Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage

Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage
Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage
Type	Launch carriage
Manufacturer	Clayton Engineering Limited [1]
Length	8.3 m (330 in)
Weight	2.4 Tonnes maximum ballasted weight.

The Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage is a drive on - drive off lifeboat launch and recovery carriage used by both the RNLI and Independent services, to launch their Atlantic-class Inshore lifeboats.

Design

The design is by Clayton Engineering Limited, ^[2] who worked with the RNLI to produce the launch system. The carriage works in conjunction with Talus tractors which are used to deploy the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboats. There are three versions of the carriage which includes a standard carriage and the option of a hydraulic power pack so that the angle of the launch can be changed to suit the conditions. The carriage launch platform has a main bed which elevates through 10° to achieve this feature. The third variant of the carriage has the elevation bed mounted on a rail carriage system.

Operation

Under normal launch conditions the lifeboat is loaded with its bow to the rear of the carriage to allow faster deployment. When the lifeboat is recovered it reverses back on to the launch bed. ^[3] Depending on the sea condition the helmsman require good seamanship to achieve this.

All of the following fleet details are referenced to the 2008–2016 and 2021–2026 Lifeboat Enthusiast Society Handbooks, with information retrieved directly from RNLI records. ^[4]

Carriage fleet

Op.No. [a]	In service [4]	Station	Image	Payload	Comments
C-DD-001	2007–	Mudeford		Atlantic 85 Henrietta H (B-948)
C-DD-002	2007–	Cullercoats		Atlantic 85 Daddy's Girl (B-935)
C-DD-003	2007–	Newquay		Atlantic 85 Uncle Johnny (B-936)
C-DD-004	2007–2024	Flamborough
C-DDR-005-P (Hydraulic Cradle)	2007–	Port Erin		Atlantic 85 Neil Crowe (B-951)
C-DDR-006-S (Hydraulic Cradle)	2007–	Kirkcudbright		Atlantic 85 Sheila Stenhouse (B-814)
C-DDA-007	2007–	Sheringham		Atlantic 85 The Oddfellows (B-818)	[5]
C-DDA-008-PT	2007–2015> <2020–	Walmer Aberystwyth		Atlantic 85 Florence and Ernest Bowles (B-937)
C-DDA-009-S	2007–2015> <2020–	Aberystwyth Rye Harbour		Atlantic 85 Hello Herbie II (B-900)
C-DDA-010	2007–2011	Criccieth		Atlantic 85 Frank Townley (B-938)
C-DDA-011-P	2007–2015 <2020–	Minehead Walmer		Atlantic 85 Hounslow Branch (B-950)
C-DDA-012-P	2021–	Blackpool		Atlantic 85 William and Eleanor (B-867)
C-DDA-013	2008–2015> <2020–	Lough Swilly Silloth		Atlantic 85 Elaine and Don Wilkinson (B-828)
C-DD-014	<2020–	Hayling Island		Atlantic 85 Derrick Battle (B-829)
C-DD-015	2008–2015> 2021–	Silloth Margate		Atlantic 85 Colonel Stock (B-930)
C-DD-016	2009–2015> <2020–	Hayling Island Bundoran		Atlantic 85 William Henry Liddington (B-834)
C-DD-017	2009–2010 2010–2020 2021–	St Bees Kilrush Red Bay		Atlantic 85 Geoffrey Charles (B-843)
C-DD-018-P	2009–2021	Porthcawl
C-DD-019	2009–2015> 2021–	Bundoran Kinghorn		Atlantic 85 Tommy Niven (B-836)
C-DD-020	2009–2015> <2020–	Kinghorn Penarth		Atlantic 85 Maureen Lilian (B-839)
C-DDA-021	2009–2015 <2020	New Brighton Criccieth
C-DDA-022-P	2011–2015>	Criccieth
C-DD-023	2010–2015> 2021–	Beaumaris Trearddur Bay		Atlantic 85 Hereford Endeavour (B-847)
C-DD-024	2010–2015> <2020–	Penarth Beaumaris		Atlantic 85 Annette Mary Liddington (B-838)
C-DDA-025	2013–2020 2021–	Blackpool Criccieth		Atlantic 85 Frank Townley (B-938)
C-DD-026	2010–2021 2022–	St Catherine Hunstanton		Atlantic 85 Spirit of West Norfolk (B-848)
C-DD-027	2010–2021 2022–	Red Bay Redcar		Atlantic 85 Leicester Challenge III (B-858)
C-DDA-028-P	2010–2015> <2020–	Rye Harbour New Brighton		Atlantic 85 Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 51) (B-837)	[3]
