Other small boats operated by the RNLI include the Arancia-class beach rescue boats, the X-class and the Y-class lifeboats.[3]
History
The XP-class boat was a commercially available small inflatable boat, the Avon Rover 200, for use as a tender with larger vessels, and manufactured by Avon in based in Dafen, Carmarthenshire, Wales.
The craft was acquired by the RNLI, primarily for service as a daughter boat for the Trent-class All-weather lifeboats, to be used in areas inaccessible to the much larger Trent-class.[1][4]
Over a period of 10 years, four XP-class boats were placed on service at South Broads Lifeboat Station in Suffolk. The XP was carried on a purpose built rack on the back of a Ford Ranger crew cab pickup, with the engine and all gear stowed in the load bed. On arrival on scene at any launch site withing the 120-mile operating area of the station, the boat could be unpacked and launched within four minutes. On evaluation tests, it was found that with the engine tilted up, it could operate in water depths of just 2in (51mm). The South Broads boat had a 15-hp engine, delivering over 20 knots. South Broads closed in 2011.[2]
Specification
Operated by one or two crew members, the XP boat was usually equipped with a 5-hp outboard engine, giving a top speed of 6–8 knots. The boat weighed 70kg, and required inflation before use. It was constructed of hypalon/neoprene coated polyester, and featured a slatted roll-away deck.[6]
All of the following fleet details are referenced to the 2004–2026 Lifeboat Enthusiast Society Handbooks, with information retrieved directly from RNLI records, although the majority of records were only kept from 2008 onwards.[7]
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution