Liverpool-class lifeboat

Former Clovelly, twin engined RNLB William Cantrell Astley (ON 871)
Class overview
Builders	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes Thorneycroft, Chiswick J. Samuel White, Cowes Saunders-Roe, Cowes Morgan Giles, Teignmouth Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Succeeded by	Oakley
Built	Single engine: 1931–1941 Twin engine: (1940), 1945–1954
In service	1931–1984
Completed	Single engine: 28 Twin engine: 32
Retired	60
General characteristics
Type	Motor lifeboat
Displacement	6-8 tons
Length	35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Propulsion	Single engine: 35 hp (26 kW) Weyburn AE6 Petrol Twin engine: 2 x 18 hp (13 kW) Weyburn AE4 Petrol/20 hp (15 kW) Ferry Kadenacy FKR3 Diesel
Speed	6.5–7.5 knots (12.0–13.9 km/h; 7.5–8.6 mph)
Range	70–120 nautical miles (130–220 km; 80–140 mi)
Crew	7

The Liverpool-class motorised lifeboat was a non-self-righting boat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from its stations around the coast of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The boats were designed for carriage launching and were developed from the Liverpool-Class Pulling and Sailing type of lifeboats - there were two types built, single and twin engined.

History

The Liverpool class, designed by James Barnett, was derived from the 35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class lifeboat and had many similarities with it. Lifeboatmen at many stations preferred non self-righting boats due to their better stability and the Liverpool class was designed to be light enough for carriage launching at these stations. The single-engined version entered service in 1932 and was powered by an RNLI designed, Weyburn Engineering built AE6 six-cylinder 35 horsepower (26 kW) petrol engine mounted in a watertight compartment. Like all early motor lifeboats, the Liverpool class carried an auxiliary sailing rig and had a drop keel just forward of the engine room. 28 boats were built between 1931 and 1941. The introduction of tractors to assist with carriage launching enabled the RNLI to consider a heavier, twin-engined version of the Liverpool class and a prototype was ordered but was destroyed in an air raid at the builder's yard at Cowes in May 1942. Production got underway early in 1945 and the boat was powered by two 18 hp (13 kW) Weyburn AE4 four-cylinder petrol engines mounted in a watertight compartment. The extra redundancy of twin engines reduced the need for auxiliary sails. 31 boats were built between 1945 and 1954, the last 21 of which were powered by 20 hp (15 kW) Ferry Kadenacy FKR3 diesels. The William Cantrell Ashley now July 2017 is in dry standing Penarth marina, Cardiff.

Description

The Liverpool class was based on the 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) Self-righting motor introduced in 1929, but had greater beam (10 ft (3.0 m) rather than 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)) and much shallower endboxes. The shelter was extended forward to cover the engine compartment, which was watertight and allowed the engine to continue to operate as long as the air intake was not submerged. The single propeller was protected by the keel. The twin-engined variant was visually very similar but had 8 in (20 cm) more beam and the twin propellers were in protective tunnels. In the mid-1960s the petrol engines in the first ten boats were replaced by 47 hp (35 kW) Parsons Penguin diesels (as were a couple of the Ferry engined boats). Only one single-engined boat, ON 832, was re-engined with a diesel engine, a Parsons Porbeagle of 47 hp.

