46ft Watson-class lifeboat
The 46 ft Watson-class was a non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built between 1935 and 1946 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1935 and 1981.
 The Good Hope (centre) at Watchet, Somerset | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 46ft Watson-class |
| Builders: |
|
| Operators: |
 RNLI |
| Preceded by: | 45ft 6in Watson-class |
| Succeeded by: | 46ft 9in Watson-class |
| Cost: | £7,300-£17,000 |
| Built: | 1935-1946 |
| In service: | 1935-1981 |
| Completed: | 28 |
| Lost: | 2 |
| Retired: | 26 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 46ft Watson motor lifeboat |
| Displacement: | 21 tons |
| Length: | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Beam: | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 8 knots |
| Crew: | 8 |
History
The 46 ft Watson was longer and wider than the preceding 45ft 6in Watson type. The 46 ft type was one of the last to be adapted to suit the conditions at individual stations with shallower draft versions (ONs 805,815,820 and 838) being supplied to four stations. Post World War Two, standard designs were the order of the day.
Description
The 46 ft Watson initially had an aft cockpit with a shelter containing the engine controls. Ahead of the shelter was the exhaust funnel and ahead of the mast was a small forward shelter. On ONs 805 and 815, the cockpit shelter was lengthened, with the funnel mounted on its forward end and these two featured end boxes. ON 820 also had the lengthened shelter but retained a flush deck. From ON 828 the forward shelter was deleted. Two boats, ONs 840 and 846 had midships cockpits, ahead of the funnel, with a shelter ahead of it as well as the rear shelter. Four of the first five boats had two 40 bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cylinder petrol engines, but the fourth, ON 787, was fitted with two 40 bhp Ferry VE4 4-cylinder diesels, making it the first RNLI lifeboat to be built with diesel engines. The diesels became standard from the sixth boat on. In the mid sixties, seven boats were re-engined with 65 bhp Ford-based Parsons Barracuda 6-cylinder diesels after experiments with ON 803 which had been fitted with 47 bhp Parsons Marlin diesels in 1961 and then re-engined with Barracudas in 1963. The 46 ft Watsons were long lived, most reaching more than thirty years service and some topping forty years.
Fleet
ON is the RNLI's sequential Official Number.
| ON | Name | Built | Builder | In service | Stations | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 777 | H.F. Bailey | 1935 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1935–1945 1946–1960 1960–1972 |
Cromer No.1 Helvick Head Relief fleet |
Sold in 1972 |
| 778 | Edward and Isabella Irwin | 1935 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1935–1963 1963–1969 |
Sunderland Relief fleet |
Sold 1971 |
| 784 | Civil Service No.6 1956- Swn-Y-Mor (Civil Service No.6) |
1935 | Groves & Gutteridge, Cowes | 1936–1963 1964–1967 1967–1972 |
St Davids Eyemouth Relief fleet |
Sold February 1973 |
| 787 | S.G.E. | 1936 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1936–1937 | Yarmouth | Destroyed by fire at Groves & Guttridge 18/6/1937. |
| 788 | Jeanie Spiers | 1937 | Alexander Robertson & Sons, Sandbank | 1937–1961 | Portpatrick | Sold April 1961 |
| 789 | R.P.L. | 1936 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1937–1962 | Howth | Sold September 1962 |
| 790 | John and Charles Kennedy | 1936 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1937–1953 | Fraserburgh | Capsized on service 9/2/1953, six crew lost. Broken up. |
| 801 | Sir Arthur Rose | 1938 | Alexander Robertson, Sandbank | 1938–1947 1948–1957 1958–1969 1969–1972 |
Tobermory Mallaig Courtmacsherry Harbour Relief fleet |
Sold February 1973 |
| 802 | City of Edinburgh | 1938 | Alexander Robertson, Sandbank | 1938–1968 1969–1976 |
Wick Relief fleet |
Re-engined 1966-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda.
