D-class lifeboat (EA16)
![]() D-class lifeboat at speed
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Class overview | |
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Name | D-class (EA16) |
Builders | Avon Inflatables |
Operators | ![]() |
Preceded by | D-class (Zodiac III) |
Succeeded by | D-class (IB1) |
Built | 1987–2002 |
In service | 1987–2010 |
Completed | 243 |
General characteristics | |
Class & type | Evans Avon 16 |
Displacement | 338 kg (745 lb) |
Length | 4.9 m (16 ft) |
Beam | 2 m (6.6 ft) |
Propulsion | 1 × 40 hp Mariner outboard engine |
Speed | 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) |
Endurance | 3 hours at full speed |
Complement | 3 or 4 |
The D-class (EA16) lifeboat is a class of inflatable boat operated since 1987 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It has been replaced operationally by the D-class (IB1), but many are still used as part of the relief fleet, as boarding boats for the larger classes of lifeboat[1] and by the RNLI Flood Rescue Team.
The type designator EA16 stands for Evans Avon 16.[2]
Utilization
[edit]For more than 60 years the D-class has served as the workhorse of the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) fleet. The D-class is one of the few RNLI types not to feature a rigid hull. The D-class was specifically designed as a light and highly manoeuvrable rapid response craft, especially suited to close shore work.
Design and construction
[edit]
The D-class lifeboat consists of two sponsons, together housing seven inflatable segments intersected by baffles. The main construction fabric is Hypalon-coated Nylon which provides a durable, non-tear surface.
This was one of the smaller classes of lifeboat operated by the RNLI, and they were a common sight at lifeboat stations around the coast. Unlike other members of the ILB fleet, the D-class does not have a rigid hull; all others, with the exception of the Arancia, hovercraft, and ALB Tenders, are Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs).
The D-class normally had a crew of three or four and was primarily used for surfer/swimmer incidents as well as assisting in cliff incidents where the casualty was near the water. The very nature of its work required a swift response, and the D-class can normally be afloat within five minutes of the pagers going off.[citation needed]
Fleet
[edit]D-311 - D-399
[edit]Op. No.[a] | Name | In service[3] | Principal Station | Comments |
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D-311 | The Holgate |
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EA16 Prototype |
D-315 | Charlie B |
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D-316 | Unnamed |
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D-317 | Unnamed |
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D-318 | Modeller 1 |
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D-319 | Unnamed |
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D-320 | Filey Lion |
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D-321 | Rose Elizabeth Lawrence |
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D-322 | Humphrey and Nora Tollemanche |
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D-323 | Gus |
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D-324 | BBC Radio Newcastle II |
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D-325 | Tricentrol II |
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D-326 | Michel Philippe Wolvers |
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D-327 | Unnamed |
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D-328 | Stephen Willoughby |
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D-329 | BBC Radio Newcastle I |
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D-330 | Unnamed |
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D-331 | Dorothy Way |
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D-332 | Unnamed |
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D-333 | Unnamed |
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D-334 | Unnamed |
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D-335 | Unnamed |
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Burnham-on-Crouch | |
D-336 | Unnamed |
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D-337 | Norman Victor Hickling |
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D-338 | Bruce's Bonus |
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D-339 | Unnamed |
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D-343 | Unnamed |
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D-344 | Onslaught |
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D-345 | Unnamed |
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D-346 | Unnamed |
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D-347 | Unnamed |
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D-348 | Banks' Staff I |
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D-349 | Unnamed |
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D-350 | Unnamed |
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D-351 | Rotary Club of Sutton |
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D-352 | Jane Ann |
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Wells-next-the-Sea | |
D-353 | Unnamed |
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D-354 | Alfred George Martin |
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D-355 | Unnamed |
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D-356 | Unnamed |
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D-357 | Braemar |
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D-358 | Unnamed |
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D-359 | 41 Club I |
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D-360 | Unnamed |
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D-361 | Tangent I |
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D-362 | Kensington Rescuer |
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D-363 | Unnamed |
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D-364 | Clubs of the River Exe |
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D-365 | Unnamed |
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D-366 | Peter and Mollie Tabor |
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D-367 | Sea Horse |
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D-368 | Douglas Cameron |
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D-369 | Unnamed |
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D-370 | 41 Club II |
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Kippford | |
D-371 | 41 Club III |
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D-372 | The Lion |
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D-373 | Unnamed |
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D-374 | Unnamed |
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D-375 | Alice |
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D-376 | Unnamed |
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D-377 | Unnamed |
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D-378 | Unnamed |
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D-379 | Unnamed |
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D-380 | Unnamed |
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D-381 | Douglas |
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D-382 | Unnamed |
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D-383 | Sea Tiger |
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D-384 | John Cresswell |
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D-385 | Unnamed |
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D-386 | Trevor Edwin Jones |
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D-387 | Boto-X 87 |
