46ft Watson-class lifeboat

The 46 ft Watson-class was a non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built between 1935 and 1946 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1935 and 1981.

The Good Hope (centre) at Watchet, Somerset
Class overview
Name	46ft Watson-class
Builders	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes Alexander Robertson & Sons, Sandbank J. Samuel White, Cowes Sussex Yacht Co., Shoreham Morgan Giles, Teignmouth Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge
Operators	RNLI
Preceded by	45ft 6in Watson-class
Succeeded by	46ft 9in Watson-class
Cost	£7,300-£17,000
Built	1935-1946
In service	1935-1981
Completed	28
Lost	2
Retired	26
General characteristics
Class & type	46ft Watson motor lifeboat
Displacement	21 tons
Length	46 ft (14 m)
Beam	12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Propulsion	2x40bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cyl. petrol 2x40bhp Ferry VE4 4-cyl. diesel
Speed	8 knots
Crew	8

History

The 46 ft Watson was longer and wider than the preceding 45ft 6in Watson type. The 46 ft type was one of the last to be adapted to suit the conditions at individual stations with shallower draft versions (ONs 805,815,820 and 838) being supplied to four stations. Post World War Two, standard designs were the order of the day.

Description

The 46 ft Watson initially had an aft cockpit with a shelter containing the engine controls. Ahead of the shelter was the exhaust funnel and ahead of the mast was a small forward shelter. On ONs 805 and 815, the cockpit shelter was lengthened, with the funnel mounted on its forward end and these two featured end boxes. ON 820 also had the lengthened shelter but retained a flush deck. From ON 828 the forward shelter was deleted. Two boats, ONs 840 and 846 had midships cockpits, ahead of the funnel, with a shelter ahead of it as well as the rear shelter. Four of the first five boats had two 40 bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cylinder petrol engines, but the fourth, ON 787, was fitted with two 40 bhp Ferry VE4 4-cylinder diesels, making it the first RNLI lifeboat to be built with diesel engines. The diesels became standard from the sixth boat on. In the mid sixties, seven boats were re-engined with 65 bhp Ford-based Parsons Barracuda 6-cylinder diesels after experiments with ON 803 which had been fitted with 47 bhp Parsons Marlin diesels in 1961 and then re-engined with Barracudas in 1963. The 46 ft Watsons were long lived, most reaching more than thirty years service and some topping forty years.

Fleet

ON is the RNLI's sequential Official Number.