Fleet

Single screw boats

ON	Name	Built	Builder	In service	Station	Comments
750	Oldham	1931	Groves & Guttridge	1931–1952	Hoylake	Sold in 1952. Renamed Grey Lass but broken up at Hoylake in 1955.
760	Anne Allan	1932	Thorneycroft	1932–1953	Skegness	Sold in 1953. Reported in December 2022 as having been restored to original condition and now at Padstow.
764	Nellie and Charlie	1933	J. Samuel White	1933–1950	Anstruther	Sold April 1951. In December 2021 it was in use as a pleasure boat for RW Davis & Sons Ltd. At Sharpness.
765	Fifi and Charles	1933	J. Samuel White	1933–1962	Weston-super-Mare	Sold October 1962. By August 2008 it had been renamed Wyvern and was at Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine in France.
766	The Always Ready	1933	J. Samuel White	1933–1954	Runswick	Sold May 1954. Reported to be at Portishead Marina in December 2021.
770	Harriot Dixon	1934	Groves & Guttridge	1934–1964	Cromer No.2	Sold December 1964. Reported in December 2022 to be under restoration at Stiffkey, Norfolk.
771	The Three Sisters	1934	J. Samuel White	1934–1954	Coverack	Sold in 1954. Had a wheelhouse added and used as a pleasure boat but broken up in October 2008 in Rhyl.
772	Elizabeth and Albina Whitley	1934	Groves & Guttridge	1934–1948	Flamborough	Sold January 1953. Reported in December 2022 to be in storage at Stiffkey, Norfolk, with the name Albina.
				1948–1952	Reserve fleet
773	Joseph Braithwaite	1934	J. Samuel White	1934–1949	Maryport	Sold December 1952. Reported in January 2019, to be in a back garden in Barry, Wales.
				1950–1952	Reserve fleet
781	W.R.A.	1935	J. Samuel White	1936–1954	North Sunderland	Sold to Guatemala as a lifeboat in 1958.
				1954–1958	Reserve fleet
782	Margaret Dawson	1935	J. Samuel White	1936–1952	Gourdon	Sold 1956. Wrecked and later broken up at Holyhead.
				1952–1955	Reserve fleet
786	Foresters Centenary	1936	Groves & Guttridge	1936–1961	Sheringham	Sold 1961. On display at The Mo Sheringham Museum.
791	Elizabeth Wills Allen	1936	J. Samuel White	1936–1950	Seaham	Sold February 1953. Reported in December 2022 as being at Stiffkey, Norfolk, for restoration.
				1950–1953	Reserve fleet
792	Annie Ronald and Isabella Forrest	1936	J. Samuel White	1936–1949	St Abbs	Sold March 1965. In September 2021 it was reported to be a leisure boat named Arif at Walton-on-the-Naze.
				1949–1952	Reserve fleet
				1952–1953	Bridlington
				1953–1956	Reserve fleet
				1956–1958	Scarborough
				1958–1959	Reserve fleet
				1959–1964	Llandudno
793	Clarissa Langdon	1937	J. Samuel White	1937–1962	Boulmer	Sold March 1965. Reported in November 2021 to be a workboat named Homewards at Foula, Shetland Islands.
				1962–1963	Reserve fleet
				1963	Seaham
				1963–1965	Reserve fleet
794	Richard Silver Oliver	1937	J. Samuel White	1937–1939	Cullercoats	Capsized on exercise at Cullercoats 22 April 1939 with the loss of 6 lives. Sold in 1963 to the Chilean Lifeboat Service, renamed Valparaiso II and stationed at Lirquén, Chile. Damaged in service but then destroyed by vandals while awaiting repairs in 1978.
				1940–1945	Newquay
				1945–1952	Ilfracombe
				1953–1961	Criccieth
				1961–1963	Reserve fleet
795	Frank and William Oates	1937	Groves & Guttridge	1937–1951	Eyemouth	Sold 1964. Reported in April 2019 to have been renamed Seren-y-Mor and at Tenby.
				1952–1955	Girvan
				1956–1963	Reserve fleet
				1963–1964	Hastings
796	Herbert John	1937	Groves & Guttridge			Destroyed by fire at the builder's yard on 18 June 1937.
797	Howard D	1937	Saunders-Roe	1937–1948	St Helier	Under German control at St Helier 1940–1945. Sold in 1964. In December 2022 it was at the Jersey Maritime Museum.
				1948–1953	Flamborough
				1953–1956	Arbroath
				1956–1962	Reserve fleet
				1962–1963	Seaham
				1963–1964	Reserve fleet
798	Ann Isabella Pyemont	1937	Groves & Guttridge	1937–1965	Kilmore Quay	Sold 1966. Reported in December 2022, working as a fishing boat with the stern shortened.
799	Helen Sutton	1937	Saunders-Roe	1937–1952	Peel	Sold to Guatemala as a lifeboat in 1958, taking up service in 1959.
				1952–1958	Reserve fleet
800	Sarah Ann Austin	1937	Groves & Guttridge	1937–1961	Blackpool	Sold August 1965. Reported in June 2022 to be a pleasure boat at Woodbridge, Suffolk.
				1962–1965	Reserve fleet
825	Herbert John	1939	Groves & Guttridge	1939–1952	Cloughey	Sold in 1966. Reported in April 2022 to have been restored to original condition but in private ownership at Brodick, Isle of Arran.
				1952–1966	Youghal
827	George and Elizabeth Gow	1939	Morgan Giles	1939–1943	Aberdeen No.2	Used by RAF as a rescue craft in the Azores 1943–1946. Sold in 1965. By December 2021 it had been restored to original condition on the River Yonne at Migennes in France.
				1943–1946	Royal Air Force
				1947–1962	Aberdeen No.2
				1962–1964	Reserve fleet
831	Caroline Oates Aver and William Maine	1939	Groves & Guttridge	1940–1948	St Ives	Sold July 1960. Last reported in 1969 when it was a fishing boat at Barmouth in Wales.
				1948–1960	Ferryside
832	Lucy Lavers	1939	Groves & Guttridge	1940–1959	Aldeburgh No.2	This Lifeboat was one of the Little Ships of the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. Sold 1968. It was reported in December 2022 at Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, in use as a tour boat in fully restored condition.
				1959–1964	Reserve fleet
				1964	Hastings
				1964–1968	Reserve fleet
833	The Cuttle	1940	Groves & Guttridge	1940–1953	Filey	Sold August 1966. Lost off the Île d'Oléron, France, 6 October 1967.
				1953–1964	Skegness
				1964–1966	Reserve fleet
834	Jose Neville	1941	Groves & Guttridge	1941–1964	Caister	Sold August 1966. Was a fishing vessel named Concorde in Southwold but by 2008 it had been renamed Valas at Slaughden Quay, Aldeburgh, and was still there in April 2022.
				1964–1966	Reserve fleet

