46ft 9in Watson-class lifeboat
The 46 ft 9in Watson-class lifeboat was a non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built between 1947 and 1956 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1947 and 1989.
 City of Bradford III | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 46ft 9in Watson-class |
| Builders: |
|
| Operators: |
 RNLI |
| Preceded by: | 46ft Watson-class |
| Succeeded by: | 47ft Watson-class |
| Cost: | £17,000-£34,000 |
| Built: | 1947-1956 |
| In service: | 1947-1989 |
| Completed: | 28 |
| Lost: | 1 |
| Retired: | 27 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 46ft 9in Watson |
| Displacement: | 22 tons |
| Length: | 46 ft 9 in (14.25 m) |
| Beam: | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) |
| Propulsion: | (As built) 2 × 40bhp Ferry VE4 4-cylinder diesel |
| Speed: | 8 knots |
| Crew: | 8 |
History
After the final three 46ft Watson-class boats had been completed in 1945/6, production switched to the slightly longer 46 ft 9in type in 1947. The first five boats were very similar in appearance to the final 46 ft types, with aft cockpits, turtle shaped shelters and funnel exhausts. In 1948, however, the deck and superstructure layout was completely redesigned. A new aluminium structure featured an open midships cockpit, with a large cabin aft of the cockpit and a smaller cabin forward which gave access to the engine room.
Description
The wooden hulled 46 ft 9in Watson-class was built in two different variations, with the first five closely resembling the preceding 46 ft type. From 1948 the design was completely revised to provide a midships steering position in an open cockpit. There was a large aft survivor cabin which also housed the radio. At the rear of this cabin was a small aft cockpit with a hatch for stretchers to be passed in and an emergency helm position. A smaller forward cabin gave access to the engine room and contained the engine controls. The boats were powered by the same twin 40 bhp Ferry VE4 installation as the earlier boats, but the exhaust was taken up the foremast to outlets well above the deck. The 46 ft 9in Watsons had long lives and were updated through their careers. The first major modification was the enclosing of the cockpit, done to all boats from 1960 onwards. The wheelhouse fitted resembled that of the 47ft Watson but there was no room to install sliding doors, weather shields being installed instead. Radar was later installed on the wheelhouse roof and the original aerial rigging and the aft mast was removed and replaced by pole aerials. Most, but not all, of the boats were re-engined with various examples of Ford-based 6-cylinder diesel engines as described below. Finally, from the early 1980s all of the midships steering types (except ON 908, lost in the Fraserburgh disaster) were fitted with an air bag on the aft cabin roof to give a once only self-righting capability.
Engines
The 46 ft 9in Watsons were the final boats to be equipped with RNLI designed engines. The 42ft Watson-class, introduced in 1954 was the first type to use commercially available engines, followed by the 47ft Watson-class in 1955 and the 52 ft Barnett-class Mk.II in 1957. These all used the Gardner LW engine in four, five and six cylinder forms respectively. The Gardner engines were too large and heavy for the earlier types and were only ever used in new build boats. However, in the mid 1950s Ford had introduced new 4 and 6-cylinder diesel engines for their Thames light truck and coach chassis. These soon attracted the attention of marine engine companies and many marinized versions were on the market. In 1961 the RNLI re-engined a 46ft Watson, ON 803, with 4-cylinder Ford-based Parsons Marlins and in 1963 a programme of re-engining 41ft Watsons and other boats with Parsons Porbeagles began. This 4-cylinder engine was adopted for the 37 ft Oakley-class from 1964 onwards. The 6-cylinder version was small and light enough to replace the 4-cylinder Ferry VE4 engines and, after a trial installation in ON 803 in 1963, a programme of re-engining some 46ft Watsons began in 1965. This was extended to the 46 ft 9in Watsons and in 1965 two boats (ON 852 and ON 908 ) were re-engined with these 6-cylinder Ford-based Parsons Barracuda diesels. Rated at 65 bhp, these gave a 62½% power increase, making the boats more powerful than the newer 47 ft Watsons, and between 1965 and 1968, seven boats were re-engined with Barracudas. In 1969/70, four boats received another 6-cylinder Ford based unit, the Watermota Sea Lion, rated at 70 bhp. From 1971, seven boats were equipped with 70 bhp Ford Thorneycroft 380s, the last as late as 1982, while in 1972 three boats received 70 bhp Ford Mermaid 595s. A feature of all of these re-engining programmes was the replacement of the foremast exhaust system by outlets on each side of the hull, similar to the 37 ft Oakleys. This allowed a slimmer, lighter foremast to be fitted. The exhaust system on some boats like the Howard Marryat remained unchanged .
