Motor lifeboat
Liverpool class
Royal National Lifeboat Institution · United Kingdom & Ireland
Non-self-righting, carriage-launched motor lifeboat that was the backbone of RNLI beach stations from the 1930s to the 1980s.
Specifications
Hull & dimensions
- Manufacturer / builder
- Groves & Guttridge; Thornycroft; J. Samuel White; Saunders-Roe
- Hull type
- —
- Hull material
- —
- Watertight compartments
- —
- Length overall
- 10.82 m (35.5 ft)
- Length at waterline
- —
- Beam
- 3.25 m (10.7 ft)
- Draught
- —
- Freeboard at bow
- —
- Freeboard at stern
- —
- Displacement
- 8 t (8.8 US tons)
- Gross tonnage
- —
- Net tonnage
- —
- Min vertical clearance
- —
- Height to highest unfixed point
- —
- Height to highest fixed point
- —
- Number built
- 60
- Year introduced
- 1931
- Year retired
- 1992
Machinery & propulsion
- Propulsion type
- Single or twin engine
- Engines
- —
- Engine manufacturer
- —
- Total engine power
- —
- Fuel type
- —
- Total fuel capacity
- —
- Fresh water capacity
- —
- Launch method
- —
Members-only
Operating limits (seas, surf, wind), towing and stability data, and detailed engineering specifications are available to Members.
Performance & capabilities
- Maximum speed
- 7.5 kn (13.9 km/h · 8.6 mph)
- Range
- 120 nm (222 km · 138 mi)
- Endurance
- —
- Crew complement
- —
- People capacity
- —
- Self-righting
- —
- Self-bailing
- —
- Ice operations capable
- —
- Max ice-breaking thickness
- —
- Medical facilities onboard
- —
Members-only
Operating limits (seas, surf, wind), towing and stability data, and detailed engineering specifications are available to Members.
Operational envelope & limits
Members-only
Operating limits (seas, surf, wind), towing and stability data, and detailed engineering specifications are available to Members.
Source citations
| # | Source | Type | Supports | Accessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [1] | Historic lifeboat returns to Liverpool BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-15560100 | web | General | 2026-09-30 |
| [2] | Liverpool-class lifeboat Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool-class_lifeboat | reference | General | 2026-09-30 |