The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, along with numerous smaller independent teams, provide volunteers to rescue people at sea and at some inland waterways.
Roy Barker I
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Trent Class
Alderney’s lifeboat. A lifeboat has been based at Alderney since 1984. Prior to this, there was a 100 year gap since a lifeboat was based on this small Channel Island.
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Inshore Lifeboat D-686 D Class
Peter Downes
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HG55 GUA
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Land Rover Defender
Used for launching Seahouses’ IRB
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Mersey Class lifeboat
Grace Darling, based at Seahouses
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L784 JNT
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Talus MB-H
Seahouses’ tractor unit. The is used for launching the Mersey class all-weather Lifeboat. The Tractor is fully waterproof and is controlled by a joystick. The vehicle weighs 19 tonnes.
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Tooltrak
Tractor unit making its way down the slipway to retrieve Craster’s IRB and returning it to the lifeboat station
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
D-Class
Joseph Hughes Inshore rescue boat returning to Craster harbour on the Northumberland coast
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat (ILB)
Named David Page and stationed at St Helier since entering service in January 2007
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Atlantic 85-Class inshore rescue boat B-825 Norma Ethel Vinall. Built in 2008, it is part of the relief fleet.
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EX52 WDT Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) New Holland TC45D tractor used for launching the inshore rescue boat at Ilfracombe, Devon
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A462 AUX Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat launching vehicle based at Ilfracombe, Devon.
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat named The Will seen here based at North Shields, Tyne and Wear.
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HJ58 PKN, HG58 BZY Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Land Rover Defenders
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S322 JSE Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Scania 94D 220 lifeboat launching truck for the Macduff Lifeboat in Aberdeenshire. Notice the stabilisers.
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RNLI Lifeboat Brawn Challenge, based at Westminster, London
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K792 NCT Humber Rescue Massey Ferguson tractor with inshore rescue boat.
Watch a video of this vehicle in action!
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BPR 667T County Tractor MB-764 that is used to launch and retrieve the inshore vessel at Hayling Island. This specially adapted tractor can wade in depth of up to 1.5 metres and is waterproof up as high as the roof. The tyres are filled up to three-quarters full with sea water. This helps prevent the tractor from floating in deep water. |
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The rear view of the cab. |
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The winch and massive tyres. |
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This RNLI rib is based at Hayling Island, Hampshire. |
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The rear view of the rib, looking out across the beach to the sea. |
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Hayling Island Lifeboat Station. |
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SF58 MVZ A RNLI tractor used for launching a small rib at Hayling Island, Hampshire. |
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The side view. |
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The rear view. |
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A yellow inshore rescue boat with a smaller orange boat attached. |
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A look at the operator’s logo: LEPE Inshore Rescue and Youth Marine Training Academy. |
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A look at the vessel from behind. |
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Yarmouth’s lifeboat is this Severn Class vessel named Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer). |
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A view from the rear. |
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This photograph shows an RNLI inshore rescue team coming the aid of a stricken vessel near Tynemouth. |
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RNLB Fraser Flyer (17-17) is a £880,000 boat that is part of the RNLI’s reserve fleet. It takes over at various lifeboat stations when the home vessel is out of service. The ruins of Tynemouth Priory can be seen in the background on this shot. |
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A closer look at the vessel. |
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A closer look at the vessel. |
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Here it tows a stricken vessel back to harbour. |
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Michael and Jane Vernon is the Severn-Class lifeboat based at Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands. It has been in service at the station since 1997 and carries a small Y-class inflatable. |
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The rear view of the 17m long lifeboat. Its two 1200 hp engines can propel it up to 25 knots. |
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Sandown and Shanklin’s inshore rescue boat outside the team’s base. |
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F146 NPM Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat use this Matbro tractor unit to launch their boat. Based on the Isle of Wight, they work alongside three RNLI stations. |
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A second view of the tractor in use. |
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LK11 GXT Used to launch Queensferry’s inshore rescue boat is this RNLI tractor unit. The yellow tractor has a special feature whereby the driver’s seat and controls can rotate to face forwards or backwards. This is useful as there isn’t much space to do a u-turn on the slipway. On this shot you can see that the yellow rear registration plate appears to be on the front! |
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Seahouses’ Mersey Class lifeboat 12-16, named RNLB Grace Darling after a local heroine. |
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L784 JNT A Talus MB-H launching tractor. It is used to launch and retrieve the RNLI’s Mersey Class lifeboat in Seahouses, Northumberland. It can drive into water up to 5 feet deep (1.5m) using a joystick control. It replaced a similar B-registration vehicle that can be seen elsewhere on this site. |
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V7 ADC Here a vehicle used by the Glasgow Humane Society carries one of the rescue craft on its roof rack. |
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The rear view on a different occasion when it is towing a boat with another rescue boat affixed on top. Different waterways in Greater Glasgow require different craft and can be dangerous especially in the winter months with frozen waterways and floating ice slabs. |
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