Tamar-class lifeboats are all-weather lifeboats (ALBs) operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. They have replaced the majority of the older lifeboats. The prototype was built in 2000 and 27 production boats were constructed between 2006 and 2013.

The class name comes from the River Tamar in south west England which flows into the English Channel, where the hulls from SAR Composites were fitted-out by Babcock International Group.

All of the following fleet details are referenced to the 2026 Lifeboat Enthusiast Society Handbook, with information retrieved directly from RNLI records.

History Since 1982 the RNLI had deployed Tyne lifeboats at stations which launched their boats down slipways or needed to operate in shallow waters. The organisation desired to increase the speed and range of their operations so introduced faster and boats starting in 1994 at locations where they could be moored afloat. The RNLI then needed to produce a boat with similar capabilities but with protected propellers and other modifications that would allow it to be launched on a slipway.

Although nominally the replacement for the Tyne ALBs, only twenty-seven Tamars have been built (compared to forty Tynes). The remaining Tynes will be replaced by Shannon boats.

The prototype Tamar was built in 2000 and was used for trials until 2006. It was sold in December 2008 to Kent Police, becoming Princess Alexandra III, the force's permanent maritime vessel operating out of Sheerness. The first production boat, Haydn Miller entered service at in March 2006. A few of the early boats suffered problems such as fuel leaking under the floor of the engine room around hydraulic lines. These boats were recalled and the problems rectified.

The 27th and last Tamar-class lifeboat, allocated to The Mumbles, was launched 12 March 2013 in Devonport Dockyard and after sea trials was handed over to the RNLI on 21 May 2013.

Nine lifeboat stations keep Tamars moored afloat, 12 launch them down slipways, and the remaining six form a Relief Fleet, to cover when boats are unavailable due to maintenance. Most of the slipway stations required entirely new boathouses and slipways to accommodate the Tamar, but at Cromer and Angle the existing fairly modern boathouses were adapted and at Sennen Cove the capacious old boathouse was able to be modified to take the new boat. Towards the end of Tamar production, the boathouse building programme fell behind boat delivery dates and the last four boats went on station moored afloat pending boathouse completion, which was not finally achieved until October 2016, when the new St. Davids boathouse was opened.

Description The Tamar has a new design of crew workstation with seats that can move up and down as the boat passes through rough seas at high speed, and a networked computerised Systems and Information Management System (SIMS) which allows the crew to monitor and control the boat entirely from within the wheelhouse. The coxswain and helm have seat-mounted throttles, trackerball and joystick controls of the rudder. Alternatively the boat may be monitored and controlled by two controls on the bridge: Dual throttle controls and joystick on the left; dual throttle, wheel and control-screen on the right. All aspects of the vessel may also be controlled from this position.

The lifeboat is completely water-tight allowing it to self-right with up to 60 people on board. The boat has the potential to carry a maximum of 120 passengers on board, but without self-righting capability. The Survivors Space has room for 10 sitting and eight standing. The Survivors Space is accessed either through the Wheelhouse or the fore deck Emergency Escape Hatch.

Each Tamar carries a Y Class inflatable boat which can be deployed and recovered while at sea. There is a provision for a PWC (Personal Water Craft, more commonly known as a jetski) to be specified instead, should it prove more suitable.

All Tamar Class lifeboats have sea water sourced open loop heat pump systems on board to keep the crew comfortable in high or low temperature conditions.

Tamar-class lifeboat fleet RNLI active fleet ON Op. No. Name Built Station Launching methodMMSI Comments 1281 Haydn Miller 2005 2006– Slipway 235014279 1282 16-03 The Misses Robertson of Kintail 2006 2006– Afloat 235030389 1283 16-04 Spirit of Padstow 2006 2006– Slipway 235030388 1284 16-05 Helen Comrie 2006 2006– Afloat 235030387 1287 16-07 Lester 2007 2008– Slipway 235030385 1288 16-08 Grace Dixon 2007 2008– Slipway 235050564 1289 16-09 Baltic Exchange III 2008 2008– Afloat 235050655 129116-11Mark Mason20092009– Slipway235050567From July 2024, based afloat at the Pilot Jetty, Milford Haven. Afloat 1292 16-12 George Sullivan 2009 2009– Afloat 235050568 RNLI crew at St Helier stood down from 17 November 2017 until 12 December 2017. 1294 16-14 City of London III 2009 2010– Slipway 235050719 1295 16-15 Enid Collett 2010 2010– Slipway 235050721 1297 16-17 2010 2010– Slipway 235050723 1298 16-18 Killarney 2010 2010– Afloat 235050725 129916-192011 2011–2024 Afloat235069211 2024– Relief fleet – tbc Afloat 1300 16-20 Rose 2011 2011– Slipway 235069212 130116-212011 2011–2024 Afloat235069213 2024–2026 Relief fleet – 2026– Afloat 1302 16-22 Alan Massey 2011 2012– Afloat 235069214 130316-23Diamond Jubilee2012 2012–2022 Afloat235069215Diamond Jubilee reassigned to Ramsgate, November 2023 2023– Afloat 1304 16-24 John D Spicer 2012 2012– Slipway 235069216 1305 16-25 Kiwi 2012 2013– Slipway 235069217 1306 16-26 Norah Wortley 2013 2013– Slipway 235069182 130716-27Roy Barker IV20132014– Slipway235069218September 2023, Mumbles Tamar lifeboat temporarily Afloat Afloat

RNLI relief fleet ON Op. No. Name Built Station Launching methodMMSI Comments 1280 16-01 Peter and Lesley-Jane Nicholson 2005 2005– Relief fleet – 2350142811286Frank and Anne Wilkinson2007 2007–2008 Relief fleet –235030386 2008 Slipway 2008– Relief fleet –129016-10Edward and Barbara Prigmore2008 2008–2009 Relief fleet –235050566 2009–2010 Slipway 2010 Relief fleet – 129316-13Victor Freeman2009 2009–2010 Relief fleet –235050627 2010 Slipway 2010– Relief fleet –129616-16Mollie Hunt2010 2010–2026 Afloat235050722Withdrawn to the relief fleet, 15 June 2026 2026– Relief fleet

RNLI retired fleet ON Op. No. Name Built Station Launching methodMMSI Comments 1251 FS002 2000 2000–2006 Prototype Afloat 654900000 Sold 2006 to Kent Police, named Princess Alexandra III. In October 2017, a Fisheries Protection Vessel, at Nouadhibou, Mauritania, renamed Lemreye 1.

Notes

References

External links

RNLI Fleet:Tamar Class Ingenia Magazine: launching the Tamar, December 2007 Tenby Lifeboat Station's Tamar (includes slipway launch video)