The Boats...

At Hastings we have two boats to use, a D Class Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) and a Mersey Class All Weather Lifeboat (ALB), to cover all aspects of emergency. We exercise both boats regularly - check the home page or at the station for details of the next one - and welcome people coming down to watch us train.

 
     
D Class Inshore Life Boat (ILB)

Daphne May
Mr Lovegrove.

 

 
Mersey All Weather Boat (ALB)

Sealink Endeavour
the Sealink British Ferries Ltd promotion, bequests of Dr W R H Murphy, Mrs D M Kellett & others.

D Class:

Daphne May is an updated version of the lifeboat station’s existing D class - one of the workhorses of the RNLI fleet - and is known as the Inshore Boat 1 (IB1). She came on service in April 2008. It has improved speed and manoeuvrability, with a top speed of 25 knots, making it ideal for rescues close to shore in fair to moderate conditions. It has a single outboard engine and can be righted manually by the crew following a capsize. The design of the D class has continued to evolve since its introduction. The details given are for the latest version that was introduced in 2003.

 

 
Mersey:

The Mersey class lifeboat was introduced in 1988 and was the RNLI's first ‘fast’ carriage lifeboat. It was designed to be launched from a carriage but can also lie afloat or be launched from a slipway. Propellers are protected by partial tunnels and substantial bilge keels. The last Mersey was built in 1993.

Category
Introduced
Length
Range
Speed
Weight
Crew
Construction
Launch Type

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Inshore.
1963 (latest version in 2003).
5m.
3 hours at max. speed.
25 knots.
436kg.
2 / 3.
Hypalon coated polyester.
Trolley or Davit.

 

Category
Introduced
Length
Range
Speed
Weight
Crew
Construction

Launch Type

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All-Weather..
1988 .
12 m.
140 Nautical miles..
17 knots.
13 Tonnes.
6.
Aluminium or Fibre Reinforced Composite (FRC).
Carriage, Afloat or Slipway.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution - Registered Charity Number 209603
Copyright, Hastings Life Boat, 2007.