Fleet
Aft cockpit type
ON is the RNLI's sequential Official Number.
| ON | Name | Built | Builder | In service | Stations | Re-engined | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 849 | William Gammon - Manchester and District XXX | 1947 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1947–1974 1974–1982 |
The Mumbles Relief fleet |
1968-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda 6-cyl diesel | Sold February 1984 |
| 852 | Tynesider | 1947 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1947–1979 1979–1983 |
Tynemouth Relief fleet |
1965-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda 6-cyl diesel | Sold February 1984 |
| 853 | Winston Churchill (Civil Service No.8) | 1947 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1948–1979 1980–1982 |
Blyth Relief fleet |
1966-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda 6-cyl diesel | Sold July 1983 |
| 854 | Sarah Tilson | 1949 | Alexander Robertson, Sandbank | 1950–1978 | Baltimore | -- | Sold December 1979 |
| 855 | W.M. Tilson | 1949 | Alexander Robertson, Sandbank | 1950–1968 | Arranmore | -- | Sold August 1970 |
Midship steering cabin type
| ON | Name | Built | Builder | In service | Stations | Re-engined | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 865 | Elizabeth Rippon | 1948 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1948–1975 1975–1977 |
St Helier Relief fleet |
1966-2x65bhp
Parsons Barracuda |
Sold October 1977 |
| 866 | Charles Henry Ashley | 1949 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1949–1979 1979–1986 |
Porthdinllaen Relief fleet |
1969-2x70bhp
Watermota Sea Lion |
Sold March 1987 |
| 867 | Lady Scott (Civil Service No.4) | 1949 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1949–1981 1981–1986 |
Portrush Relief fleet |
1972-2x70bhp
Ford Thorneycroft 380 |
Sold July 1987 |
| 868 | John and Lucy Cordingley | 1950 | Sussex Yacht Co.,Shoreham | 1950–1960 1960–1969 1969–1981 |
Teesmouth Helvick Head Relief fleet |
-- | Sold November 1981 |
| 885 | Sir Samuel Kelly | 1950 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1950–1976 1976–1979 |
Donaghadee Relief fleet |
1972-2x70bhp
Ford Mermaid 595 |
Sold in 1980 |
| 886 | Sarah Townsend Porritt | 1951 | Sussex Yacht Co., Shoreham | 1951–1978 1978–1982 |
Lytham St Annes Relief fleet |
1971-2x70bhp
Ford Thorneycroft 380 |
Sold October 1982 |
| 887 | Sir Godfrey Baring | 1951 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1952–1968 1968–1970 1972–1982 1982–1986 |
Clacton on Sea Wick Workington Relief fleet |
1972-2x70bhp
Ford Mermaid 595 |
Sold July 1986 |
| 888 | North Foreland (Civil Service No.11) | 1951 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1951–1978 1978–1981 |
Margate Relief fleet |
-- | On display at
Chatham Historic Dockyard. |
| 896 | Douglas Hyde | 1952 | Camper & Nicholson, Gosport | 1952–1969 1970–1972 |
Rosslare Harbour Dunmore East |
1970-2x70bhp
Watermota Sea Lion |
Sold February 1973 |
| 900 | Herbert Leigh | 1951 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1951–1982 1983–1988 |
Barrow Relief fleet |
1977-2x70bhp
Ford Thorneycroft 380 |
Sold in 1990 |
| 901 | Michael and Lily Davis | 1953 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1953–1976 1976–1979 |
Ramsgate Relief fleet |
-- | Sold in 1979 |
| 908 | Duchess of Kent | 1954 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1954–1970 | Fraserburgh | 1965-2x65bhp
Parsons Barracuda |
Capsized on service 21/1/1970,
five crew lost. Broken up October 1970. |
| 910 | Edian Courtauld | 1953 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1953–1977 1977–1981 |
Walton and Frinton Relief fleet |
1967-2x65bhp
Parsons Barracuda |
Sold August 1981 |
| 911 | City of Bradford II | 1954 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1954–1977 1978–1985 |
Humber Lytham St Annes |
1968-2x65bhp
Parsons Barracuda |
Sold August 1985 |
| 919 | Deneys Reitz | 1954 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1954–1980 | Fowey | 1970-2x70bhp
Watermota Sea Lion |
Sold September 1980 |
| 921 | Greater London II (Civil Service No.30) | 1955 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1955–1976 1977–1989 |
Southend on Sea Beaumaris |
1969-2x70bhp
Watermota Sea Lion |
Sold in 1991 |
| 925 | Henry Comber Brown | 1955 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1955–1986 | Tenby | 1969-2x70bhp
Watermota Sea Lion |
Sold in 1987 |
| 926 | Guy and Clare Hunter | 1955 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1955–1981 1981–1982 1982–1983 1983–1984 1984–1985 1985–1988 |
St Mary's Fowey Penlee Padstow Cromer Relief fleet |
1972-2x70bhp
Ford Mermaid 595 |
Sold June 1988 |
| 928 | Lilla Marras, Douglas and Will | 1955 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1955–1968 1968–1971 1972–1974 1974–1978 1978–1979 1979–1982 |
Cromarty Falmouth Falmouth Relief fleet Donaghadee Relief fleet |
1978-2x 70 bhp
Ford Thorneycroft 380 |
Sold October 1982 |
| 929 | R.A. Colby Cubbin No.1 | 1956 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1956–1988 | Douglas | 1979-2x70bhp
Ford Thorneycroft 380 |
Sold in 1989 |
| 930 | R.A. Colby Cubbin No.2 | 1956 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1956–1976 1976–1977 |
Port St Mary Relief fleet |
-- | Sold October 1977 |
| 931 | Richard Vernon and Mary Garforth of Leeds | 1956 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1957–1987 1987–1988 |
Angle Wicklow |
1980-2x70bhp
Ford Thorneycroft 380 |
Sold in 1989 |
| 932 | Howard Marryat | 1956 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1957–1981 1982–1986 1987–1988 1988 |
Fishguard Barrow Moelfre Relief fleet |
1982-2x70bhp
Ford Thorneycroft 380 |
Sold September 1989 |