D class lifeboat (EA16)

Class overview
Builders:	Avon Inflatables
Operators:	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
In service:	1963–2006
General characteristics
Length:	4.9 m (16 ft)
Propulsion:	1 × Mariner outboard engine, 40 hp (30 kW)
Speed:	20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h)
Endurance:	3 hours at full speed
Complement:	3 or 4

The D class lifeboat EA16 is a class of inflatable boat formally operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It has been replace by the D class lifeboat (IB1)

Utilization

For more than 40 years the D-class has served as the workhorse of the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) fleet. Significantly smaller in comparison to the rest of the inshore fleet, the D-class is also one of the few RNLI types not to feature a rigid hull. The main aspect of the boat would be both its size and weight - only 436 kg (960 lb). The D-class has been specifically designed as a light and highly manoeuvrable rapid response craft.

Design and construction

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 is one of the smaller classes of lifeboat operated by the RNLI, and they are 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 has a crew of three or four and is primarily used for surfer/swimmer incidents as well as assisting in cliff incidents where the casualty is near the water. The very nature of its work requires a swift response, and the D-class can normally be afloat within five minutes of the pagers going off.

References

External links

D-112 Blue Peter III part of the Royal National Lifeboat Collection on display at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham.

• RNLI Fleet
• RNLI Lifeboats