Shannon-class lifeboat

The Shannon-class lifeboat (previously FCB2 – Fast Carriage Boat 2) is the latest class of lifeboat currently being deployed to the RNLI fleet to serve the shores of the British Isles. While the Shannon class has mainly replaced the Mersey-class lifeboats, it has also replaced some Tyne-class and Trent-class lifeboats, and a Severn-class lifeboat.^[1][2]

Montrose Lifeboat, 13-10 entering Arbroath Harbour
Class overview
Builders	2005-2016 SAR Composites Ltd / Berthon Boat Company 2016–2017 SAR Composites Ltd / RNLI 2017– RNLI
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Preceded by	Mersey-class Tyne-class Trent-class Severn-class
Cost	£2.7m
Built	2012–
In service	Spring 2013–
Planned	60+
Building	3
Completed	57
Active	44 In service 10 Relief fleet 1 Not yet on service
General characteristics (1st Experimental boat, Camarc hull)
Displacement	14.6 long tons (15 t)
Length	13.6 m (44 ft 7 in)
Beam	4.54 m (14 ft 11 in)
Draught	0.75 m (2 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2 × Scania DI13 engines, 650 hp (485 kW) 2 × Hamilton HJ 364 Waterjets
Speed	27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h)
Range	250 nmi (460 km)
Complement	5-6
General characteristics (Prototype, RNLI hull)
Displacement	17 long tons (17 t)
Length	13.6 m (44 ft 7 in)
Beam	4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Draught	1.0 m (3 ft 3 in)
Propulsion	2 × Scania DI13M, 650 hp (485 kW) 2 × Hamilton HJ 364 Waterjets
Speed	25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h)
Range	250 nmi (460 km)
Complement	6 crew (survivor capacity 23 self-righting or 79 not self-righting)

History

The experimental boat, named Effseabee Too underwent sea trials during 2005–2008. It is based on a Camarc Pilot vessel design, and was designed by RNLI engineers, with a fibre-reinforced composite hull, powered by twin water jets. It had a top speed of approximately 30 knots (55 km/h; 35 mph), but was planned to be rated down to 25–27 knots (46–50 km/h; 29–31 mph) when the final design was put into production.

FCB2, the prototype boat

In 2008, FCB2 development was delayed due to hull shape issues, as trials showed crews would be subjected to unacceptable shocks and excessive horizontal shaking in high seas. The RNLI indicated that the project would be extended by at least three more years to research a new hull shape.

In April 2009 it was announced a new hull had been chosen. The Shannon class prototype boat was completed late 2011 when active service was expected to start in mid-2013.

In April 2011 it was announced the class would be named after the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. This is the first time that the name of an Irish river has been used for a class of RNLI lifeboat.

After boatyard acceptance in March 2012 the first of the fleet went through sea acceptance trials in 2012.

Production

Early hulls were moulded by SAR Composites at Lymington, a subsiduary of the RNLI, which had also taken over the Southampton boat-builder Green Marine. Fitting out of Shannon lifeboats was undertaken by the Berthon Boat Co. of Lymington (BBC), the last being the Swanage lifeboat 13-13 George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320) in 2016.^[3][4]

Shannon production at RNLI ALC

The RNLI opened their All-weather Lifeboat Centre (ALC) production facility at Poole in October 2015, designed to bring construction, repair and maintenance of the RNLI lifeboats under one roof for the first time. The facility, projected to cost £11.2 million, was designed to see a production cost saving of £3.7 million per annum. The centre would initially take-over fitting out process of the Shannon lifeboats. Following work by SAR and BBC, the first lifeboat completed at the ALC was 13-12 Cosandra (ON 1319). Work at SAR continued until all hull moulding operations were transferred from the Lymington facility.^[4]

Girvan lifeboat 13-23 Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan (ON 1330) was the first Shannon lifeboat built entirely at the ALC, with her official launch coming on 5 September 2017.^[4][5]

Service

The first Shannon-class to be delivered for service was demonstrated at Dungeness, Kent on 21 February 2014. The boat, to begin active service the following month, has been named The Morrell in honour of Barbara Morrell, a keen fundraiser for the RNLI who bequeathed the service £6 million which she asked to be used for a lifeboat for Kent.^[6]