Twin screw boats

ON	Name	Built	Builder	In service	Station	Comments
839	W. and B.		Groves & Guttridge			Was to have been a prototype for twin-screw Liverpool-class lifeboats but was destroyed in an air raid at builders yard 4 May 1942
850	Cecil Paine	1945	Groves & Guttridge	1945–1965	Wells-next-the-Sea	Sold in 1973. Reported in April 2000 to be the retired lifeboat Patreo-Joao-Rabgel at Sesimbra, Setepal, Portugal.
				1965–1972	Kilmore Quay
				1972–1973	Relief fleet
861	Edgar, George, Orlando and Eva Child	1948	Groves & Guttridge	1948–1968	St Ives	Sold in 1983. By December 2022 it was in storage at Stiffkey, Norfolk.
				1968–1970	Reserve fleet
				1970–1975	Blackpool
				1975–1982	Relief fleet
862	Thomas Corbett	1948	Groves & Guttridge	1948–1970	Ramsey	Sold in 1981. Used by Venture Scouts at Crosshaven, Ireland then taken to Hoylake for preservation but before this was completed it was moved to Stiffkey, Norfolk, in 2020.
				1970–1974	Hoylake
				1974–1981	Clogherhead
863	St. Albans	1948	Groves & Guttridge	1948–1970	New Quay	Sold December 1970. Renamed Lorraine but broken up at Arklow in 2005.
864	The Chieftain	1948	Groves & Guttridge	1949–1982	Barmouth	Sold April 1982. By December 2022 had been restored to original condition and working as a tour boat in Whitstable.
869	Anthony Robert Marshall	1949	Groves & Guttridge	1949–1968	Rhyl	Sold in 1980. By December 2022 was under restoration at Stiffkey, Norfolk.
				1968–1972	Reserve fleet
				1972–1979	Pwllheli
				1979–1980	Relief fleet
870	William and Laura	1949	Groves & Guttridge	1949–1980	Newcastle	Sold September 1980. Since then preserved by the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums.
871	William Cantrell Ashley	1949	Groves & Guttridge	1949–1968	Clovelly	Sold in 1968. It was on display at the Hoylake Lifeboat Museum which has since closed. It was used as a trip boat in Looe, Cornwall, but by December 2021 was in private ownership at Penarth Marina.
872	J.B. Couper of Glasgow	1949	Groves & Guttridge	1949–1953	St Abbs	Sold February 1976. Renamed Etoile Du Nord (GU5045) and by December 2022 was on display at the Peninsular Hotel, Vale, Guernsey.
				1953–1965	Kirkcudbright
				1966–1971	Youghal
				1971	Reserve fleet
				1971–1974	Poole
				1974–1975	Relief fleet
873	George Elmy	1950	Groves & Guttridge	1950–1962	Seaham	Capsized on service at Seaham 17 November 1962. Nine lives lost. Sold September 1972. Restored to original condition and on display at Seaham Harbour since July 2013.
				1963–1969	Reserve fleet
				1969–1971	Poole
874	Robert Lindsay	1950	Groves & Guttridge	1950–1953	Arbroath	Capsized on service at Arbroath 27 October 1953 with six lives lost. Sold in 1968. Reported in December 2022 to be under restoration at Stiffkey, Norfolk.
				1953–1955	Reserve fleet
				1955–1960	Girvan
				1960–1961	Reserve fleet
				1961–1968	Criccieth
875	Richard Ashley	1950	Groves & Guttridge	1950–1966	Newbiggin	Sold in 1967. Renamed Kirstey of Luing. Reported to be a yacht at Red Bay, Northern Ireland, in 1980 but now believed to have been lost at Dún Laoghaire.
876	James and Ruby Jackson	1950	Groves & Guttridge	1950–1965	Anstruther	Sold in 1969. A wheelhouse was added and it was used as a pleasure boat named Galore. It was lost at Dún Laoghaire in 1998.
				1965–1967	Reserve fleet
877	George and Caroline Ermen	1950	J. Samuel White	1950–1974	Clogherhead	Sold July 1974. Renamed Boreas. By 2009 it was a derelict hull at Camuscross on the Isle of Skye.
