47ft Watson-class lifeboat

The 47 ft Watson-class was a class of non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built from 1955 to 1963 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1956 and 1991.

Class overview
Name:	47ft Watson class
Builders:	William Osborne, Littlehampton Groves & Guttridge, Cowes J. Samuel White, Cowes
Operators:	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Preceded by:	46ft 9in Watson-class
Succeeded by:	Tyne-class
Cost:	£35,000-£40,500
Built:	1955-1963
In service:	1956-1991
Completed:	18
Lost:	2
Retired:	16
General characteristics
Class and type:	47ft Watson
Displacement:	23 tons
Length:	47 ft (14 m)
Beam:	13 ft (4.0 m)
Draught:	4 ft 5 in (1.35 m)
Propulsion:	2 × 60bhp Gardner 5LW 5-cyl. diesel
Speed:	9 knots
Range:	280 nm
Crew:	8

History

The 47 ft Watson was the final development of the basic hull design laid out by George Lennox Watson in the late nineteenth century and was designed by James Barnett. They were the final Watson type boats to be built and survived in service almost to the end of the displacement hull era. The prototype, Dunnet Head (Civil Service No.31) (ON 920), was built in 1955 and was placed on station at Thurso in January 1956. Unfortunately, on 10 December 1956, the boathouse at Thurso caught fire and both it and the lifeboat inside were destroyed. No further 47 ft Watsons were built during 1956 and production of the 46 ft 9in Watson continued during that year. Production of the new type resumed in 1957, with the first being a replacement boat for Thurso, still Civil Service no.31, but named Pentland. Production continued until 1963 when large displacement hull development turned to the self-righting 48 ft 6in Oakley-class and later Solent-class.

Description

Compared to the preceding 46ft 9in Watson-class lifeboat, the new boats had a hull extended by 3 inches in both length and beam. The wheelhouse was fully enclosed with sliding doors on either side and there were bulwarks above the fenders fore and aft and, from the second boat, the forward cabin was increased in size. As with the previous year's 42ft Watson-class, the boats were powered by commercial diesel engines rather than the RNLI designed units used previously. In this case, two 60 bhp Gardner 5LW five cylinder diesels were fitted with the exhaust being taken up the mast as on the later 46 ft 9in boats. As built, the boats had line aerials rigged from the forward mast to a pole mast aft of the rear cabin. During their careers, this rig was replaced by twin pole aerials and the aft mast was removed. Radar was fitted on a bracket on the port side of the rear cabin roof (some had it fitted to the wheelhouse roof). From 1973, the boats were modified to become self-righting by, in most cases, the fitting of an air bag on the starboard side of the rear cabin roof, adjacent to the radar. This gave a once only self-righting ability which was successfully deployed when Salcombe's The Baltic Exchange capsized on service in 1983. Six boats were rebuilt with larger forward and aft superstructures (akin to the 48 ft 6in Oakley and Solent classes) which made them inherently self-righting. In these boats the masts were removed and the exhaust outlets were on the side of the hull. The engines in these six were uprated to 70 bhp and these modified boats were the longest lasting of the type, all but one serving into the 1990s.

Fleet

ON is the RNLI's sequential Official Number.

ON	Name	Built	Builder	In service	Stations	Comments
920	Dunnet Head (Civil Service No.31)	1955	William Osborne, Littlehampton	1956	Thurso	Destroyed by fire in boathouse 10/12/1956
940	Pentland (Civil Service No.31)	1957	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1957–1970 1970–1974 1974–1985 1986–1990	Thurso Relief fleet The Mumbles Workington	Self-righting mods 1974-5. Sold March 1991
947	Margaret	1958	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1959–1986	Dunbar	Sold in 1987
950	Kathleen Mary	1959	William Osborne, Littlehampton	1959–1977 1979–1987 1987–1988 1988–1990	Newhaven Porthdinllaen Appledore Relief fleet	Self-righting mods 1978-9. Sold April 1990
951	Francis K. Wotherspoon of Paisley	1959	William Osborne, Littlehampton	1959–1979 1979–1982 1981 1982–1986	Islay Relief fleet Fishguard Workington	Sold October 1986
953	Sarah Jane and James Season	1960	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1960–1986 1986–1988	Teesmouth Shoreham Harbour	Sold in 1989
954	Solomon Browne	1960	William Osborne, Littlehampton	1960–1981	Penlee	Wrecked on service 19/12/1981. Eight crew lost.
955	The Robert	1960	William Osborne, Littlehampton	1960–1978 1978–1984 1985–1988 1989–1991	Broughty Ferry Baltimore Lytham St Annes Beaumaris	Self-righting mods 1976-7. Sold February 1992
957	The Jeanie	1961	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1961–1986	Portpatrick	Sold in 1987
958	Laura Moncur	1961	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1961–1984 1984–1988 1986–1987	Buckie Relief fleet Appledore	Self-righting mods 1972-3. Sold November 1988
959	Helen Wycherley	1961	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1961–1969 1969–1987	Whitehills Courtmacsherry Harbour	Sold December 1988
962	T.G.B.	1962	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1962–1969 1970–1978 1979–1985	Longhope Arranmore Relief fleet	Capsized on service at Longhope 17/3/1969, eight crew lost. Sold in 1986. Now at the Scottish Maritime Museum.
963	A.M.T.	1962	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1962–1986 1987–1989	Howth Relief fleet	Sold June 1989
964	The Baltic Exchange	1962	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1962–1988	Salcombe	Capsized on service 10/4/1983, righted by air bag. Sold in 1989
965	Louisa Anne Hawker	1962	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1962–1986	Appledore	Sold August 1987
969	William Myers and Sarah Jane Myers	1963	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1963–1990 1990–1992	Sunderland Relief fleet	Self-righting mods 1975-6. Sold in 1992
970	Frederick Edward Crick	1963	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1963–1986	Lowestoft	Sold October 1986
971	Joseph Soar (Civil Service No.34)	1963	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1963–1985 1986–1988 1988–1990	St Davids Dunbar Shoreham Harbour	Self-righting mods 1976-7. Sold August 1992

External links

• RNLI