The Shannon class uses similar Systems and Information Management System (SIMS)^[7] technology to that of the Tamar-class lifeboat so that crew members can operate all of the boat's systems collaboratively without leaving their seats. Crew seats are also similar to the Tamar, sprung to reduce the shocks in heavy seas. ^[8]

Barmouth Shannon and SLARS

At many stations Shannons are launched by a newly designed Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) by which a tractor propels the lifeboat on its cradle into the water. The cradle is then tilted and acts as a mobile slipway as the boat is launched by release of a single bow strop from the wheelhouse, rather than the old carriage launched method of four chains being released by crew members on deck. Recovery is bow first onto the cradle, which then rotates through 180 degrees, enabling the boat to be launched again within ten minutes.^[9]

An increasing number of Shannons are kept afloat at moorings or a pontoon berth as they replace the Trent-class. Swanage currently has a slipway launched Shannon, although a long gentle sloping slipway is required, to avoid damage to the water-jets. The boat at Workington uses the same davit crane system as the previous Tyne-class lifeboat.^[10]

Shannon-class lifeboat fleet

ON[a]	Op. No.[b]	Name	In service[11]	Station[c]	Launch method[d]	MMSI	Comments
1285	FCB2	Effseabee Two	2005–2008	Experimental boat	Afloat	244810618	[Note 1]
1308	13-01	Jock and Annie Slater	2012–2019 2019–2020 2020–	Relief fleet Wicklow Relief fleet	– Afloat –	235091414
1309	13-02	The Morrell	2014–2024	Dungeness	SLARS	235101095	[6]
1310	13-03	R and J Welburn	2014–	Exmouth	SLARS	235101096	Launch a Memory[12][13]
1311	13-04	Storm Rider	2014–	Relief fleet	–	235101097
1312	13-05	Patsy Knight	2014–	Lowestoft	Afloat	235101098	[14]
1313	13-06	Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood	2014–	Hoylake	SLARS	235106573	[15]
1314	13-07	Reg	2015–	Relief fleet	–	235106574
1315	13-08	Derek Bullivant	2015–	Lough Swilly	Afloat	235106575	[16]
1316	13-09	The Barry and Peggy High Foundation	2015–	Ilfracombe	SLARS	235106576
1317	13-10	Ian Grant Smith	2015–	Montrose	Afloat	235106578	[17][18]
1318	13-11	Nora Stachura	2015–	St Ives	SLARS	235106579
1319	13-12	Cosandra	2016–	Relief fleet	–	235106581
1320	13-13	George Thomas Lacy	2016–	Swanage	Slipway	235106583	[19]
1321	13-14	Kenneth James Pierpoint	2016–	Fleetwood	Afloat	235109051
1322	13-15	Frederick William Plaxton	2016–	Scarborough	SLARS	235109052	[20]
1323	13-16	Elizabeth and Leonard	2016–	Amble	Afloat	235109054	[21]
1324	13-17	Joel and April Grunhill	2017–	Skegness	SLARS	235109055	[22]
1325	13-18	William F. Yates	2017–	Llandudno	SLARS	235109056	[23]
1326	13-19	Dorothy May White	2017–	Workington	Davit	235109062	[24]
1327	13-20	Denise and Eric	2017–	Selsey	SLARS	235109063	[25]
1328	13-21	Brianne Aldington	2017–2019 2019–2022 2022–	Relief fleet Clifden Relief fleet	– Afloat –	235113727
1329	13-22	Antony Patrick Jones	2017–	Bridlington	SLARS	235113728	[26]
1330	13-23	Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan	2017–	Girvan	Afloat	235113731
