Atlantic 75-class lifeboat

Atlantic 75 - Southend-on-Sea Lifeboat B-776
Class overview
Name	Atlantic 75
Builders	Inshore Lifeboat Centre, Cowes
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Preceded by	Atlantic 21
Succeeded by	Atlantic 85
In service	1993-2021
Completed	97
Lost	1
Retired	96
General characteristics
Displacement	1.6 tonnes
Length	7.38 m (24.2 ft)
Beam	2.65 m (8.7 ft)
Draught	0.41 m (1.3 ft)
Propulsion	2 × Evinrude 2-stroke outboard engines, 70 hp (52 kW) or 2 × Yamaha 75 hp (56 kW) engines
Speed	32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h)
Endurance	2.5 hours
Capacity	23
Complement	3

The Atlantic 75 is the second-generation Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in the B-class series of Inshore lifeboats that were operated around the shores of the British Isles and the Channel Islands by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) between 1993 and 2021. This lifeboat was a development of, and gradually replaced, the Atlantic 21-class lifeboat, and was superseded by the Atlantic 85-class lifeboat. ^[1]

Description

The Atlantic 75 has Hypalon-coated nylon inflatable sponsons. Changing from the grey of the Atlantic 21, all Atlantic 75 sponsons are orange. A conical diaphragm is placed between sections of the sponson, to transfer pressure should damage or leaking occur. The lifeboat has a moulded fibreglass rigid hull, topped with a marine plywood deck, with fuel tanks under the deck. The crew seats are mounted on a fibreglass centre console. A tubular aluminium roll-bar carries communication aerials for GPS satellite navigation and VHF radio, and an inflatable airbag for self-righting. The twin Evinrude 70-hp engines were modified at the RNLI's Inshore Lifeboat Centre at Cowes to prevent water ingress in case of capsize, and allow restart. A tubular mast is provided to mount navigation lights and an emergency blue light. ^[2]

One of the main improvements made to the Atlantic 75 is the addition of a 200 L (44 imp gal) ballast tank at the front of the boat which enables the boat to launch into larger surf than the Atlantic 21. This tank is filled by a water scoop between the engines; it keeps the bow of the lifeboat weighed down, allowing higher speeds. ^[3]

All of the following fleet details are referenced to the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society Handbook, published annually, with information retrieved directly from RNLI records. ^[4]

