D-class lifeboat (Zodiac III)

D-233 being launched at Borth
Class overview
Name	D-class (Zodiac III)
Builders	Zodiac Nautic
Operators	RNLI
Preceded by	D-class (RFD PB16)
Succeeded by	D-class (EA16)
Built	1971–1987
In service	1971–1996
Completed	64
Retired	64
General characteristics
Class & type	Zodiac III
Complement	2 or 3

The D-class (Zodiac III) lifeboat is a class of inflatable boat operated between 1971 and 1996 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was replaced operationally by the D-class (EA16).

Utilization

For more than 60 years the D-class has served as the workhorse of the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) fleet. The D-class is one of the few RNLI types not to feature a rigid hull. The D-class was specifically designed as a light and highly manoeuvrable rapid response craft, especially suited to close shore work.

RNLI Fleet

Op. No. [a]	Name	In Service [1]	Station	Comments
D-205	Unnamed	1971–1976 1976–1987	Conwy Relief fleet
D-206	Unnamed	1971–1974 1974–1975 1976–1987 1987–1992	Relief fleet Harwich Relief fleet Publicity Boat (D-28-P)
D-207	Unnamed	1972–1974 1974–1988 1988–????	Criccieth Relief fleet Publicity Boat (D-29-P)
D-214	Unnamed	1972–1976 1977–1987	Exmouth Relief fleet
D-223	Unnamed	1972–1987	Relief fleet
D-224	Unnamed	1975–1982 1982–1988 1988–????	Stranraer Relief fleet Publicity Boat (D-30-P)
D-225	Unnamed	1975–1976 1977–1978 1978–1986 1986–1987 1987–1988	Moelfre Harwich Relief fleet Southend-on-Sea Publicity Boat (D-31-P)
D-226	Unnamed	1975–1982 1982–1988	Hastings Relief fleet
D-227	Unnamed	1976–1982 1982–1988 1988–????	Withernsea Relief fleet Publicity Boat (D-32-P)
D-228	Unnamed	1975–1982 1982–1986 1986 1986–1987 1987–????	Craster Relief fleet Rhyl Relief fleet Publicity Boat (D-33-P)
D-229	Unnamed	1975–1984 1984–1988	Cullercoats Relief fleet
D-230	Miss Winfield	1975–1987 1987	West Kirby Relief fleet
D-231	Unnamed	1976–1986 1987	Burnham-on-Crouch Relief fleet
D-232	Unnamed	1975–1987 1988	Bude Publicity Boat (D-4-P)
D-233	Unnamed	1976–1987	Borth
D-234	Unnamed	1975–1984 1985–1986 1987 1987–1993	Stonehaven Amble Relief fleet Publicity Boat (D-6-P)
D-235	Unnamed	1975–1978 1979–1987 1988	St Abbs Tighnabruaich Publicity Boat (D-11-P)
D-236	Unnamed	1975–1987 1988–????	Southend-on-Sea Publicity Boat
D-237	Unnamed	1975–1987 1987 1987–1989	Crimdon Dene Relief fleet Publicity Boat (D-13-P)
D-238	Hemel Hempstead Round Table	1976–1987 1987–????	New Quay Publicity Boat (D-15-P)
D-239	Unnamed	1976–1987	Conwy
D-240	Unnamed	1976–1978 1978–1987 1987–1988	Harwich Relief fleet Publicity Boat (D-4-P)
D-241	Unnamed	1976–1986 1986 1987	Rye Harbour Kilkeel Relief fleet
D-242	Unnamed	1976–1987 1987–????	Little and Broad Haven Publicity Boat
D-243	Unnamed	1976–1987 1987–1988 1988–1991	Rhyl Relief fleet Publicity Boat
D-244	Unnamed	1976–1987 1987–1988	Bembridge Publicity Boat
D-245	Alick Mackay	1976–1985 1985–1988 1988>1994	Kinghorn Relief fleet Boarding Boat
D-246	Spirit of Rotary	1976–1987 1987–1988	Wells-next-the-Sea Relief fleet
D-247	Unnamed	1976–1987	Mablethorpe
D-248	Unnamed	1976–1978 1978–1988	Yarmouth Relief fleet
D-249	Caribbean I	1976–1987	Holyhead
D-250	Unnamed	1977–1988 1988–1993	Llandudno Publicity Boat (D-4-P)
D-251	Unnamed	1977–1988	Lytham St Annes
D-252	Unnamed	1976–1988 1988–????	Flint Publicity Boat (D-5-P)
D-253	Unnamed	1976–1988	Sheerness
D-254	Unnamed	1977–1988	Walmer
D-255	Unnamed	1977–1987	Exmouth
D-256	Lion Cub I	1978–1986 1986–1988	St Ives Relief fleet
D-257	Unnamed	1978–1988	Port Isaac
D-258	Unnamed	1978 1981 1983–1984 1986–1988 1986–1994	On Board 70-003 On Board 70-003 On Board 70-003 On Board 70-003 Boarding Boat
D-259	S.M.T.A. Shuttle	1978–1988 1988–1989	Trearddur Bay Boarding Boat
D-260	Gwynaeth	1978–1988 1988–1993	Whitby Boarding Boat
D-261	Unnamed	1978–1988 1988>1994	Kippford Boarding Boat
D-262	Clacton Round Table 3484	1978–1984 1984–1988 1988–1991	Clacton-on-Sea Relief fleet Boarding Boat
D-263	Unnamed	1978–1988	On Board 70-002
D-270	Unnamed	1980–1988	Aldeburgh
D-271	Unnamed	1980–1988 1988–1989 1989–1993	North Sunderland Relief fleet Boarding Boat
D-272	Unnamed	1980–1983 1983–1989	Criccieth Relief fleet
D-278	Unnamed	1980–1984 1984–1989 1989–????	Newquay Relief fleet Boarding Boat
D-279	Unnamed	1981–1989 1989–????	Penarth Boarding Boat
D-280	Unnamed	1981–1989 1989–1992	Tynemouth Publicity Boat (D-2-P)
D-281	Sewing Machine Times	1981–1989 1989–????	Aberdeen Publicity Boat (D-9-P)
D-282	Unnamed	1981–1989 1989–1993	Weston-super-Mare Boarding Boat
D-283	Unnamed	1982–1990	Skerries
D-287	Unnamed	1983–1989 1989–????	Stranraer Publicity Boat
D-288	Cinque Ports I	1983–1989 1989–????	Hastings Publicity Boat (D-20-P)
D-289	Unnamed	1983–1989	Withernsea
D-290	Unnamed	1983–1989 1989–1990	Craster Relief fleet
D-312	Court Henbury	1985–1992 1992–1995	Relief fleet Publicity Boat
D-313	Unnamed	1985–1992 1992–1995	Relief fleet Publicity Boat
D-314	Tricentrol I	1985–1992 1992–1995	Relief fleet Publicity Boat
D-340	Blue Peter VI	1987–1994	Relief fleet
D-341	Unnamed	1987–1988 1988 1989 1989–1993 1993–1994	Relief fleet Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Relief fleet Boarding Boat
D-342	Unnamed	1987–1992 1993–1996	Relief fleet Boarding Boat

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

References

1. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 89–91.