45ft 6in Watson-class lifeboat
Class overview | |
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Name | 45ft 6in Watson-class |
Builders |
|
Operators | ![]() |
Preceded by | 45ft Watson-class |
Succeeded by | 46ft Watson-class |
Cost | £6,800-£11,000 |
Built | 1926-1935 |
In service | 1926-1972 |
Completed | 22(23) |
Lost | 2 |
Retired | 20 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | 45ft 6in Watson-class motor lifeboat |
Displacement | 19 tons |
Length | 45 ft 6 in (13.87 m) |
Beam | 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 7 knots |
Crew | 8 |
The 45ft 6in Watson-class was a non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built between 1926 and 1933 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1926 and 1972.
History
[edit]The 45ft 6in Watson-class lifeboat marked the transition from single engine, single screw to twin engine, twin screw layout. The first two boats were similar to the last of the 45ft Watson-class boats, albeit six inches longer due to a forward raked bow. The third boat was the first with twin engines and twin screws while the fourth had twin engines geared to a single screw, a unique layout in RNLI lifeboat history. The twin screw layout proved to be superior and from the fifth boat onwards this was the layout adopted. The 45ft 6in Watsons were long lived and most survived at their original stations into the 1950s when most were replaced by 46ft 9in and, later in the decade, 47ft Watsons. Many boats spent their final years in the reserve fleet with five of the later boats serving until 1969 and one, ON759, continuing in the reserve fleet until 1972. During their service, 45ft 6in Watsons launched on service 2,587 times and are credited with saving 2,613 lives. The single biggest contributor being the Humber lifeboat City of Bradford II ON 709, which in twenty five years at the station launched on service 228 times, saving 305 lives.
Description
[edit]The 45ft 6in Watsons differed from the previous 45ft type in having flush decks with no end boxes. The aft cockpit had a shelter ahead of it covering the engine room access hatch. Ahead of this was the exhaust funnel and towards the bow was a further small shelter. The first two boats retained the single engine layout of their predecessors, being powered by the same 80bhp Weyburn DE6 6-cylinder petrol engines. The third boat (ON 700) was the first twin engined version, with two 40bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cylinder petrol engines driving twin screws. The fourth in the series (ON 701) had a unique twin engine, single screw layout which was not repeated. From ON 707 onwards the twin screw layout was standardised. The drop keel fitted to the single engine boats was deleted from the twins and eventually the auxiliary sailing rig was dispensed with on the twins in the light of operational experience.
Fleet
[edit]ON[a] | Name | Built | Builder | In service | Stations | Comments[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
698 | K.T.J.S. | 1926 | S. E. Saunders | 1926–1933 | Longhope | Single engine. Sold May 1952; wrecked 1980. |
1933–1935 | Aith | |||||
1935–1950 | Arranmore | |||||
1950–1952 | Relief fleet | |||||
699 | John Russell | 1926 | S. E. Saunders | 1926–1939 | Montrose No.1 | Single engine. Sold July 1956. Reported in August 2021 to be in private ownership at Poole Harbour. |
1939–1953 | Relief fleet | |||||
1953–1954 | Fraserburgh | |||||
700 | K.E.C.F. | 1927 | J. Samuel White | 1927–1939 | Rosslare Harbour | Twin engine, twin screw. Sold December 1956. Broken up at C&J Marina, North Shields, in 2015. |
1939–1952 | Aran Islands | |||||
1952–1956 | Relief fleet | |||||
701 | N.T. | 1927 | J. Samuel White | 1927–1951 | Barrow | Twin engine, single screw. Sold December 1956. Renamed Diana Victoria. Reported in 1987 to be a workboat on the River Ouse in York. |
1952–1953 | Workington | |||||
1953–1956 | Relief fleet | |||||
707 | Edward Z. Dresden | 1929 | S. E. Saunders | 1929–1952 | Clacton-on-Sea | Twin engine, twin screw. Sold December 1968. |
1952–1955 | Stronsay | |||||
