The class name comes from the River Mersey which flows into the Irish Sea in north west England.
During the 1960s and 1970s the RNLI introduced fast lifeboats capable of considerable greater speeds than the 8kn of existing designs. The first of these were only able to be kept afloat as their propellers would be damaged if launched using a slipway or carriage. In 1982 the steel-hulled came into service which could be launched down a slipway but weighed 25 tons so was not suitable for being moved across a beach on a carriage. The answer was to build a smaller boat with an aluminium hull, which became the Mersey Class.[1]
The first, unnamed, Mersey was built in 1986 and undertook trials during 1987 and 1988. It was then taken out of service and sold the following year. It was working as a trip boat in Westport, County Mayo in 2008 carrying the name Spirit. Two more boats were built in 1988, with the first one to take up active service going to Bridlington Lifeboat Station the following year.[2]
In 1989, 12-11 Lifetime Care (ON 1148) was built with a fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) hull. Boats built in 1990 continued to use aluminium but from 1991 FRC became the standard hull material.[2] [3]
In 2014, the first of the lifeboats replaced the Mersey lifeboats at Dungeness, Exmouth and Hoylake. The RNLI intended to have 25 knot lifeboats at all offshore lifeboat stations by the end of 2019. However, this target has not been met, as 4 Merseys are still on station, as of March 2024.
On Wednesday 13 December 2023, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh joined Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) representatives at Windsor Castle for the handover of RNLB 12-30 Her Majesty The Queen (ON 1189) to the Chatham Historic Dockyard.[4]
The Mersey is designed to be launched from a carriage, but can also lie afloat or be slipway launched when required. Its propellers are fully protected from damage when launching or in shallow water by partial tunnels and two bilge keels. Its low height can be further reduced by collapsing its mast and aerials which then allows it to be stored in a boathouse. A sealed cabin gives it a self-righting ability.
Power comes from two 3208T Caterpillar turbo-charged marine diesel engines giving 285 hp at 2,800 rpm. It carries 1110l of fuel to give it a range of 240nmi. It has a crew of six and can carry an inflatable X Boat which it can deploy at sea. Its survivor compartment can carry 43 people, but more than 21 prevents self-righting should the boat capsize.[3] [5]
| ON | Op.No. | Name | In service | Station | Launching method | MMSI[6] | Comments[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1170 | 2021– | Carriage | 232004395 | ||||
| 1172 | 12-15 | Frank and Lena | 1992–2023 2023– | Relief fleet | Carriage | 232002726 | |
| 1174 | 12-17 | Kingdom of Fife | 1991– | Carriage | 232002250 | ||
| 1177 | 12-20 | Leonard Kent | 1991–2021 2022– | Carriage Carriage | 232002280 | ||
| 1181 | 12-22 | Ruby Clery | 1992–2019 2019–2022 2022–2023 2024– | Carriage Carriage Slipway Slipway | 232002727 | ||
| 1193 | 12-34 | Freddie Cooper | 1993– | Carriage | 232003208 | [8] | |
| 1194 | 12-35 | Inchcape | 1993–2024 2024– | Relief fleet | Slipway | 232002590 | [9] |
| ON | Op.No. | Name | In service | Station | Launching method | MMSI[10] | Comments[11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1119 | – | – | – | – | – | Sold 1989. Named Spirit. June 2023, at Kilclare, Co.Leitrim | |
| 1124 | Peggy and Alex Caird | 1988–1995 1995–1999 1999 1999–2009 2009–2010 2010–2015 | Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet | Carriage Carriage Carriage | 316036365 | [12] Sold Oct 2023, renamed Life Aquatic 12-001, in private ownership at Lake Champlain, South Hero, Vermont, USA | |
| 1125 | 12-002 | Sealink Endeavour | 1987–1989 1989–2018 | Trials | Carriage | – | Sold 2020. Renamed Endeavour. March 2023, Workboat with Ambrey Shipyards at Hythe Marine, Hampshire. |
| 1161 | 12-003 | Doris M Mann of Ampthill | 1990–2023 | Carriage | – | Sold 2023. December 2023, Private Ownership, Progreso, Yucatán, Mexico | |
| 1162 | 12-004 | Royal Shipwright | 1990–2007 2007–2008 2008–2016 | Relief fleet Relief fleet | Carriage | 232002744 | Sold 2016. Renamed Patricia. July 2023, Survey Pilot Vessel, laid up at Mostyn Docks |
| 1163 | 12-005 | Lady of Hilbre | 1990–2014 2014–2021 | Relief fleet | Carriage | – | Sold 2022. March 2022, Private Ownership, Medway Bridge Marina |
| 1164 | 12-006 | Andy Pearce | 1990–2017 2017–2018 | Relief fleet | Carriage | – | Sold in 2019. Renamed Njord. June 2023, Boat trips/charter at Burwick, Orkney |
| 1165 | 12-007 | Spirit of Derbyshire | 1990–2015 2015 | Relief fleet | Carriage | 215000129 | Sold 2015. November 2023, Renamed Mercy, Valletta, Malta |