Sold July 1976 |
| 803 | Canadian Pacific | 1938 | Alexander Robertson, Sandbank | 1938–1969 1969–1977 |
Selsey Relief fleet |
Re-engined 1961-2x47bhp Parsons Marlin, 1963-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda. Sold February 1978 |
| 804 | S.G.E. | 1938 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1938–1943 1943–1945 1945–1963 |
Yarmouth Relief fleet Yarmouth |
Replacement for ON 787. Sold April 1964 |
| 805 | Samuel and Marie Parkhouse | 1938 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1938–1962 | Salcombe | Sold September 1963 |
| 814 | Dunleary II | 1938 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1938–1967 1967–1969 1969–1972 1972–1973 |
Dun Laoghaire Lochinver Relief fleet Dunmore East |
Sold August 1974 |
| 815 | Violet Armstrong | 1938 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1938–1962 | Appledore | Sold October 1962 |
| 818 | Mabel Marion Thompson | 1939 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1939–1952 1952–1968 1968–1970 1970–1974 |
Rosslare Harbour Aran Islands Arranmore Relief fleet |
Sold April 1975 |
| 819 | Julia Park Barry, of Glasgow | 1939 | Alexander Robertson, Sandbank | 1939–1969 1969–1979 |
Peterhead Relief fleet |
Re-engined 1964-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda. Sold March 1979 |
| 820 | Louise Stephens | 1939 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1939–1967 1967–1974 |
Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Eyemouth |
Sold August 1974 |
| 821 | The Good Hope | 1939 | Alexander Robertson, Sandbank | 1939–1972 1972–1980 |
Montrose No.1 Relief fleet |
Re-engined 1966-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda. Sold in 1981 |
| 822 | Jesse Lumb | 1939 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1939–1970 1970–1980 |
Bembridge Relief fleet |
Re-engined in 1965-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda. Sold July 1981 |
| 828 | The Princess Royal (Civil Service No.7) | 1939 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1939–1968 1968–1976 |
Hartlepool Relief fleet |
Re-engined 1965-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda |
| 829 | Crawford and Constance Conybeare | 1939 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1940–1968 1968–1974 |
Falmouth Relief fleet |
Sold August 1974 |
| 830 | Annie Blanche Smith | 1939 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1940–1970 1970–1971 |
Dunmore East Relief fleet |
Sold July 1971 |
| 838 | Michael Stephens | 1939 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1939–1963 1963–1968 1968–1976 |
Lowestoft Exmouth Relief fleet |
Sold January 1976 |
| 840 | Millie Walton 1947-Henry Blogg |
1945 | Sussex Yacht Co., Shoreham | 1945–1966 1966–1976 |
Cromer No.1 Relief fleet |
Midships cockpit. Originally built for Douglas. Sold April 1977 |
| 841 | Manchester and Salford XXIX | 1943 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1943–1953 1953–1972 1972–1974 |
Pwllheli Workington Relief fleet |
Sold August 1974 |
| 842 | (Milly Walton) | 1942 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | -- | -- | Intended for Douglas, destroyed in air raid at Cowes 4/5/1942. |
| 843 | (Charles Henry Ashley) | 1942 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | -- | -- | Intended for Porthdinllaen, destroyed in air raid at Cowes 4/5/1942. |
| 846 | Field Marshal and Mrs Smuts | 1945 | Morgan Giles, Teignmouth | 1945–1977 1977–1979 |
Beaumaris Relief fleet |
Midships cockpit. Sold August 1979 |
| 847 | Gertrude | 1946 | Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge | 1946–1968 1968–1970 1971–1974 1980–1981 1974–1982 |
Holy Island Exmouth Sheerness Fowey Relief fleet |
Re-engined 1965-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda. Sold February 1982 |
| 848 | Millie Walton | 1946 | Groves & Guttridge, Cowes | 1946–1956 1956–1974 1974–1977 |
Douglas Amble Relief fleet |
Sold October 1977 |