McLachlan-class lifeboat
A-504 is preserved at Chatham | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | McLachlan class |
| Builders | William Osborne, Littlehampton |
| Operators | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Preceded by | Hatch |
| Succeeded by | Atlantic 21 |
| Built | 1967–1973 |
| In service | 1967–1988 |
| Completed | 10 |
| Retired | 10 |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) |
| Beam | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 x 60 hp inboard engines with sterndrives |
| Speed | 22 knots (25 mph; 41 km/h) |
| Complement | 2-3 |
The McLachlan-class lifeboat was an A-class lifeboat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) of the United Kingdom and Ireland from 1967 to 1988. It was replaced by the B-class (Atlantic 21).[1]
History
The McLachlan-class lifeboat was the second type of the 1960s fast Inshore lifeboat in service with the RNLI. It was designed by J. Allen McLachlan MRINA, a naval architect, former RNLI chief draughtsman and partner at longtime yacht and lifeboat designers G. L. Watson & Co. of Glasgow.[2]
The first trial boat, numbered 18-02 by the RNLI, was built by W. A. Souter of Cowes. The boat was constructed from three layers of mahogany with foam-filled watertight compartments, and was noted by its use of a 'ragged chine hull', with nine chines that cushioned the hull and reduced pounding. The helm was in a standing position, in a sunken bridge deck, with a weathershield in front of the controls. A 90-hp Evinrude engine gave a speed of 20.9 knots.[3]
in September 1969, following successful trials, the RNLI placed an order for 4 boats with boatbuilder William Osbourne of Littlehampton, to be constructed with GRP hulls, fitted with twin sterndrive Ford 60-hp marinised petrol engines, and each costing £3,400. 18-02 would later be fitted with twin 47-hp Perkins diesel engines. William Osborne built a further five McLachlan lifeboats in the 1970s. Most remained afloat, but two were kept on carriages, one at Weston-super-Mare being launched down a long slipway, and one at Peel, IOM, was launched with the aid of a tractor.[3][4][5]
In the early 1970s, it was decided to reclassify the 17 and 18-foot boats from Offshore to Inshore A-class lifeboats, and their numbers were changed according; 18-004 becoming A-504, 18-007 becoming A-507 etc.[6]
Although not classed as lifeboats, two further McLachlan designed boats were constructed for use as Boarding boats at Humber Lifeboat Station, (BB-239) and (BB-240).[6]
A-504 (formerly 18-004) at Weston-super-Mare, was launched at 22:30 on the 13 September 1975 into an easterly gale, to a motor-boat stranded on the rocks. In difficult conditions, five people were rescued. Helm Julian Morris was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal, with crew members Bernard Watts and Ian Watts both accorded the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum. The boat is now on display in the RNLI Heritage Collection at Chatham Historic Dockyard.[6][7]
All the McLachlan lifeboats had been retired by the late 1980s, with the exception of the prototype boat, which went on to be a boarding boat at Humber until 1994.[6]
Fleet
| Op. No.[a] | Old Op. No.[a] | Built | In service[6] | Station | Comments[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-503 | 18-02 | 1967 | 1967–1970 | Eastney | Prototype |
| 1971 | Poole | ||||
| 1971 | Weston-super-Mare | ||||
| 1971–1972 | Pill | ||||
| 1975–1994 | Humber Boarding Boat | ||||
| A-504 | 18-004 | 1970 | 1970–1983 | Weston-super-Mare | On display in the RNLI Heritage Collection at Chatham Historic Dockyard. |
| A-505 | 18-005 | 1970 | 1970–1971 | Eastney | At RW Davies, Saul Junction Marina undergoing restoration, 2018. |
| 1972–1974 | Oban | ||||
| 1975 | Eastney | ||||
| 1975–1987 | Humber (Boarding boat) | ||||
| A-506 | 18-006 | 1972 | 1972 | Peel | |
| 1972–1979 | Relief fleet | ||||
| 1979–1980 | Plymouth | ||||
| A-507 | 18-007 | 1972 | 1973–1976 | Peel | Undergoing Restoration In Exmouth, Devon, 2024. |
| 1977–1979 | Plymouth | ||||
| 1979–1980 | Relief fleet | ||||
| 1980–1983 | Plymouth | ||||
| A-508 | 18-008 | 1971 | 1971–1974 | Eastney | |
| 1976–1979 | Invergordon | ||||
| 1980–1988 | Falmouth | ||||
| A-509 | 18-009 | 1972 | 1972–1976 | Plymouth | |
| 1978 | Brighton | ||||
| 1978–1988 | Relief fleet | ||||
| A-510 | 18-010 | 1973 | 1973–1974 | Pill | Private ownership, Bristol, August 2020. Restored in original livery, on display at RNLI 200 event in Poole in 2024, now in new ownership in Kinsale, Ireland, August 2024.[8] |
| 1975–1984 | Ramsgate | ||||
| 1984–1987 | (Boarding Boat) | ||||
| A-511 | 18-011 | 1973 | 1973–1982 | Oban | Sold. 1985. Renamed Kim O. For sale at Stokesley, N. Yorks. (eBay), December 2023. |
| 1984–1985 | Relief fleet | ||||
| A-512 | 18-012 | 1973 | 1975–1987 | Torbay | |
| 1988 | Falmouth |
See also
References
- ^ Leach, Nicholas (30 April 2014). The Lifeboat Service in South East England. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445617572.
- ^ "Allen McLachlan". G. L. Watson & Co. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ a b Leach, Nicholas (2021). A Class Inshore Lifeboats. Foxglove Publishing. pp. 1–64. ISBN 9781909540224.
- ^ "In September 1969 the RNLI Placed Its First Order for New Fast Boats". The Lifeboat. 42 (442). January 1973. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ Morris, Jeff (2000). The Story of Weston-super-Mare Lifeboats. Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society. p. 8.
- ^ a b c d e f Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2026). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2026. Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society. pp. 83–84.
- ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. p. 356. ISBN 0907605893.
- ^ "Unsung heroes, brought to you by the letters 'A' and 'C'". RNLI. Retrieved 17 December 2025.