| 1166 | 12-008 | Lincolnshire Poacher | 1990–2017 2017–2021 | Relief fleet | Carriage | 232003204 | [13] February 2024, Renamed Samuel Wesley, at St Peter Port. |
| 1167 | 12-009 | The Princess Royal | 1990–2015 2015–2016 | Relief fleet | Carriage | 232003618 | Sold 1 June 2016. Renamed Ulidia. December 2023, workboat with Coleraine Harbour Commissioners. |
| 1168 | 12-010 | Lily and Vincent Anthony | 1991–2021 2021–2023 | Relief fleet | Carriage | 232003205 | Sold November 2023. |
| 1148 | 12-11 | Lifetime Care | 1989–1990 1990–1991 1991–2012 2012 2012–2017 | Relief fleet Workington No.2 Relief fleet Relief fleet | Afloat Afloat | – | Sold in 2017. October 2022, Workboat for McMullen Shellfish, Glenariffe Harbour, Co. Antrim |
| 1169 | 12-12 | Marine Engineer | 1990–1995 1995–2018 2018–2022 2022 | Relief fleet Relief fleet | Carriage Slipway | 232003625 | Sold 2024. Private Ownership, Amsterdam |
| 1171 | 12-14 | Ann and James Ritchie | 1991–2019 2019–2021 | Relief fleet | Carriage | 250013635 | Sold 2022. Renamed James Stevens. November 2023, Pilot Boat at New Ross, Wexford, Ireland |
| 1173 | 12-16 | Grace Darling | 1991–2020 | Carriage | 232002240 | Sold 2021. See ADES Uruguay below. | |
| 1175 | 12-18 | Fanny Victoria Wilkinson and Frank Stubbs | 1991–2016 2016–2018 | Relief fleet | Carriage | – | Sold 2018. See Bote Salvavidas de Valparaiso, Chile below |
| 1176 | 12-19 | The Four Boys | 1991–1998 1998–1999 1999–2016 2016–2017 | Relief fleet Relief fleet | Slipway Afloat | 232020008 | [14] December 2023, Renamed Marieanne, Survey Pilot Vessel at Mostyn Docks. |
| 1178 | 12-21 | Margaret Jean | 1992–1998 1998–1999 1999–2008 2008–2014 2014–2020 | Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet | Carriage Carriage | 232002290 | Sold 2020. Renamed Arwen Myrtle. December 2023, Private Vessel, St Peter Port, Guernsey |
| 1182 | 12-23 | Robert Charles Brown | 1992–2016 2016–2019 | Relief fleet | Slipway | – | Sold 2019. Renamed Atlantic. June 2023, Privately owned, Stellendam, Netherlands |
| 1183 | 12-24 | Lil Cunningham | 1992–2019 | Carriage | 232002741 | Sold 2020. Renamed Ellen Rodger. March 2023, Workboat with Calypso Marine, Burtisland, Fife. | |
| 1184 | 12-25 | Bingo Lifeline | 1992–2020 | Relief fleet | – | 232002573 | Sold 2021. See ADES Uruguay below. |
| 1185 | 12-26 | Moira Barrie | 1992–2019 | Carriage | 232030482 | Sold 2020. November 2023, Renamed Arwen. Ferry Boat for Western Isles Cruises, Mallaig | |
| 1186 | 12-27 | Pride and Spirit | 1992–2014 2014–2016 2016–2019 | Relief fleet | Carriage Afloat | 232003202 | Sold 2021. See ADES Uruguay below. |
| 1187 | 12-28 | Mary Margaret | 1992–2004 2004–2019 2019–2022 2022–2023 | Relief fleet Relief fleet | Afloat Afloat | 232002581 | Sold 2023. March 2024, Renamed Pisces, in private ownership, Yarmouth, IOW |
| 1188 | 12-29 | Eleanor and Bryant Girling | 1993–2022 2022 | Relief fleet | Carriage | 244729436 | Sold 2022. Renamed The Mersey (3-YG-894). November 2023, privately owned in Leeuwarden, Netherlands[15] |
| 1189 | 12-30 | Her Majesty The Queen | 1993–1996 1996–1999 1999 1999–2018 2018–2021 | Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet | Carriage Carriage | 232002574 | 15 November 2023, On display at Chatham Historic Dockyard |
| 1190 | 12-31 | Doris Bleasdale | 1993–2019 | Carriage | 232031477 | Sold 2020. December 2022, Renamed Knot on Call, Pleasure boat at Tenby, Pembrokeshire | |
| 1191 | 12-32 | Joy and Charles Beeby | 1993–2023 2023–2024 2024 | Relief fleet | Slipway Slipway | 232002575 | Sold 2024. |
| 1192 | 12-33 | Fisherman's Friend | 1993–1999 1999 1999–2016 2016–2019 | Relief fleet Relief fleet | Carriage Afloat | – | Sold 2020. March 2021, Survey Vessel, Galway, Ireland, last seen, Crosshaven, March 2024. |
| 1195 | 12-36 | Royal Thames | 1993–2012 2012–2018 2018 | Relief fleet | Afloat Afloat | Sold Jan 2021. Renamed Sea Searcher. October 2022, Survey Safety Vessel with deeperdorset.co.uk | |
| 1196 | 12-37 | Sylvia Burrell | 1993–2018 | Afloat | – | Sold August 2021. Renamed Ailsa Craig. April 2022, Under survey, Island Harbour Marina, IOW | |
ADES Uruguay is an Honorary Lifesaving Institution founded in 1955. All our volunteers are honorary, people who train weekly to go to sea with the sole purpose of helping whoever requests help. The rescues have no cost to the beneficiaries. At the national level ADES Uruguay is part of the National Emergency Committee and at the international level it is part of the IMRF (International Maritime Rescue Federation)[16]
| RNLI ON | Name | In Service | Station | MMSI | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1173 | ADES 28 Grace Darling | 2021– | Colonia del Sacramento | 232002240 | |
| 1184 | 2021– | Montevideo | 232002573 | ||
| 1186 | ADES 30 | 2021– | Punta del Este | 232003202 | |
Operated by Bote Salvavidas de Valparaiso, Chile