1955–1968 | Relief fleet | |||||
708 | H.C.J. | 1928 | J. Samuel White | 1928 | Fowey | Sold in 1962. Renamed Seawitch. Reported in December 2021 at Castletown, Isle of Man |
1928–1929 | Holyhead | |||||
1929–1956 | Thurso | |||||
1956–1962 | Relief fleet | |||||
709 | City of Bradford II | 1929 | S. E. Saunders | 1929–1954 | Humber | Sold December 1968. Reported in December 2022 to be beached at Ringhaddy Pier on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. |
1954–1956 | Amble | |||||
1956–1959 | Relief fleet | |||||
1960 | Broughty Ferry | |||||
1960–1968 | Relief fleet | |||||
710 | White Star | 1930 | J. Samuel White | 1930–1957 | Fishguard | Sold June 1968. Reported in January 2022 as being a fishing boat at Boston, Lincolnshire. |
1957–1968 | Relief fleet | |||||
711 | James Macfee | 1928 | J. Samuel White | 1928–1955 | Cromarty | Sold in 1959. Reported in September 2021 to be a houseboat named Macfee on Loch Oich at Invergarry. |
1955–1956 | Relief fleet | |||||
1956–1957 | Thurso | |||||
1957–1959 | Relief fleet | |||||
712 | C.D.E.C. | 1928 | J. Samuel White | 1928–1954 | Fowey | Sold in 1959. Renamed Thameserver. Reported in June 2021 to be semi-derelict at Leigh-on-Sea. |
1954–1959 | Relief fleet | |||||
713 | Elizabeth Elson | 1929 | J. Samuel White | 1929–1957 | Angle | Sold December 1968. Renamed Elizabeth Elson. In April 2019 it was reported as being semi-derelict at Kenmare in County Kerry, Ireland. |
1957–1968 | Relief fleet | |||||
714 | H.F. Bailey | 1928 | S. E. Saunders | 1928–1929 | Cromer No.1 | Entered service as the H.F. Bailey but later renamed Canadian Pacific. Destroyed by fire at Groves & Guttridge, Cowes on 18 June 1937. |
1929–1937 | Selsey | |||||
716 | Sarah Ward and William David Crossweller | 1929 | J. Samuel White | 1929–1958 | Courtmacsherry Harbour | Sold in 1961. Reported in August 2022 as being a pleasure boat at Saint Peter Port, Guernsey. |
1958–1959 | Relief fleet | |||||
1959–1961 | Whitehills | |||||
728 | Cunard | 1930 | Saunders-Roe | 1930–1955 | St Mary's | Sold in 1969. Renamed Henry Joy. Reported in December 2022 as being ashore at Coney Island, Killough, Northern Ireland. |
1955–1969 | Relief fleet | |||||
729 | John R. Webb | 1930 | Saunders-Roe | 1930–1955 | Tenby | Sold September 1969. Renamed Rairewa II. Reported in 1969 to have been moved to Poland. |
1955–1969 | Relief fleet | |||||
730 | Cecil and Lilian Philpott | 1930 | J. Samuel White | 1930–1959 | Newhaven | Sold October 1969. Renamed Stenoa. Reported in August 2021 as a pleasure boat at Landermere Quay, Thorpe-le-Soken. |
1959–1969 | Relief fleet | |||||
732 | Catherine | 1930 | J. Samuel White | Built for Bombay Port Trust. Scrapped in 1935. | ||
736 | W. and S. | 1931 | J. Samuel White | 1931–1960 | Penlee | Sold in 1970. Reported in December 2022 as being a pleasure boat at the Old Dock in Harwich. |
1960–1961 | Buckie | |||||
1961–1969 | Relief fleet | |||||
749 | George and Sarah Strachan | 1931 | J. Samuel White | 1931–1959 | Dunbar | Sold March 1969. Renamed George and Sarah Strachan. Reported in November 2013 as being a workboat at Dunoon. |
1959–1960 | Relief fleet | |||||
1960–1963 | Exmouth | |||||
1964–1969 | Relief fleet | |||||
753 | Civil Service No.5 | 1932 | J. Samuel White | 1932–1950 | Donaghadee | Sold February 1958. Reported in August 2021 as being at the former Titanic Museum in Inverness. |
1950–1956 | Port St Mary | |||||
1956–1958 | Relief fleet | |||||
759 | Thomas McCunn | 1933 | Groves & Guttridge | 1933–1962 | Longhope | Sold August 1972. Restored and on display at Longhope Lifeboat Museum since December 2000. |
1962–1972 | Relief fleet | |||||
774 | Charlotte Elizabeth | 1935 | Alexander Robertson | 1935–1959 | Islay | Sold in 1961. Cut in two at Thurso River Quay. |
1959–1961 | Relief fleet | |||||
775 | Mona | 1935 | Groves & Guttridge | 1935–1959 | Broughty Ferry | Capsized on service 8 December 1959 with eight crew lost. Boat later burned on the beach. |
- ^ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
References
[edit]- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society.