Atlantic 75 fleet

Op. No. [a]	Name	In service [4]	Station	Comments
B-700	Susan Peacock	1992–1996 1996–1997 1997–2003 2003 2003 2003–2004 2004–2005 2005 2006–2009	Trials Burnham-on-Crouch Relief fleet Looe Relief fleet Burnham-on-Sea Relief fleet Plymouth Training	Prototype Atlantic 75 Now named Vixen with Poole Harbour Commission
B-701	Gordon England	1994–2001 2001–2002 2002–2005 2005–2007	Relief fleet Littlestone-on-Sea Relief fleet Weston-super-Mare
B-702	Manchester Unity of Oddfellows	1994–2007 2007–2012	Sheringham Enniskillin (Lower)	First Atlantic 75 to be officially placed on service
B-703	Jason Logg	1994–2007 2008–2013	Flamborough Enniskillin (Upper)	Sold 2013
B-704	Enid Mary	1994–2007 2007–2009 2009–2011	Aberystwyth Relief fleet Training fleet	Sold to the Finnish Lifeboat Institute in 2011. Served in Tampere from 2012 to 2022 and moved to Iisalmi in 2023.
B-705	Vera Skilton	1994–1997 1997 1997–2003 2003 2003–2004 2004 2005–2007 2007–2010	Relief fleet Appledore Relief fleet Kinsale Relief fleet Sunderland Gravesend Lough Derg	Sold 2010
B-706	Blue Peter V	1994–2009 2009–2011	Portaferry Training fleet	Sold 2011
B-707	Mercurious	1994–2007 2007–2008 2008–2011 2011–2015	Criccieth Relief fleet Loch Ness Relief fleet	To National Maritime Museum, Falmouth 2015
B-708	Bessie Spirit of Hornsea	1994–2007 2007–2008 2008–2012 2012–2013 2013–2019	Minehead Relief fleet Baltimore Relief fleet Hornsea (Ind.)
B-709	Lucy Beryl	1995–2001 2001–2002 2002–2007 2007–2011	Relief fleet Kessock Relief fleet Training fleet	Kaskinen Finland 2011
B-710	Friendly Forrester II	1995–2008 2008–2009 2009–2012 2012–2013	Poole Relief fleet Happisburgh Relief fleet	Sold 2013.
B-711	Helene	1995–2009 2009–2012	Bundoran Training fleet	Sold in Holland 2012.
B-712	Betty Battle	1995–2009 2009–2010	Hayling Island Relief fleet	Sold to ICE-SAR 2010, now at Eyrarbakki, Iceland.
B-713	OEM Stone I	1995–2008 2008 2008–2009	Relief fleet Kilkeel Relief fleet	Now with Dorset Police (P003)
B-714	Spirit of Cumbria	1995–2008 2008–2009	Silloth Relief fleet	Sold to KNRM 2010
B-715	Phyllis	1995–2007 2007–2008 2008 2008–2009 2009–2012	Newquay Relief fleet Gravesend Relief fleet Training fleet	Sold to KNRM 2012
B-716	Gordon Mote	1995–1999 1999–2017	Relief fleet RNLI College	Capsize Training boat at RNLI Lifeboat College
B-717	Daisy Aitken	1995–2007 2007 2007–2009 2009	Lough Swilly Newquay Relief fleet Training fleet	Now at Skagastrond with ICE-SAR
B-718	Rotaract I	1995–1996 1996–1998 1998–2002 2002 2002–2008 2008–2009 2009	Relief fleet Blackpool Relief fleet Crosshaven Relief fleet Kirkcudbright Training fleet	Now with ICE-SAR
B-719	Percy Henry Patmore MBE MM	1995–2009 2009	St Bees Training fleet	Now with ICE-SAR
B-720	Frederick Robertson	1995–2009 2009–2012	Kinghorn Training fleet
B-721	Rock Light	1996–2009 2009	New Brighton Relief fleet	Now at Keflavik with ICE-SAR
B-722	Beatrice Dorothy	1996–1998 1998 1998–2010 2010–2013	Relief fleet Blackpool Relief fleet Hired to Dorset Police (P-006)	Dorset Police (P-006) at 2012 Olympics in Weymouth. Now with Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK - Marine Conservation Charity
B-723	Walters Lifeboat	1996–2009 2009 2009-2011	Relief fleet Porthcawl Relief fleet
B-724	Rotarian Dennis Cullen	1996–2008 2008-2010 2010-2014	Relief fleet Training fleet Relief fleet
B-725	Spirit of Penarth	1996–2010 2010–2012	Penarth Relief fleet
B-726	Giles	1996–2009 2009–2013	Porthcawl Hired to Dorset Police (P-004)	Now with Dorset Police (P-004)
B-727	Commander & Mrs Rodney Wells	1996–2010 2010–2011	Rye Harbour Relief fleet
B-728	Dorothy Mary	1996–2010 2010–2012 2012-2014	Red Bay Relief fleet Lough Ree
B-729	Rose West	1996–2010 2010–2011 2011–2013	Kilrush Relief fleet Portishead Lifeboat Trust
B-730	CSMA-Frizell	1996–2010 2010–2012 2012	Portsmouth Relief fleet Training fleet
B-731	Dorothy Selina	1997–2010 2010–2011 2011–2014	Trearddur Bay Relief fleet Burry Port	Bought by Nisos Yacht Charter as support vessel in the Ionian Islands, Greece
B-732	Elizabeth Ann	1997–2007 2007–2008 2008–2009 2009–2012	Relief fleet Gravesend Relief fleet Hired to Dorset Police
B-733	Brandy Hole	1997–2011 2011–2012 2012–2013 2013–2015	Burnham-on-Crouch Relief fleet Training fleet Portishead Lifeboat Trust
