Trent-class lifeboat

The Trent-class lifeboat is an all-weather lifeboat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from 30 stations around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland to provide coverage up to 50 miles (80 km) out to sea. Introduced to service in 1994, the class is named after the River Trent, the second longest river wholly in England.

14-31 Elizabeth of Glamis of Broughty Ferry
Class overview
Builders	Green Marine
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Preceded by	Arun, Tyne, Waveney
Succeeded by	Shannon
Cost	£1.1 million
Built	1991–2005
In service	1994–
Completed	38
Active	36
Retired	1
General characteristics
Displacement	27.5 long tons (28 t)
Length	14.30 m (46 ft 11 in)
Beam	4.90 m (16 ft 1 in)
Draught	1.45 m (4 ft 9 in)
Propulsion	2 × MAN D2840LE 401 diesel engines, 860 hp (641 kW) (ON1245 is fitted with MAN D2840LE 403EDC engines 909 hp)
Speed	25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h)
Range	250 nmi (460 km)
Capacity	self-righting: 20 non-self-righting: 73
Complement	6

History

In the 1980s the RNLI's Arun and Waveney all-weather lifeboats provided coverage 30 miles (48 km) out to sea, operating at up to 18 knots (33 km/h) to cover the distance in two hours in good weather. However the RNLI felt that they needed the capability to extend their coverage to 50 miles (80 km) radius which would require lifeboats with a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). This resulted in the 14 metres (46 ft) Trent and 17 metres (56 ft) Severn lifeboats.^[1]

The prototype for the Trent class was built in 1991. It was used for trials until 1994, when it was put into active service at Alderney Lifeboat Station. It remained on station there until their own boat was available in 1995, since when it has served in the relief fleet. Construction of its sister boats continued until 2004.^[2]

Unlike the contemporary Severn class, the Trents will not receive a service life extension refurbishment and will gradually be withdrawn, to be replaced mainly by Shannon class boats.

Design

The Trent is intended to lie afloat at moorings. It has five water-tight bulkheads to create six compartments: fore peak; fore store; survivor cabin; tank space; machinery space; and aft peak steering compartment. Above these is the main deckhouse which has seats for the six crew and a doctor. This is another water-tight space which provides the boat's self-righting capability.^[3]

Designed and built by Green Marine, each boat is constructed of over 100 mm (3.9 in) thick fibre reinforced composite topsides, single laminate double hull bottoms, 4 water-tight bulkheads and prepreg epoxy, glass and Kevlar shields.^{[citation needed]}

The Trent has a service life of 25 years, although current estimates appear to exceed these original operational confines due to constant on-station maintenance, periodic refitting and sporadic repairs. In comparison with its predecessors, the boat has numerous additional advantages which aid in the overall success of every launch. One detail would be its condensed hull, which allows it to operate in significantly constrained locations (such as marina berths and dense quayside scenes).^{[citation needed]}

Another aspect aiding in its confined manoeuvrability would be the bilge keels which aid in protecting its twin drive props. Its hull sheerline sweeps down into an area known as the 'welldeck', which helps ease the recovery of casualties onto the lifeboat. The remote location of an 'a-frame' hoist also provides additional assistance for particularly awkward recoveries (such as casualties in stretchers).^{[citation needed]}

As of 2006, each Trent class lifeboat is complemented with an array of advanced technologies. Each device provides full assistance in search and rescue operations, and therefore must be of an officially high standard. The comprehensive electronics fit includes full radio equipment including Navtex Multi-Frequency, Marine Very High Frequency and DSC installations. For navigation the crew utilize an array of digital select systems including DGPS equipment, and an electronic Laserplot chart display and information system which allows complete automated management via the vessel's on-board processors (autohelm), although comparatively infrequent in practice.^{[citation needed]}

Other features of Trent class lifeboats include VHF/DF, radar and weather sensors. Provisions for survivors include complete first aid equipment including the Basket and Neill Robertson stretchers, oxygen and Entonox breathing systems, ambulance pouch, thermodynamic food canisters and sick bags for ailing casualties. The Trents also have a small toilet arrangement. The afterdeck houses a salvage pump in a water-tight container for use in inter-vessel salvage, and two fire hoses allow proficient fire fighting. The Trent carries an inflatable XP-boat which is powered by a 5 hp outboard engine, and can be deployed in slight conditions to gain access to rocks or beaches when an inshore lifeboat is otherwise unavailable.^{[citation needed]}