882	B.H.M.H.	1951	Rowhedge Ironworks	1951–1973	Minehead	Sold in 1985. Reported in September 2020, to be on the River Thames at Chiswick and restored to original condition.
				1973–1981	Relief fleet
				1981–1984	Clogherhead
891	Bassett-Green	1951	Groves & Guttridge	1951–1962	Padstow No.2	Sold in 1969. By May 2018 it was in private ownership at Campbeltown in Scotland.
				1962–1969	Poole
892	Aguila Wren	1951	Groves & Guttridge	1951–1964	Aberystwyth	Sold December 1972. Reported in December 2022 to be under restoration at Donaghadee, Northern Ireland.
				1965–1972	Redcar
893	Clara and Emily Barwell	1951	Groves & Guttridge	1951–1963	Eyemouth	Sold February 1969. Wheelhouse added for use as a fishing boat named Ellie Lou (LT545) which was at Lowestoft in December 2022.
				1963–1968	Reserve fleet
894	Oldham IV	1952	Groves & Guttridge	1952–1970	Hoylake	Sold in October 1970 but its location since then is unknown.
895	Edith Clauson-Thue	1952	Groves & Guttridge	1952–1969	Gourdon	Sold in 1969. Reported in October 2002 to be the fishing boat Rambler (SO299) at Courtown, Ireland.
902	Constance Calverley	1952	Groves & Guttridge	1952–1965	Cloughey	Sold in 1970. By October 2002 it was working as a fishing boat with a wheelhouse added. Sunk at Youghal, Ireland.
				1965–1970	Reserve fleet
903	Helen Harris - Manchester & District XXXI	1952	Groves & Guttridge	1952–1972	Peel	Sold in 1972. By December 2021 it was at Migennes, France, in storage for preservation.
904	Robert and Phemia Brown	1952	Groves & Guttridge	1952–1966	Ilfracombe	Sold in 1967. Last reported at Weymouth, Dorset, in 1971.
905	Katherine and Virgoe Buckland	1952	Groves & Guttridge	1953–1972	Pwllheli	Sold in 1972. April 2019, Wheelhouse added, trip boat, Tenby
906	W. Ross MacArthur of Glasgow	1953	Groves & Guttridge	1953–1964	St Abbs	Sold February 1969. Later to Caister Lifeboat and renamed Shirley Jean Ayde in 1973. Sold to Pembroke Dock Authority in 1992 and renamed Mariners Friend then sold into private ownership in 1994. By 2009 it was on display at the Old Lifeboat House, Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk.
				1964–1968	Reserve fleet
914	Tillie Morrison, Sheffield II	1953	Groves & Guttridge	1953–1967	Bridlington	Sold in 1969. Renamed Rescue II then Rescue III. Reported in December 2023 to be operated by Chaddy's Charters as a trip boat at Port Taranaki, New Zealand, but in unaltered condition.
				1967–1968	Reserve fleet
915	Friendly Forester	1953	Groves & Guttridge	1953–1983	Flamborough	Sold 1984 for display at Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight. amusement park. Moved to the Thornwick Bay Holiday Village, Yorkshire, in October 2019.
916	Maria Noble	1953	Groves & Guttridge	1953–1960	Exmouth	Sold in 1975. By July 2015 was under restoration to be a youth training boat in Limerick.
				1960–1961	Reserve fleet
				1961–1970	Blackpool
				1970–1973	Reserve fleet
917	ISA and Penryn Milsted	1953	Groves & Guttridge	1953–1968	Filey	Sold in 1968. A wheelhouse was added for it to be used as a fishing boat named Achievable(YH15). Reported to be at Great Yarmouth in December 2022.
918	The Eliott Gill	1953	Groves & Guttridge	1954–1970	Runswick	Sold August 1974 to be used as a fishing boat. By September 2022 it had been fully restored and based at Watchet, Somerset.
				1970–1974	Reserve fleet
927	Grace Darling	1954	Groves & Guttridge	1954–1967	North Sunderland	Sold in 1985. On display at Chatham Historic Dockyard since April 1996.
				1967–1971	Reserve fleet
				1971–1984	Youghal

External links

• RNLI