B-734	Amy Constance	1997–2002 2002 2002–2004 2004 2004–2005 2005–2008 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2012	Relief fleet Gravesend Chiswick Gravesend Chiswick Relief fleet Gravesend Relief fleet Training fleet
B-735	Donald and Ethel Macrae	1997–2012 2012–2014	Queensferry Training fleet	Private pleasure boat Isles of Scilly
B-736	Toshiba Wave Warrior	1997–2002 2002–2004 2004–2007 2007–2008 2008 2008 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2012	Relief fleet Gravesend Relief fleet Weston-super-Mare Relief fleet Poole Relief fleet Training fleet Lough Derg
B-737	Thelma Glossop	1997–2011 2011–2013	Brighton Loch Ness
B-738	Dochas	1997–2010	Galway	Withdrawn from service as uneconomic repair. Sold as repairable to Private owner in Netherlands.
B-739	Peggy Keith Learmond	1997–2011 2011–2012	Largs Relief fleet	Now with ICE-SAR in Húsavík
B-740	Alexander Cattanach	1997–2011 2011–2013 2013–2014	Kyle of Lochalsh Relief fleet Stonehaven
B-741	Pearl of Dorset	1997–2012 2012–2014	Lyme Regis Relief fleet
B-742	Douglas Paley	1997–2012 2012 2012–2015 2015–2016	Appledore Relief fleet Happisburgh Relief fleet
B-743	Alex & Maime Preston	1998–2012 2012–2013	Tighnabruaich Relief fleet	Now on service with Red Cross in Biscay, Basque Country
B-744	Robert George Alexander	1998–2012 2012–2013	Clacton-on-Sea Relief fleet	Now on service with Red Cross in Biscay, Basque Country
B-745	CSMA 75th Anniversary	1998–2012 2012–2013 2013–2015	Newbiggin Relief fleet Training fleet
B-746	Phyl Clare 3	1998–2015	Weymouth
B-747	Rockabill	1998–2012 2012–2013 2013–2015 2015–2017	Skerries Relief fleet Lough Derg Relief fleet	Now on service in Lesbos, Greece with HRT [5]
B-748	Bickerstaffe	1998–2013 2013–2014 2014–2016	Blackpool Relief fleet Training fleet
B-749	D J S Haverhill	1998–2011	Hunstanton	Now with ICE-SAR Reykjavik
B-750	Leslie Tranmer	1998–2013 2013–2015 2015–2017	Southwold Relief fleet Training fleet
B-751	Benjamin Dowing Fairbridge	1999–2013 2013–2015	Clifden Enniskillin (Upper)
B-752	Tanni Grey	1999–2013 2013–2014	Cardigan Relief fleet
B-753	City of Bradford V	1999–2001 2001–2002 2002–2009 2009 2009–2012 2012–2013 2013–2014 2014–2016	Relief fleet Penlee Relief fleet Aberystwyth Relief fleet Baltimore Helvick Head Relief fleet	Now on service in Lesbos, Greece with HRT [6]
B-754	Pride of Sherwood	1999–2000 2000–2001 2001 2001–2002 2002–2012 2012–2013 2013–2016	Relief fleet St Catherine Relief fleet Mablethorpe Relief fleet Skerries Relief fleet	[7]
B-755	London's Anniversary 175	1999–2003 2003 2003–2012 2012–2013 2013–2014 2014–2015 2015–2016 2016	Relief fleet Salcombe Relief fleet Lough Derg Relief fleet Humber (BB) Southend-on-Sea Relief fleet
B-756	Eve Pank	1999–2005 2005–2007 2007–2019	Relief fleet St Helier Falmouth	Now in service in Naantali with Finnish Lifeboat Institution, SMPS, as Pv Reka, callsign VLS4984
B-757	Miss Miriam and Miss Nellie Garbutt	1999–2010 2010–2011 2011–2015	Relief fleet Galway Relief fleet
B-758	Sandwell Lifeline	1999–2016 2016–2017	Aberdovey Relief fleet
B-759	Spirit of Clovelly	1999–2014 2014–2015 2015 2015–2018	Clovelly Relief fleet Portishead Relief fleet
B-760	Alice and Charles	1999–2013 2013–2016 2016–2017	Helvick Head Baltimore Relief fleet
B-761	Dignity	2000–2014	West Mersea
B-762	Jack & Joyce Burcombe, Sea Weaver	2000–2004 2004–2007 2007–2014 2014–2017 2021–	Relief fleet Sunderland Relief fleet Stonehaven Hemsby Lifeboat (Ind.)
B-763	Colin James Daniel	2000–2013 2013–2018	Atlantic College Loch Ness
B-764	Oxford Town & Gown	2000–2014 2014–2015	Whitstable Relief fleet
B-765	Bob Turnbull	2000–2014	Ramsgate
B-766	BBC Radio Cleveland, Haverigg Inshore	2000–2015 2015–2017	Hartlepool Relief fleet Haverigg (Ind.)	[8]
B-767	Maritime Nation	2000–2002 2002 2002–2014 2014–2017	Relief fleet Chiswick Relief fleet Union Hall (Eval.)	Now at Suðureyri,Iceland with ICE-SAR [9]
B-768	Blue Peter II	2000–2010 2010 2010–2011	Beaumaris Relief fleet Burry Port
B-769	Coventry & Warwickshire	2001–2005 2005–2006 2006–2008 2008–2018	Weston-super-Mare Plymouth Relief fleet Weston-super-Mare	In use with Falkland Islands Fire and Rescue Service, February 2022
