Mersey Class Lifeboats
Mersey Class Lifeboats
The Mersey class lifeboat is designed primarily to operate from a carriage on a beach but can also operate off a slipway or lie afloat.
The wheelhouse is set well aft and the sheerline is flattened towards the bow.
The propellers and rudders lie in partial tunnels set into the hull that, along with the main and two bilge keels, provide excellent protection from damage in shallow water or slipway operations.
The mast and aerials can be collapsed to fit into a boathouse.
The Mersey can carry an X boat, a small unpowered and manually launched inflatable daughter boat for the crew to access areas where the lifeboat cannot reach.
The Mersey class is now in the process of being replaced by the new Shannon Class lifeboat.
Mersey Class Facts
Introduced: 1988 (Last built 1993)
Length: 11.62m
Width: 4m
Load: 14.3 tonnes
Launch Type: Carriage, slipway or afloat
Fuel Capacity: 1,110 litres
Crew: 6
Range: 240 nautical miles
Max Speed: 17 Knots
Engines: 2 x Caterpiller 3208T marine diesel; 280hp each at 2,800rpm
Lifeboats highlighted in GREEN were based at Irish Lifeboat stations.
Notes
(1) Prototype Mersey class lifeboat used on trials. Sold in 1989
(2) Sold to ADES Uruguay for further service
O.N. is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat
Op.No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull