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D-388 | Crusader |
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D-389 | Captain Colin |
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D-390 | Tiger D |
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D-391 | Lifeline |
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D-392 | Cecile Rampton |
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Now Curlew with Razorbill RIB Charters |
D-393 | Helen Mitchell Scrimgeour |
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D-394 | Banks' Staff II |
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D-395 | Bob |
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D-396 | Starting Point |
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D-397 | Banks' Staff III |
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D-398 | Victory Wheelers |
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D-399 | Bertha |
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D400 - D-499
[edit]Op. No. | Name | In service[4] | Principal Station | Comments |
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D-400 | Tigger |
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D-401 | Bank Staff Appeal IV | 1990–2001 | Relief fleet | |
D-402 | Warwick |
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D-403 | City of Peterborough |
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D-404 | Ann Speed |
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D-405 | British Diver III |
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D-406 | Phyl Clare |
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D-407 | The Marlboroough Club Didcot |
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D-408 | City of Derby |
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D-409 | Taipan | 1990–2000 | Relief fleet | |
D-410 | Bacchus |
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D-411 | Unnamed |
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D-412 | BP Service |
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D-413 | Billy Mills and George Ralph |
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D-414 | Fairlands Lady |
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D-415 | Pride of West Kingsdown |
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D-416 | Unnamed |
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D-417 | Douglas Hurndall |
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D-418 | Unnamed |
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D-419 | Sarah Helena |
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D-420 | Leslie D |
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D-421 | Lord Raglan |
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D-422 | Alec Dykes |
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D-423 | John Edmunds |
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D-424 | City of Chester |
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D-425 | Strickson |
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D-426 | Lord Feoffees II |
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D-427 | Storrs |
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D-428 | St Vincent Amazon |
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D-429 | RJM |
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D-430 | Rotherham Grammar School |
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D-431 | Veronica |
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D-432 | Ordnance Survey Bosun |
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D-433 | Marjorie |
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D-434 | John Wesley Hillard |
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D-435 | Table 32 |
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D-436 | Chloe |
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D-437 | Jill Gatti | 1993–2004 | Relief fleet | Sold to Southport Offshore Rescue Trust in 2005 and on station there until 2016. |
D-438 | Arthur and Georgina Stanley Taylor |
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D-439 | Phyllis Mary |
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D-440 | Brenda Reed |
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D-441 | Irish Diver |
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D-442 | Edgar Law |
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D-443 | Modeller II |
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2005, Sold to ICESAR Suðurnes |
D-444 | Sharpe's Classic All Seasons |
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D-445 | Axa Life Inshorer |
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D-446 | Holme Team |
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D-447 | Thomas Campbell |
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D-448 | Sea Ranger |
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D-449 | Humphry and Nora Tollemache II |
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D-450 | Anthony |
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D-451 | Jeanne Frances | 1993–2006 | Relief fleet | |
D-452 | Blue Peter III |
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D-453 | Blue Peter IV |
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D-454 | Blue Peter VI |
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D-455 | Spirit of Kintyre |
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D-456 | Jonathan Simpson |
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D-457 | Elsie Frances I |
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D-458 | Maureen Samuels |
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D-459 | Margaret and Fiona Wood |
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D-460 | Leicester Fox |
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D-461 | Spirit of RAOC |
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D-462 | Frances |
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D-463 | Nellie Grace Hughes |
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On Display at National Maritime Museum Falmouth from 2006 |
D-464 | Wren |
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D-465 | Palmer Bayer |
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D-466 | Phyllis Mary II |
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D-467 | Kathleen Scadden |
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D-468 | Colin Martin |
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D-469 | Winifred & Cyril Thorpe |
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D-470 | Landlubber |
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now with ICE SAR in Eskifjörður |
D-471 | Coachmakers of London |
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D-472 | Kip and Kath |
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D-473 | Thomas Jefferson |
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D-474 | G C H Fox |
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D-475 | Phyl Clare 2 |
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D-476 | Corydd |
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D-477 | Pride of Nuneaton and Bedworth |
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D-478 | Aldergrove |
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D-479 | May |
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D-480 | The Craft Club | 1995–2007 | Relief fleet | |
D-481 | Holme Team 3 |
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D-482 | Arthur Bate |
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D-483 | C John Morris DFM |
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D-484 | Sybil |