B-770	The Boys Brigade	2001–2014 2014–2015 2015 2015–2017 2017–2018	Arran (Lamlash) Relief fleet St Abbs Relief fleet Training fleet
B-771	The Moray Dolphin	2002–2014 2014–2016	Kessock Relief fleet
B-772	The Eric Rowse	2001–2010 2010–2014 2014–2019	St Catherine Relief fleet Lough Ree	Now with Toila SAR [10]
B-773	Duckhams 2001, Spirit of Hornsea	2001–2015 2015–2017 2019–2024	Relief fleet Enniskillin (Upper) Hornsea (Ind.)
B-774	Braemar	2001–2014 2014 2014–2015 2015–2021	Relief fleet Stonehaven Relief fleet Weymouth
B-775	Millennium Forrester	2001–2004 2004–2005 2006–2018 2018	Relief fleet Plymouth Plymouth Dart (Eval.)
B-776	Vic and Billie Whiffen	2001–2015 2015–2016 2016–2019	Southend-on-Sea Relief fleet Blyth (Eval.)
B-777	Leicester Challenge II	2001–2012 2012–2014 2014–2018	Redcar Relief fleet Burry Port
B-778	Joan Mary	2002–2015 2015–2017	Mablethorpe Happisburgh	Bought by the Finnish Lifeboat Institution in 2021. Now serving as a training and backup boat in Bågaskär training center.
B-779	Blue Peter I	2002–2016 2016–2017 2017–2019	Littlehampton Relief fleet Training fleet
B-780	Patricia Jennings	2002–2016 2016–2018	Youghal Baltimore	Transferred to Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
B-781	Elsinore	2002–2015 2015–2019	Sligo Bay Lough Derg
B-782	Miss Betty	2002–2016 2016–2017 2017–2019 2019–2020	Crosshaven Relief fleet Stonehaven Relief fleet
B-783	Dorothy and Katherine Barr II	2002–2015 2015–2016	St Abbs Humber	2016, Transferred to Humber Lifeboat Station for use as a boarding boat
B-784	Victor "Danny" Lovelock, Spirit of the West Wight IV	2002–2015 2015–2020 2020–2024	Lymington Relief fleet Freshwater (Ind.)
B-785	Fred Clarke	2002–2021	Littlestone-on-Sea	Last Atlantic 75 on RNLI Service [11]
B-786	Seahorse IV	2002–2017	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston	(written off)
B-787	Paul Alexander	2002–2016 2016–2018 2018–2020	Penlee Relief fleet Weston-super-Mare
B-788	Pride of Leicester	2002–2016 2016–2017 2017–2021	Staithes and Runswick Relief fleet Great Yarmouth and Gorleston
B-789	Sure and Steadfast	2003–2018 2018–2019 2019–2021	Harwich Relief Fleet Blyth
B-790	Margaret Bench of Solihull	2002–2015 2015–2017 2017–2021	Abersoch Relief fleet Union Hall	Bought by the Finnish Lifeboat Institution in 2021
B-791	Gladys Winifred Tiffney	2002–2017	Helensburgh	Transferred to Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
B-792	Joseph and Mary Hiley	2002–2008 2008–2012 2012–2018	Relief fleet Training fleet Enniskillin (Lower)
B-793	Alan and Margaret	2003–2016 2016–2018 2018–2019	Looe Relief fleet Burry Port
B-794	Joan Bate	2003–2018 2018-2019 2020-2021	Salcombe Dart (Eval.) Weston-super-Mare
B-795	Staines Whitfield	2004–2018 2018-2019 2019-2020	Burnham-on-Sea Relief fleet Dart
B-796	Miss Sally Anne (Baggy)	2003–2018 2018-2019 2019	Kinsale Relief Fleet Blyth

1. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat.

References

1. "End of era as last Atlantic 75 stood down". Fishing News. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
2. "The Atlantic 75". The Lifeboat. 56 (542): 24–25. Winter 1997. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
3. "Dart D'Tales" (PDF). Dartmouth RNLI. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
4. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 67–69.
5. "| Facebook page of the rescue team in Lesbos". Facebook page. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
6. "| Facebook page of the rescue team in Lesbos". Facebook page. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
7. "B-754 The Pride of Sherwood". RNLI Nottinghamshire. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
8. "Welcome | Haverigg Inshore Rescue Team". haverigginshore.org.uk. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
9. "| Facebook page of the rescue team in Suðureyri". Facebook page. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
10. "| Facebook page of the Toila Voluntary Marine Rescue". Facebook page. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
11. "End of era as last Atlantic-75 stooddown". Fishing News. Retrieved 10 December 2021.

External links

• RNLI Fleet: B-class (Atlantic)
• Atlantic 75 class lifeboat at Burnham-on-Crouch RNLI Lifeboat Station