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The All Weather Lifeboat

The Royal Thames   12-36

Eastbourne R.N.L.I. has to lifeboats. The All Weather Lifeboat (ALB) R.N.L.B. The Royal Thames, named by Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent on Monday 6th September 1993. The lifeboat is one of the R.N.L.I. designed Mersey Class of Lifeboats. She is made of fibre reinforced composite material, which is extremely strong. The Merseys are powered by two Caterpillar 3208T V-8 engines developing 280 SHP each. This engine fit gives a typical maximum speed of 16.5 knots.

Tankage is provided for 1088 litres of diesel fuel giving a duration of 10.16 hours.

The Royal Thames was provided by funds raised as a result of an appeal to members of the Royal Thames Yacht Club together with the proceeds of a local appeal in Eastbourne, a generous anonymous gift and other gifts and legacies

Royal Thames on exerciose off Beachy Head.

                           Outside Helm Controls                                               Inside Helm Controls

                                     Engines                                                 Communications and navigation

The Inshore Lifeboat (ILB)

Joan and Ted Wiseman 50 D - 605,

The first of the new breed of inshore lifeboat to be issued to the coast. The boat was given to the RNLI by a Middlesex couple who wished to mark their 50th Wedding Anniversary in a special way. The boat is similar in some respects to the previous D Class boats but improved in others. The material is now polyester rather than nylon and thus more dimensionally stable. A large number of boats whose crews thought of as good boats had been measured and tight dimensions specified in the build. The old D Class boats varied in speed fro 14 to 24 knots and that was just in Eastbourne’s experience.

With the tighter dimensions, less elastic material, improved floor boarding system and a pod to house electronics, anchor, anchor rope, and fist aid kit the new boat is some 50% faster than some of the older boats.

The more rigid hull provided by the new flooring system has allowed for a more powerful engine, more equipment is now carried, including Oxygen, so the boats are heavier and more power was desired. With a new 50HP engine the boats are very responsive to helm input and rapid for transiting to a search area or casualty.

Photo donated by W. R. Watson.

The ILB being on exerxise

The ILB being recovered after a callout

Picture taken by John Banfield.

The ILB returning from exercise during January 2007