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D-485 | Stafford with Rugeley |
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D-486 | Eleanor and Catherine |
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D-487 | Foresters London pride |
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D-488 | Mabel |
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D-489 | Dolly Holloway |
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D-490 | Spirit of the ACC |
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D-491 | Cetrek | 1996–2007 | Relief fleet | |
D-492 | Lawnflite |
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D-493 | Isabella Mary |
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D-494 | Sunrise |
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D-495 | Elsie Frances II |
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D-496 | Leonard Stedman |
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D-497 | Lord Daresbury |
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D-498 | Fred Crocker |
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D-499 | Jean and Paul |
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D500 - D-576
[edit]Op. No. | Name | In Service[5] | Station | Comments |
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D-500 | Unnamed |
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D-501 | Forest Row Choir |
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D-502 | Inis-Eoghain |
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D-503 | Criddy and Tom |
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D-504 | Spirit of the RPC |
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D-505 | Arthur Bygraves |
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D-506 | Patrick Rex Moren |
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D-507 | Spirit of Bedworth and Nuneaton |
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D-508 | John Saunderson |
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D-509 | John Kennedy |
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D-510 | Marjorie Helen |
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D-511 | Margaret |
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D-512 | Jane Ann II |
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D-513 | Seahorse I |
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D-514 | Lord Kitchener |
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D-515 | Spirit of the RCT |
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D-516 | Spirit of the Exe |
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D-517 | Spirit of the PCS RE | 1997–1998 | Port Isaac | |
D-518 | Inbhear Deas |
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D-519 | Ernest and Rose Chapman |
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D-520 | Bob Savage |
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D-521 | OEM Stone II |
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D-522 | City of Chester II |
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D-523 | Peterborough Beer Festival I |
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D-524 | Pilgrim |
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D-525 | Holme Team IV |
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D-526 | Olive Herbert |
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D-527 | Ethel Royal |
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D-528 | Arthur Harris |
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D-529 | Martin John and Ann |
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D-530 | Marguerite Joan Harris |
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D-531 | Walter Grove |
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D-532 | Kingsand |
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D-533 | Peter Cornish |
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D-534 | Severn Rescuer |
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D-535 | The Cromer Smuggler |
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D-536 | Margaret II |
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D-537 | Faith |
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D-538 | Tom Broom |
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D-539 | Hartlepool Dynamo |
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D-540 | Cecile Rampton II |
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D-541 | Brian and Margaret Wiggins |
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D-542 | AB-One |
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D-543 | Saint David Dewi Sant |
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D-544 | The Hastings |
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D-545 | Tigger Too |
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D-546 | Spirit of the PCS RE II |
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D-547 | Society of Societies |
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D-548 | Star of the Sea |
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D-549 | George and Christine | 1999–2009 | Minehead | |
D-550 | Gwenllian The Rotary Club of Port Talbot |
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D-551 | Spirit of Alderney |
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D-552 | Global Marine |
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D-553 | David Whitehead |
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D-554 | Heyland II |
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D-555 | Deborah Brown |
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D-556 | Saddleworth |
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D-557 | Lord Feoffees III |
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D-558 | William and Rose Nall |
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D-559 | Seahorse II | 2000–2009 | Clacton-on-Sea | |
D-560 | John Wesley Hillard II |
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D-561 | Cursitor Street |
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D-562 | Georgina Stanley Taylor |
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D-563 | Rotary District 1120 |
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D-564 | Peter Bond |
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D-565 | Tony Heard |
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D-566 | Norah Cadman |
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D-567 | Spirit of Tamworth | 2001–2010 | Barrow | Sold to Duddon Inshore Rescue[6] |
D-568 | Seahorse III |
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D-569 | Rosemary Palmer | 2001–2010 | Amble | |
D-570 | Roger B. Harbour. |
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D-571 | Three Brothers |
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D-572 | Ken and Mary | 2002–2010 | Portrush | |
D-573 | Leicester Fox II |
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D-574 | Regina Mary |
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D-575 | Hounslow |
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D-576 | Spirit of the Thames |
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Last EA16 lifeboat |
References
[edit]- ^ "Lifeboats Online - Boarding Boats". Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
- ^ "States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service - Inshore Rescue Boats". Retrieved 26 March 2016.
- ^ Lifeboat Fleet Archive. RNLI HQ, Poole: RNLI. pp. 61–65.
- ^ Lifeboat Fleet Archive. RNLI HQ, Poole: RNLI. pp. 61–65.
- ^ Lifeboat Fleet Archive. RNLI HQ, Poole: RNLI. pp. 61–65.
- ^ Fish, Martin. "Duddon Inshore Rescue D Class Lifeboat". Flickr. Retrieved 7 September 2025.