Brede-class lifeboat
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Lochin Marine International Ltd., Rye, East Sussex |
| Operators: | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Preceded by: | Rother |
| Succeeded by: | Arun |
| Built: | 1981–1985 |
| In service: | 1982–2002 |
| Completed: | 10 |
| Retired: | 10 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Motor lifeboat |
| Displacement: | 8.5 long tons (8.6 t) |
| Length: | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Beam: | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Draught: | 4 ft 3 in (1.30 m) |
| Speed: | 18.6 knots (21.4 mph) |
| Range: | 140 nautical miles (260 km) |
| Capacity: | 8 plus 1 stretcher |
| Crew: | 4 |
The Brede-class lifeboat was operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from its stations around the coasts of the United Kingdom between 1982 and 2002, at which time it was the fastest all-weather lifeboat in its fleet. Eleven were put into service and when replaced by larger boats seven were sold for further use as lifeboats, mainly in South Africa.
The class took its name from the River Brede which joins the River Rother to flow into the English Channel at Rye, Sussex.
During the 1960s and 1970s the RNLI had placed a number of fast lifeboats into service. These had mostly been 44 ft (13 m) Waveney-class but there was a need for smaller, more manoeuvrable boats that were larger than the Atlantic 21 inshore lifeboats. A large boat was built using the construction methods of the Atlantic 21 but this Medina-class lifeboat was never adopted. A prototype Brede was constructed in 1981 and the following year the first two production Brede-class were built. These had a larger wheelhouse than the prototype and placed in service at Fowey and Oban lifeboat stations in October. Ten more production boats followed but production ceased in 1985. The first Brede to be withdrawn was RNLB Ann Richie (ON 1080) which only saw five years service. By the end of 1994 the fleet had been reduced to just five boats; three in the relief fleet and those stationed at Poole and Calshot. The boats had been too small to operate in extreme weather and surveys highlighted potential problems with structural strength.
Most of the fleet found new use with other rescue services. One was transported to New Zealand in 1993, and six were sold between 1994 and 2002 for use in South Africa. The NSRI in South Africa announced in September 2016 that they were embarking on a project to replace their ageing Brede lifeboat fleet, starting with Eikos Rescuer II (RNLI 1104) based in Durban, with further replacements planned for every two years. The Brede lifeboats will be sold out of the fleet as they are replaced.
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Wikipedia