ON	Name	Built	Builder	In service	Stations	Comments
777	H.F. Bailey	1935	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1935–1945	Cromer No.1	Sold in 1973. On display at the Henry Blogg Museum, Cromer, since 2009.
				1946–1960	Helvick Head
				1960–1972	Relief fleet
778	Edward and Isabella Irwin	1935	Groves & Guttridge	1935–1963	Sunderland	Sold 1971. Hull reported at Liverpool Sailing Club, May 2018.
				1963–1966	Relief fleet
				1966–1967	Cromer
				1967–1969	Relief fleet
784	Civil Service No.6, Swn-Y-Mor (Civil Service No.6) (from 1956)	1935	Groves & Gutteridge	1936–1963	St Davids	Sold February 1973. Renamed Swn-y-Mor. Reported at Tarbert, Loch Fyne, December 2018.
				1964–1967	Eyemouth
				1967–1972	Relief fleet
787	S.G.E.	1936	Groves & Guttridge	1936–1937	Yarmouth	Destroyed by fire at Groves & Guttridge 18 June 1937.
788	Jeanie Spiers	1937	Alexander Robertson	1937–1961	Portpatrick	Sold April 1961. Believe lost at Largs in 1974.
789	R.P.L.	1936	Groves & Guttridge	1937–1962	Howth	Sold September 1962.
790	John and Charles Kennedy	1936	Groves & Guttridge	1937–1953	Fraserburgh	Capsized on service 9 February 1953, six crew lost. Broken up.
801	Sir Arthur Rose	1938	Alexander Robertson	1938–1947	Tobermory	Sold February 1973. Renamed Rose Marion. Reported at Tidemill Yacht Harbour, Woodbridge, Suffolk, May 2022.
				1948–1957	Mallaig
				1958–1969	Courtmacsherry Harbour
				1969–1973	Relief fleet
802	City of Edinburgh	1938	Alexander Robertson	1938–1968	Wick	Re-engined in 1966 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold July 1976. Renamed Saltire, reported in September 2022 at South Harbour, Whitehaven.
				1969–1976	Relief fleet
803	Canadian Pacific	1938	Alexander Robertson	1938–1969	Selsey	Re-engined in 1961 with two 47bhp Parsons Marlin engines and in 1963 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines.Sold February 1978. Reported in December 2022 in unaltered condition working as a pleasure boat at Dornie, Kyle of Lochalsh.
				1969–1970	Sheerness
				1970–1977	Relief fleet
804	S.G.E.	1938	J. Samuel White	1938–1943	Yarmouth	Replacement for ON 787. Sold April 1964. Renamed John Dutton in Saint Helena. Believed lost in 2000.
				1943–1945	Relief fleet
				1945–1963	Yarmouth
805	Samuel and Marie Parkhouse	1938	J. Samuel White	1938–1962	Salcombe	Sold September 1963. Renamed Oniros, River Fal in May 2022.
814	Dunleary II	1938	J. Samuel White	1938–1967	Dún Laoghaire	Sold August 1974. Reported at Wapping Wharf, Bristol, December 2021.
				1967–1969	Lochinver
				1969–1972	Relief fleet
				1972–1973	Dunmore East
815	Violet Armstrong	1938	J. Samuel White	1938–1962	Appledore	Sold October 1962. Under restoration at Albion Yard Marina, Bristol December 2021.
818	Mabel Marion Thompson	1939	J. Samuel White	1939–1952	Rosslare Harbour	Sold April 1975
				1952–1968	Galway Bay
				1968–1970	Arranmore
				1970–1974	Relief fleet
819	Julia Park Barry, of Glasgow	1939	Alexander Robertson	1939–1969	Peterhead	Re-engined in 1964 wity two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold March 1979.
				1969–1979	Relief fleet
820	Louise Stephens	1939	J. Samuel White	1939–1967	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston	Sold August 1974.
				1967–1974	Eyemouth
821	The Good Hope	1939	Alexander Robertson	1939–1972	Montrose No.1	Re-engined in 1966 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold in 1981.
				1972–1980	Relief fleet
822	Jesse Lumb	1939	J. Samuel White	1939–1970	Bembridge	Re-engined in 1965 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold July 1981.
				1970–1980	Relief fleet
828	The Princess Royal (Civil Service No.7)	1939	J. Samuel White	1939–1968	Hartlepool	Re-engined in 1965 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines.
				1968–1969	Humber No.2
				1969–1976	Relief fleet
829	Crawford and Constance Conybeare	1939	J. Samuel White	1940–1968	Falmouth	Sold August 1974
				1968–1974	Relief fleet
830	Annie Blanche Smith	1939	J. Samuel White	1940–1970	Dunmore East	Sold July 1971
				1970–1971	Relief fleet
838	Michael Stephens	1939	J. Samuel White	1939–1963	Lowestoft	Sold January 1976
				1963–1968	Exmouth
				1968–1976	Relief fleet
840	Millie Walton Henry Blogg (from 1947)	1945	Sussex Yacht Co.	1945–1966	Cromer No.1	Fitted with midships cockpit; originally built for Douglas. Sold April 1977.
				1966–1976	Relief fleet
841	Manchester and Salford XXIX	1943	J. Samuel White	1943–1953	Pwllheli	Sold August 1974
				1953–1972	Workington
				1972–1974	Relief fleet
842	(Millie Walton)	1942	Groves & Guttridge	No	None	Intended for Douglas, destroyed in air raid at Cowes 4 May 1942.
843	(Charles Henry Ashley)	1942	Groves & Guttridge	No	None	Intended for Porthdinllaen, destroyed in air raid at Cowes 4 May 1942.
846	Field Marshal and Mrs Smuts	1945	Morgan Giles	1945–1977	Beaumaris	Fitted with midships cockpit. Sold August 1979. Broken up, Peel IOM, 13 August 2025
				1977–1979	Relief fleet
847	Gertrude	1946	Rowhedge Ironworks	1946–1968	Holy Island	Re-engined in 1965 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold February 1982.
				1968–1970	Exmouth
				1971–1974	Sheerness
				1974–1982	Relief fleet
				1980–1981	Fowey
848	Millie Walton	1946	Groves & Guttridge	1946–1956	Douglas	Sold October 1977.
				1956–1974	Amble
				1974–1977	Relief fleet