All Weather Lifeboat
The Tamar is the latest boat with the largest slipway. First introduced in 2005, there are plans for a fleet of 16 boats in the operational fleet and 4reserves. The Alfred Albert Williams was the 17th boat built. She deployed to Bembridge in late September 2010 and was declared operational in early October. As with all the Tamar class, she is fitted with an integrated electronic Systems and Information Management System (SIMS) so that the crew can monitor, operate and control many of the boat’s systems directly from their shock-mitigating seats, which improves their safety. In 2012 she was fitted with a stand-alone AIS (Automated Information System).
Inshore Lifeboat
Launching from a trolley or davit, the D-class lifeboat is ideal for rescues close to shore in fair to moderate conditions.@
Here at Bembridge, we launch the Norman Harvey (D-778) over the beach using a tracked vehicle (Tooltrak) & trailer combination.
Our D-class lifeboat has a single 50hp outboard engine with a stainless steel propellor and can be righted manually by the crew after a capsize.
First introduced into the fleet in 1963, the design of the D-class has continued to evolve since its introduction and the latest version
(Also known as the IB1-type) was introduced in 2003.