 2010– | Sennen Cove[12] | Slipway | |
1295 | 16-15 | Enid Collett | 2010– | Shoreham Harbour[13] | Slipway | |
1296 | 16-16 | Molly Hunt | 2010– | Appledore[14] | Afloat | |
1297 | 16-17 | Alfred Albert Williams | 2010– | Bembridge[15] | Slipway | |
1298 | 16-18 | Killarney | 2010– | Kilmore Quay[16] | Afloat | |
1299 | 16-19 | Irene Muriel Rees | 2011– | Walton and Frinton[citation needed] | Afloat | |
1300 | 16-20 | Rose[17] | 2011– | The Lizard[18] | Slipway | |
1301 | 16-21 | John Buchanan Barr[19] | 2011– | Portpatrick[19] | Afloat | |
1302 | 16-22 | Alan Massey | 2012– | Baltimore[20] | Afloat | |
1303 | 16-23 | Diamond Jubilee | 2012– | Eastbourne[21] | Afloat | |
1304 | 16-24 | John D Spicer | 2012– | Porthdinllaen[21][22] | Slipway | |
1305 | 16-25 | Kiwi | 2013– | Moelfre[23] | Slipway | |
1306 | 16-26 | Norah Wortley | 2013– | St Davids[23][24] | Slipway | |
1307 | 16-27 | Roy Barker IV | 2013– | Mumbles[23][24] | Slipway |
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.babcockinternational.com/media-centre/last-of-27-tamar-class-lifeboats-delivered-by-babcock-on-time/
- ↑ http://rnli.org/NewsCentre/Pages/Praise-for-Babcock-as-final-RNLI-Tamar-class-lifeboat-is-completed.aspx
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
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