The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways.
A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are inflated with air to a high pressure so as to give the sides resilient rigidity along the boat's topsides. The design is stable, light, fast and seaworthy. The inflated collar acts as a life jacket, ensuring that the vessel retains its buoyancy, even if the boat is taking on water. The RIB is an evolutionary development of the inflatable boat with a rubberized fabric bottom that is stiffened with flat boards within the collar to form the deck or floor of the boat.
The Tyne-class lifeboat was a class of lifeboat that served as a part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution fleet until 2019. They were named after the River Tyne in North East England.
The Atlantic 75 is part of the B-class of lifeboats that serve the shores of the United Kingdom as a part of the RNLI inshore fleet.
The E-class lifeboat forms part of the RNLI fleet in the United Kingdom, operating exclusively in the tidal reach of the River Thames in London. The class was introduced in 2002 to serve the tidal reach of the River Thames, which had not previously been covered by an RNLI rescue service, as a result of a much delayed enquiry into the Marchioness disaster in 1989, in which 51 people died. The enquiry criticised the lack of a rescue service for the tidal Thames, and the UK government asked the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Port of London Authority and the RNLI to work together to set up a dedicated Search and Rescue service for this stretch of the river.
The Atlantic 85 is part of the B-class of lifeboats that serve the shores of the United Kingdom and Ireland as a part of the RNLI inshore fleet.
The Atlantic 21 is part of the B class of lifeboats that served the shores of the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) inshore fleet. The Atlantic 21 was the first generation rigid inflatable boat (RIB), originated at and by Atlantic College in South Wales, the birthplace of the RIB after which the craft is so named. The school was also one of nine locations where the RNLI first established lifeboat stations using smaller inshore watercraft. Atlantic College Lifeboat Station was commissioned by the RNLI in 1963 and decommissioned in 2013.
The D-class (EA16) lifeboat is a class of inflatable boat operated since 1987 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It has been replaced operationally by the D-class (IB1), but many are still used as part of the relief fleet, as boarding boats for the larger classes of lifeboat and by the RNLI Flood Rescue Team.
Since its inception, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has provided lifeboats to lifeboat stations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The Arancia-class inshore rescue craft is a class of small inflatable rescue boat (IRB) operated by, among others, Surf Lifesaving Great Britain, Surf Life Saving Association of Wales and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The XP-class lifeboat is a class of small inflatable rescue boat operated by the RNLI of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine. Lifeboats may be rigid, inflatable or rigid-inflatable combination-hulled vessels.
The Manchester Unity of Oddfellows was an Oakley-class lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stationed at Sheringham in the English county of Norfolk from 10 July 1961 until 1990 when she was replaced after 29 years service by an Atlantic 75 second generation Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in May 1992. During the time that The Manchester Unity of Oddfellows was on station at Sheringham, she performed 127 service launches, rescuing 134 lives.
RNLB Lloyds II was an Oakley-class lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stationed at Sheringham in the English county of Norfolk from 8 October 1990 until April 1992, when she was replaced by the Atlantic 75 second generation Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) Manchester Unity of Oddfellows in April 1992. During the time that the Lloyds II was on station at Sheringham, she performed 13 service launches.
Atlantic College Lifeboat Station was an inshore lifeboat station based at the United World College of the Atlantic on the coast of South Wales, responsible for rescues in the challenging waters of the Bristol Channel.
Mudeford Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Mudeford, Christchurch, Dorset in England. The first lifeboat was stationed on Mudeford Quay 1963 and the present station was opened in 2003. It operates an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat (ILB).
Southwold Lifeboat Station is an RNLI operated lifeboat station located in the town of Southwold in the English county of Suffolk.
A C-class lifeboat usually refers to the Zodiac Grand Raid Mark IVs lifeboats, powered by twin 40 hp outboard motors, manufactured by Zodiac Marine & Pool of France, and which were operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Sandown Lifeboat Station is owned and run by Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat Service. It is located in the town of Sandown in the English county and island of the Isle of Wight.
The D-class lifeboat was a sub-class of 4 inflatable boats operated as part of the D-class between 1971 and 1986 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was superseded by the D-class lifeboat.