Hoylake lifeboat’s successor will be a faster, more sophisticated vessel

Sep 18 2007 by Haydon Wood, Liverpool Daily Post

HOYLAKE’S current Mersey class lifeboat is expected to be replaced by a faster, more sophisticated lifeboat within the next few years.

The Mersey class is nearing the end of its operational life, having been introduced in 1988, and a replacement is being developed – currently known as “Fast Carriage Boat 2” (FCB2).

This experimental boat was showcased earlier this year at the RNLI Headquarters’ Open Days in Poole.

Chris Eves, the RNLI’s project manager for the FCB2, said they were proud of the work done so far on the design, but there remained a great deal to be done.

He added: “Although many of the boat’s features – including its appearance – will change as it progresses through tests and trials, the RNLI’s designers and engineers have worked tirelessly to produce an exceptional boat which will enable the charity to save lives at sea, more effectively as the boat is faster and more technologically advanced than the Mersey. The FCB2 is unlike any of our current operational lifeboats. Its main differences are that it is propelled by waterjets and able to reach casualties faster – it has a top speed of 25 knots, faster than the Mersey’s 17 knots – which is essential to the advancement of the lifeboat service.”

The requirement for this new class of lifeboat was identified in the RNLI’s Lifeboats Beyond 2000 study, undertaken in the late 1990s.

This highlighted the need for RNLI lifeboats to be able to “reach 90% of casualties, within 10 nautical miles of a lifeboat station, within 10 minutes of launch in all weathers, and out to a maximum of 100 nautical miles”.

This means that the RNLI needs its lifeboats to all be capable of 25 knots in the longer term. Other boats including the Tamar, Severn, Trent, Atlantic 85 and the D-classes all meet this speed requirement.

Replacing the Mersey class is the final design project to enable the RNLI to fulfil its operational commitment.

Mr Eves added: “The experimental boat has undergone a number of trials and is likely to become a prototype lifeboat by the end of 2008.

“As yet, no decision has been made about where FCB2s will be stationed, but it’s hoped that if everything goes well, this new class of lifeboat will become operational in 2011.”