.jpg) Aldeburgh Lifeboat 12-34 Freddie Cooper (ON 1193)
departs Aldeburgh for the final time, 27 October 2024 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mersey Class |
| Operators |
|
| Preceded by | Rother, Oakley |
| Succeeded by | Shannon, B-class (Atlantic 85) |
| Cost | £350,000 |
| Built | 1987–1993 |
| In service | 1988– |
| Completed | 38 |
| Active | 9 |
| Retired | 29 |
| Preserved | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 14.3 t (14.1 long tons) |
| Length | 11.62 m (38.1 ft) |
| Beam | 4.0 m (13.1 ft) |
| Draught | 1.02 m (3.3 ft) |
| Propulsion | 2 × 285 hp (213 kW) Caterpillar 3208T diesel engines |
| Speed | 17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h) |
| Range | 240 nmi (440 km) |
| Endurance | 10.25 hours approx. at cruising speed |
| Capacity | 43 survivors (self-righting up to 21) |
| Complement | 6 |
Mersey-class lifeboats are All-weather lifeboats operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from stations around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, with three former RNLI boats operated by ADES Uruguay, and one by Bote Salvavidas de Valparaiso, Chile . They are capable of operating at up to 17 knots (31 km/h) and can be launched from a carriage or by slipway.
The class name comes from the River Mersey which flows into the Irish Sea in north west England.