Shannon-class lifeboat

The Shannon-class lifeboat (previously FCB2 – Fast Carriage Boat 2) is the latest class of lifeboat currently being deployed to the RNLI fleet to serve the shores of the British Isles. While the Shannon class has mainly replaced the Mersey-class lifeboats, it has also replaced some Tyne-class and Trent-class lifeboats, and a Severn-class lifeboat.

All of the following fleet details are referenced to the 2026 Lifeboat Enthusiast Society Handbook, with information retrieved directly from RNLI records.

History

The experimental boat, named Effseabee Too underwent sea trials during 2005–2008. It is based on a Camarc Pilot vessel design, and was designed by RNLI engineers, with a fibre-reinforced composite hull, powered by twin water jets. It had a top speed of approximately 30 knots (55 km/h; 35 mph), but was planned to be rated down to 25–27 knots (46–50 km/h; 29–31 mph) when the final design was put into production.

In 2008, FCB2 development was delayed due to hull shape issues, as trials showed crews would be subjected to unacceptable shocks and excessive horizontal shaking in high seas. The RNLI indicated that the project would be extended by at least three more years to research a new hull shape.

In April 2009 it was announced a new hull had been chosen. The Shannon class prototype boat was completed late 2011 when active service was expected to start in mid-2013.

In April 2011 it was announced the class would be named after the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. This is the first time that the name of an Irish river has been used for a class of RNLI lifeboat.

After boatyard acceptance in March 2012 the first of the fleet went through sea acceptance trials in 2012.

Production

Early hulls were moulded by SAR Composites at Lymington, a subsidiary of the RNLI, which had also taken over the Southampton boat-builder Green Marine. Fitting out of Shannon lifeboats was undertaken by the Berthon Boat Co. of Lymington (BBC), the last being the Swanage lifeboat 13-13 George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320) in 2016.

The RNLI opened their All-weather Lifeboat Centre (ALC) production facility at Poole in October 2015, designed to bring construction, repair and maintenance of the RNLI lifeboats under one roof for the first time. The facility, projected to cost £11.2 million, was designed to see a production cost saving of £3.7 million per annum. The centre would initially take-over fitting out process of the Shannon lifeboats. Following work by SAR and BBC, the first lifeboat completed at the ALC was 13-12 Cosandra (ON 1319). Work at SAR continued until all hull moulding operations were transferred from the Lymington facility.

Girvan lifeboat 13-23 Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan (ON 1330) was the first Shannon lifeboat built entirely at the ALC, with her official launch coming on 5 September 2017.

Service

The first Shannon-class to be delivered for service was demonstrated at Dungeness, Kent on 21 February 2014. The boat, to begin active service the following month, has been named The Morrell in honour of Barbara Morrell, a keen fundraiser for the RNLI who bequeathed the service £6 million which she asked to be used for a lifeboat for Kent.

The Shannon class uses similar Systems and Information Management System (SIMS) technology to that of the Tamar-class lifeboat so that crew members can operate all of the boat's systems collaboratively without leaving their seats. Crew seats are also similar to the Tamar, sprung to reduce the shocks in heavy seas.

At many stations Shannons are launched by a newly designed Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) by which a tractor propels the lifeboat on its cradle into the water. The cradle is then tilted and acts as a mobile slipway as the boat is launched by release of a single bow strop from the wheelhouse, rather than the old carriage launched method of four chains being released by crew members on deck. Recovery is bow first onto the cradle, which then rotates through 180 degrees, enabling the boat to be launched again within ten minutes.

An increasing number of Shannons are kept afloat at moorings or a pontoon berth as they replace the Trent-class. Swanage currently has a slipway launched Shannon, although a long gentle sloping slipway is required, to avoid damage to the water-jets. The boat at Workington uses the same davit crane system as the previous Tyne-class lifeboat.

Launch-a-Memory and Legacy lifeboats

By 2024, the cost of each Shannon lifeboat had risen to £2.78M.

As part of a fundraising effort, the construction costs of 13-12 Cosandra (ON 1319) in 2016 were offset, with members of the public allowed to purchase a space, to place a person's name, within the lifeboats numbers on the hull and the wheelhouse.

This idea was taken a step further in 2019/20, when a formal campaign known as "Launch a Memory" was introduced to help fund new lifeboats. With typically 10,000 spaces available on each lifeboat, a suggested donation of £30 per space raised £300,000. In 2024, the idea was extended to older Shannon lifeboats following a refit.

There are also two "Legacy" lifeboats, carrying names of those people who pledged a gift to the Institution in a Will.

With some of these lifeboats afloat at their stations, often a banner will be found outside the station, showing all the names.

Launch a Memory

• 13-03 R and J Welburn (ON 1310), Exmouth
• 13-13 George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320), Swanage
• 13-37 Agnes A. P. Barr (ON 1344), Invergordon
• 13-40 Eric's Legend (ON 1347), Relief fleet
• 13-43 St Christopher (ON 1350), Clifden
• 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh (Civil Service No.53) (ON 1353), Wells-next-the-Sea
• 13-47 Robert and Catherine Steen (ON 1354), Anstruther
• 13-49 Lois Ivan (ON 1356), Whitby

Legacy

• 13-44 George and Frances Phelon (ON 1351), Great Yarmouth and Gorleston
• 13-57 Bobby Cameron (ON 1364), Kilkeel

Shannon-class lifeboat fleet

Notes

External links