• 
  View from astern
• 
  Flying bridge

Fleet

ON[lower-alpha 1]	Op. No.[lower-alpha 2]	Name	In service [4]	Principal Station	MMSI	Comments[4]
1180	14-01	Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma	1992–1994 1994–1995 1995–2014 2014–2019	Trials Alderney Relief fleet Training fleet	211883350	Sold 2021. Renamed Aurora. In Service with Sea-Watch.Org, Lampedusa, Italy.[5]
1197	14-02	Esme Anderson	1994–2023 2024–	Ramsgate Eastbourne	232001840
1198	14-03	Blue Peter VII	1994–	Fishguard	232001860
1199	14-04	Roy Barker I	1995–2024 2024–	Alderney Relief fleet	232001870
1200	14-05	Anna Livia	1995–	Dun Laoghaire	232001880
1204	14-06	Windsor Runner (Civil Service No.42)	1995–2004 2004–2008 2008 2008–	Blyth Relief fleet Dunbar Relief fleet	232001950
1205	14-07	Frederick Storey Cockburn	1995–2023 2023–	Courtmacsherry Harbour Relief fleet	232001960
1206	14-08	Douglas Aikman Smith	1996–2021 2021–	Invergordon Relief fleet	232001970
1207	14-09	Sir Ronald Pechell Bt.	1995–2008	Dunbar		Damaged beyond repair March 2008[6]
1208	14-10	Samarbeta	1996–2024	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston	232002340
1209	14-11	Barclaycard Crusader	1996–2019 2019–2022	Eyemouth Relief fleet	232002350	Sold 2022. Renamed GHM Crusader, and operated by GHM Marine Services in 2024.
1210	14-12	Forward Birmingham	1996–2008 2008–2021	Exmouth[7] Relief fleet	232002360
1211	14-13	George and Ivy Swanson	1996–2021 2021–	Sheerness Training fleet	232002180
1212	14-14	George and Mary Webb	1996–2023 2023–	Whitby Relief/Training fleet	232002370
1213	14-15	Henry Heys Duckworth	1996–2016 2016–2019 2019–2023 2023–2024 2024–	Relief fleet Red Bay[8] Relief fleet Eastbourne Relief fleet	232002380
1214	14-16	Stanley Watson Barker	1996–	Portree	232002390
1215	14-17	Elizabeth and Ronald	1996–2021 2021–	Dunmore East Relief fleet	232002410
1222	14-18	Maurice and Joyce Hardy	1996–	Fowey	232002181
1223	14-19	Ger Tigchelaar	1997–	Arklow	232002182
1224	14-20	Roy Barker II	1997–	Wick	232002183
1225	14-21	MacQuarie	1997–2004 2004–2023 2023–	Sunderland Relief fleet Donaghadee	232002582	August 2023, assigned to Donaghadee replacing ON 1267.
1226	14-22	Edward Duke of Windsor	1997–	Relief fleet	232002583
1227	14-23	Mora Edith MacDonald	1997–2024	Oban	232002584
1228	14-24	Dora Foster McDougall	1997–2006 2006 2006–2022	Relief fleet Barry Dock Relief fleet	232002585
1233	14-25	Austin Lidbury	1998–	Ballycotton	232003131
1234	14-26	Gough Ritchie II	1998–	Port St Mary	232003132
1239	14-27	Robert Hywel Jones Williams	1999–	Fenit	232003137
1240	14-28	Sam and Ada Moody	1999–	Achill Island	232003138
1245	14-29	Inner Wheel II	2000–2006 2006–2024 2024–	Relief fleet Barry Dock Alderney	232004396	September 2024, assigned to Alderney replacing ON 1199.
1246	14-30	Dr John McSparran	2000–	Larne	232004397
1252	14-31	Elizabeth of Glamis	2001–	Broughty Ferry	232004404
1253	14-32	Corinne Whiteley	2001–2019 2019–	Relief fleet Red Bay	232004405
1258	14-33	Roy Barker III	2002–	Howth	235003642
1259	14-34	Willie & May Gall	2002–	Fraserburgh	235005113
1266	14-35	John Neville Taylor	2002–2008 2008–	Relief fleet Dunbar[9]	235005114
1267	14-36	Saxon	2003–2023	Donaghadee	235007808
1274	14-37	Betty Huntbatch	2003–2004 2004–	Relief fleet Hartlepool	235010879
1275	14-38	Jim Moffat	2004–	Troon	235010881

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. Wake-Walker, Edward (2008). The Lifeboats Story. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 59–72. ISBN 978-0-7509-4858-6.
2. Denton, Tony (2009). Handbook 2009. Shrewsbury: Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 32–35.
3. Leach, Nicholas (2002). Fowey Lifeboats, an Illustrated History. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 0-7524-2378-9.
4. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
5. "Sea-Watch". Sea Watch.org.
6. "Lifeboat may be a write off". Motor Boat & Yachting. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
7. Salsbury, Alan (2010). A History of the Exmouth Lifeboats. pp. 129–140. ISBN 978-0-857040-73-2.
8. "All-weather lifeboat goes operational for two year trial at Red Bay RNLI". Retrieved 16 June 2016.
9. "New Lifeboat for Dunbar". Yachting and Boating World. Retrieved 9 May 2008.

External links

• RNLI Fleet:Trent Class