Oakley-class lifeboat
RNLB Manchester Unity of Oddfellows (ON 960) | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders |
|
| Operators | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Preceded by | Liverpool/Watson |
| Succeeded by | Rother/Solent |
| Cost |
|
| Built | 1958–1971 |
| In service | 1958–1993 |
| Completed |
|
| Retired | 31 |
| Preserved | 10 |
| General characteristics 37ft | |
| Displacement | 12 long tons (12 t) |
| Length | 37 ft (11.28 m) |
| Beam | 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) |
| Draught | 3 ft 4 in (1.02 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 × 43hp Perkins P4M/52hp Ford Thorneycroft/Parsons Porbeagle |
| Speed | 8 knots (9.2 mph; 15 km/h) |
| Complement | 7 |
| General characteristics 48ft 6in | |
| Displacement | 30 long tons (30 t) |
| Length | 48 ft 6 in (14.78 m) |
| Beam | 14 ft 0 in (4.27 m) |
| Draught | 4 ft 4 in (1.32 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 × 110bhp Gardner 6LX |
| Speed | 8 knots (9.2 mph; 15 km/h) |
| Complement | 8 |
The Oakley-class lifeboat refers to two types of self-righting lifeboat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) around the coast of the United Kingdom and Ireland between 1958 and 1993. The 37-foot (11.3 m) Oakley was designed for carriage launching, while the larger 48-foot-6-inch (14.8 m) version was designed for slipway launching or to lie afloat. During their service they saved a combined total of 1,456 lives in 3,734 rescue launches.
The class is known by the name of its designer, RNLI naval architect Richard Oakley.