1331	13-24	Barbara Ann	2018–	Lytham St Annes	SLARS	235113732	[27]
1332	13-25	Stella and Humfrey Berkeley	2018–2021 2021–2024 2024–	Leverburgh Relief fleet Portpatrick	Afloat – Afloat	235113733	[28]
1333	13-26	John Metters	2018–	Relief fleet	–	235113734
1334	13-27	Joanna and Henry Williams	2018–2020 2020–2024 2024–	Relief fleet Wicklow Relief Fleet	– Afloat –	232009169
1335	13-28	Richard and Caroline Colton	2018–	Hastings	SLARS	232009175	[29]
1336	13-29	Helen Hastings	2018–	Eyemouth	Afloat	232009187	[30]
1337	13-30	Ella Larsen	2019–	Barmouth	SLARS	232009189	[31]
1338	13-31	Michael O’Brien	2019–	Clogherhead	SLARS	232009189	[32]
1339	13-32	Ruth and David Arthur	2019–	Relief fleet	–	232009231
1340	13-33	Bridie O'Shea	2019–2024 2024–	Relief fleet Wicklow	– Afloat	232009300	[33]
1341	13-34	Anthony Kenneth Heard	2019–	Rhyl	SLARS	232009301	[34]
1342	13-35	Frank and Brenda Winter	2021–	Peel	SLARS	232009302	[35]
1343	13-36	John and Elizabeth Allen	2021–	Seahouses	SLARS	232009305	[36]
1344	13-37	Agnes A.P. Barr	2020–	Invergordon	Afloat	232009306	Launch a Memory[12]
1345	13-38	Judith Copping Joyce	2021–	Sheerness	Afloat	232009307	[37]
1346	13-39	Smith Brothers	2021–2024 2024 2024–	Pwllheli Relief fleet Pwllheli	SLARS – SLARS	232025975	[38]
1347	13-40	Eric's Legend	2020–	Relief fleet	–	232025977	Launch a Memory[12]
1348	13-41	William and Agnes Wray	2021–	Dunmore East	Afloat	232025976	[39]
1349	13-42	Ann and James Ritchie II	2022–	Ramsey	SLARS	232026001	[40]
1350	13-43	St Christopher	2022–	Clifden	Afloat	232026003	[41] Launch a Memory[12]
1351	13-44	George and Frances Phelon	2022–2024 2024–2025 2025 2025–	Gt. Yarmouth(Stored) Relief fleet Falmouth Relief fleet	– – Afloat –	232026007	Legacy Lifeboat[42] [43][44][45]
1352	13-45	Val Adnams	2023–	Courtmacsherry Harbour	Afloat	232027355	[46]
1353	13-46	Duke of Edinburgh (Civil Service No.53)	2023–	Wells-next-the-Sea	SLARS	232027356	[47] Launch a Memory[12]
1354	13-47	Robert and Catherine Steen	2024–	Anstruther	SLARS	232027358	Launch a Memory[12]
1355	13-48	Roy Barker V	2023–	New Quay	SLARS	232027359	[48]
1356	13-49	Lois Ivan	2023–	Whitby	Afloat	232027360	[49] Launch a Memory[12]
1357	13-50	The Campbell-Watson	2024–	Oban	Afloat	232027361	[50]
1358	13-51	Richard and Caroline Colton II	2024–	Barry Dock	Afloat	232051614	[51]
1359	13-52	Chris and Jo West	2025–	Clacton-on-Sea	SLARS	232052719	[52][53][54]
1360	13-53	Roy Holloway	2025–	Arklow	Afloat	232025390	[55]
1361	13-54	John Sharp	2025–	Hartlepool	Afloat	232054391	[56][57]
1362	13-55	Roy Barker VI	2025–	Troon	Afloat	232059196	[58]
1363	13-56	Decibel Too	2025–	Falmouth	Afloat	232059197	[59]
1364	13-57	Bobby Cameron	tbc	(Kilkeel)	Afloat	232059193	[60]
1365	13-58	-	tbc
1366	13-59	-	tbc
1367	13-60	-	tbc

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.
3. (Brackets) used to signify that a boat is assigned to a specific station, but isn't yet at that location
4. Relief boats use the launch method of the station they are covering. Boats are capable of any of the launch methods but may require minor modification.

Notes

1. Sold 2013. Renamed BMS Noorman, a Rescue/Salvage/Crew tender at Lauwersoog, Netherlands