46ft Watson-class lifeboat

The 46 ft Watson-class was a non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built between 1935 and 1946 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1935 and 1981.

The Good Hope (centre) at Watchet, Somerset
Class overview
Name: 46ft Watson-class
Builders:
Operators: RNLI
Preceded by: 45ft 6in Watson-class
Succeeded by: 46ft 9in Watson-class
Cost: £7,300-£17,000
Built: 1935-1946
In service: 1935-1981
Completed: 28
Lost: 2
Retired: 26
General characteristics
Class and type: 46ft Watson motor lifeboat
Displacement: 21 tons
Length: 46 ft (14 m)
Beam: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2x40bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cyl. petrol
  • 2x40bhp Ferry VE4 4-cyl. diesel
Speed: 8 knots
Crew: 8

History

The 46 ft Watson was longer and wider than the preceding 45ft 6in Watson type. The 46 ft type was one of the last to be adapted to suit the conditions at individual stations with shallower draft versions (ONs 805,815,820 and 838) being supplied to four stations. Post World War Two, standard designs were the order of the day.

Description

The 46 ft Watson initially had an aft cockpit with a shelter containing the engine controls. Ahead of the shelter was the exhaust funnel and ahead of the mast was a small forward shelter. On ONs 805 and 815, the cockpit shelter was lengthened, with the funnel mounted on its forward end and these two featured end boxes. ON 820 also had the lengthened shelter but retained a flush deck. From ON 828 the forward shelter was deleted. Two boats, ONs 840 and 846 had midships cockpits, ahead of the funnel, with a shelter ahead of it as well as the rear shelter. Four of the first five boats had two 40 bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cylinder petrol engines, but the fourth, ON 787, was fitted with two 40 bhp Ferry VE4 4-cylinder diesels, making it the first RNLI lifeboat to be built with diesel engines. The diesels became standard from the sixth boat on. In the mid sixties, seven boats were re-engined with 65 bhp Ford-based Parsons Barracuda 6-cylinder diesels after experiments with ON 803 which had been fitted with 47 bhp Parsons Marlin diesels in 1961 and then re-engined with Barracudas in 1963. The 46 ft Watsons were long lived, most reaching more than thirty years service and some topping forty years.

Fleet

ON is the RNLI's sequential Official Number.

ON Name Built Builder In service Stations Comments
777 H.F. Bailey 1935 Groves & Guttridge, Cowes 1935–1945
1946–1960
1960–1972
Cromer No.1
Helvick Head
Relief fleet
Sold in 1972
778 Edward and Isabella Irwin 1935 Groves & Guttridge, Cowes 1935–1963
1963–1969
Sunderland
Relief fleet
Sold 1971
784 Civil Service No.6
1956- Swn-Y-Mor (Civil Service No.6)
1935 Groves & Gutteridge, Cowes 1936–1963
1964–1967
1967–1972
St Davids
Eyemouth
Relief fleet
Sold February 1973
787 S.G.E. 1936 Groves & Guttridge, Cowes 1936–1937 Yarmouth Destroyed by fire at Groves & Guttridge 18/6/1937.
788 Jeanie Spiers 1937 Alexander Robertson & Sons, Sandbank 1937–1961 Portpatrick Sold April 1961
789 R.P.L. 1936 Groves & Guttridge, Cowes 1937–1962 Howth Sold September 1962
790 John and Charles Kennedy 1936 Groves & Guttridge, Cowes 1937–1953 Fraserburgh Capsized on service 9/2/1953, six crew lost. Broken up.
801 Sir Arthur Rose 1938 Alexander Robertson, Sandbank 1938–1947
1948–1957
1958–1969
1969–1972
Tobermory
Mallaig
Courtmacsherry Harbour
Relief fleet
Sold February 1973
802 City of Edinburgh 1938 Alexander Robertson, Sandbank 1938–1968
1969–1976
Wick
Relief fleet
Re-engined 1966-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda.

Sold July 1976

803 Canadian Pacific 1938 Alexander Robertson, Sandbank 1938–1969
1969–1977
Selsey
Relief fleet
Re-engined 1961-2x47bhp Parsons Marlin,
1963-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda.

Sold February 1978

804 S.G.E. 1938 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1938–1943
1943–1945
1945–1963
Yarmouth
Relief fleet
Yarmouth
Replacement for ON 787. Sold April 1964
805 Samuel and Marie Parkhouse 1938 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1938–1962 Salcombe Sold September 1963
814 Dunleary II 1938 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1938–1967
1967–1969
1969–1972
1972–1973
Dun Laoghaire
Lochinver
Relief fleet
Dunmore East
Sold August 1974
815 Violet Armstrong 1938 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1938–1962 Appledore Sold October 1962
818 Mabel Marion Thompson 1939 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1939–1952
1952–1968
1968–1970
1970–1974
Rosslare Harbour
Aran Islands
Arranmore
Relief fleet
Sold April 1975
819 Julia Park Barry, of Glasgow 1939 Alexander Robertson, Sandbank 1939–1969
1969–1979
Peterhead
Relief fleet
Re-engined 1964-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda.

Sold March 1979

820 Louise Stephens 1939 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1939–1967
1967–1974
Great Yarmouth and Gorleston
Eyemouth
Sold August 1974
821 The Good Hope 1939 Alexander Robertson, Sandbank 1939–1972
1972–1980
Montrose No.1
Relief fleet
Re-engined 1966-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda.
Sold in 1981
822 Jesse Lumb 1939 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1939–1970
1970–1980
Bembridge
Relief fleet
Re-engined in 1965-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda.

Sold July 1981

828 The Princess Royal (Civil Service No.7) 1939 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1939–1968
1968–1976
Hartlepool
Relief fleet
Re-engined 1965-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda
829 Crawford and Constance Conybeare 1939 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1940–1968
1968–1974
Falmouth
Relief fleet
Sold August 1974
830 Annie Blanche Smith 1939 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1940–1970
1970–1971
Dunmore East
Relief fleet
Sold July 1971
838 Michael Stephens 1939 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1939–1963
1963–1968
1968–1976
Lowestoft
Exmouth
Relief fleet
Sold January 1976
840 Millie Walton
1947-Henry Blogg
1945 Sussex Yacht Co., Shoreham 1945–1966
1966–1976
Cromer No.1
Relief fleet
Midships cockpit. Originally built for Douglas.
Sold April 1977
841 Manchester and Salford XXIX 1943 J. Samuel White, Cowes 1943–1953
1953–1972
1972–1974
Pwllheli
Workington
Relief fleet
Sold August 1974
842 (Milly Walton) 1942 Groves & Guttridge, Cowes -- -- Intended for Douglas,

destroyed in air raid at Cowes 4/5/1942.

843 (Charles Henry Ashley) 1942 Groves & Guttridge, Cowes -- -- Intended for Porthdinllaen,
destroyed in air raid at Cowes 4/5/1942.
846 Field Marshal and Mrs Smuts 1945 Morgan Giles, Teignmouth 1945–1977
1977–1979
Beaumaris
Relief fleet
Midships cockpit. Sold August 1979
847 Gertrude 1946 Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge 1946–1968
1968–1970
1971–1974
1980–1981
1974–1982
Holy Island
Exmouth
Sheerness
Fowey
Relief fleet
Re-engined 1965-2x65bhp Parsons Barracuda.
Sold February 1982
848 Millie Walton 1946 Groves & Guttridge, Cowes 1946–1956
1956–1974
1974–1977
Douglas
Amble
Relief fleet
Sold October 1977
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