C-DD-029	<2020–2022 2023–	Lough Swilly Tighnabruaich		Atlantic 85 James and Helen Mason (B-862)
C-DD-030	2010–2020 2021–	Trearddur Bay Kilrush		Atlantic 85 Edith Louise Eastwick (B-844)
C-DD-031	2011–2021 2023–	Hunstanton Lyme Regis		Atlantic 85 Spirit of Loch Fyne (B-857)
C-DD-032	2011–2022 2023–	Largs Lough Swilly		Atlantic 85 Minnie and Ernest George Barry (B-819)
C-DD-033	2012–2022 2023–	Lyme Regis Appledore		Atlantic 85 Glaneley (B-861)
C-DD-034	2012–2021 2023–	Redcar Largs		Atlantic 85 R. A. Wilson (B-854)
C-DD-035	2012–2022 2024–2025	Appledore Clacton-on-Sea
C-DD-036	2012–2022	Tighnabruaich
C-DD-037	2012–2023 2024–	Clacton-on-Sea Newbiggin		Atlantic 85 Richard Wake Burdon (B-864)
C-DDA-038	2012–2023	Newbiggin
C-DD-039	2021–2022	Littlestone-on-Sea
C-DD-040	2013–	Skerries		Atlantic 85 Louis Simson (B-866)
C-DD-041	2013–2023 2025–	Clifden Flamborough		Atlantic 85 Elizabeth Jane Palmer (B-820)
C-DD-042	2013–	Cardigan		Atlantic 85 Albatross (B-871)
C-DD-043	2014–2024 2025–	Kessock Newcastle		Atlantic 85 Berylium (B-955)
C-DD-044-P	2013–	Baltimore		Atlantic 85 Rita Daphne Smyth (B-910)
C-DD-045	2014–	Clovelly		Atlantic 85 Toby Rundle (B-872)
C-DD-046	2014–	Arran		Atlantic 85 Rachael Hedderwick (B-876)
C-DD-047	2014–	Whitstable		Atlantic 85 Lewisco (B-877)
C-DDA-048-S	2015–	Minehead		Atlantic 85 Penny J II (B-939)
C-DD-049	2015–	Portishead		Atlantic 85 My Lady Anne (B-884)
C-DD-050	2015–	Abersoch		Atlantic 85 Peter and Ann Setten (B-886)
C-DD-051	2015–	Mablethorpe		Atlantic 85 Jacqueline Saville (B-887)
C-DD-052	2016–	Youghal		Atlantic 85 Gordon and Phil (B-890)
C-DD-053	2016–	Looe		Atlantic 85 Sheila & Dennis Tongue II (B-894)
C-DD-054	2016–	Aberdovey		Atlantic 85 Hugh Miles (B-896)
C-DD-055	2016–	Staithes and Runswick		Atlantic 85 Sheila & Dennis Tongue III (B-897)
C-DD-056	2021–	Filey		Atlantic 85 Marjorie Shepherd (B-928)
C-DDA-057-P	2017–2023 2024–	Happisburgh Aldeburgh		Atlantic 85 Ralph (B-949)
C-DD-058	2019–	Burnham-on-Sea		Atlantic 85 Doris Day and Brian (B-914)
C-DDA-059	2019–	Burry Port		Atlantic 85 The Missus Barrie (B-915)
C-DDA-060	2022–	Porthcawl		Atlantic 85 Rose Of The Shires (B-832)
C-DD-061	2022–	St Catherine		Atlantic 85 Eric W Wilson (B-841)
C-DD-062	2021–	Weston-super-Mare		Atlantic 85 Douglas Murray (B-830)
C-DD-063	2024–	Clifden		Atlantic 85 Joyce King (B-869)
C-DD-064	2023–	Littlestone-on-Sea		Atlantic 85 Jean McIvor (B-922)
C-DD-065
C-DD-066
C-DD-067	2025–	Cleethorpes		Atlantic 85 Loving You (B-942)
C-DD-068		Freshwater (Ind.)		Atlantic 85 The Jillian Scott: Spirit of the West Wight V

1. Op.No. is the RNLI's operational number of the carriage.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Independent lifeboats in Britain and Ireland
• Talus MB-H amphibious tractor
• Talus MB-764 amphibious tractor
• Talus MB-4H amphibious tractor
• RNLI New Holland TC45 launch tractor

References

1. "Home Page – Clayton Engineering". Information about Clayton Engineering, their products and their clients. Clayton Engineering Limited. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
2. "Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage". Description and details of the carriage. Clayton Engineering Limited. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
3. "Rapid Response Lifeboat". Description and details of DO DO [ Drive On / Drive Off ] Carriage. Copyright © The Royal National Lifeboat Institution. New Brighton. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
4. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2026). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2026. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 65–68.
5. "The Tractor – Sheringham Lifeboat Website". Description of the deployment and recovery of the Oddfellows (B-818) using C-DDA-007. Copyright © Sheringham Lifeboats. Retrieved 3 April 2014.