Barnett-class lifeboat

RNLB William and Kate Johnston (ON 682)
Class overview
Builders:	J. Samuel White, Cowes S. E. Saunders, Cowes Saunders-Roe, Cowes Groves & Guttridge, Cowes Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge
Operators:	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Built:	60 ft: 1923–1929 51 ft: 1928–1949 52 ft Mk. I: 1950–1955 52 ft Mk. II: 1957–1960
In service:	1923–1987
Completed:	60 ft: 4 51 ft: 13 52 ft Mk. I: 10 52 ft Mk. II: 10
Retired:	37
General characteristics
Type:	Motor lifeboat
Displacement:	60 ft: 40–44 tons 51 ft: 27 tons 52 ft: 28 tons
Length:	51–60 ft (16–18 m)
Beam:	60 ft: 15 ft (4.6 m) 51 ft: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) 52 ft Mk. I: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) 52 ft Mk. II: 14 ft (4.3 m)
Installed power:	60 ft:2 x 80 bhp D.E. 6-cyl. petrol 51 ft: 2 x 60 bhp Weyburn CE6 6-cyl. petrol 52 ft Mk. I: 2 x 60 bhp Ferry VE6 6-cyl. diesel 52 ft Mk. II: 2 x 72 bhp Gardner 6LW 6cyl. diesel
Propulsion:	2 × pitch propellers in tunnels
Speed:	9.5 knots (10.9 mph)
Range:	300 nautical miles (560 km)
Crew:	6

The Barnett-class lifeboat consists of three types of non self-righting displacement hull lifeboats operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from its stations around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland between 1923 and 1987

60 ft Barnett

History

The 60 ft Barnett was the first twin-engined, twin-screw RNLI lifeboat, and when introduced in 1923, the largest. Designed by RNLI naval architect James Barnett, the boats pioneered many features which were to become standard on future lifeboats. They were, however too large to be slipway launched and had to be moored afloat at a time when the RNLI preferred to keep lifeboats in boathouses and consequently, only four were built.

Description

The boats had an open aft cockpit with a shelter ahead of it. The engines were in separate watertight engines rooms with exhaust taken up two side by side funnels amidships. There were fore and aft survivor cabins below deck. The boats were powered by two RNLI designed 80 bhp DE6 6-cylinder petrol engines, three built by Weyburn Engineering and the other by J. Samuel White. The final boat was 61 ft long due to a forward raked bow. The boats served their stations well until the early fifties when they were replaced by 52 ft Barnetts.

Fleet

ON[lower-alpha 1]	Name	Builder	In service	Principal Station	Disposal	Image
682	William and Kate Johnston	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1923–1950	New Brighton	Sold December 1950
693	Emma Constance	S. E. Saunders, Cowes	1926–1951	Aberdeen	Sold November 1951
696	Robert & Marcella Beck	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1926–1952	Plymouth	Sold June 1952
715	Princess Mary	S.E.Saunders, Cowes	1929–1952	Padstow	Sold June 1952

51 ft Barnett

History

The 60 ft Barnett was too large and heavy to be slipway launched and so the 51 ft type was designed as a scaled down version which would be able to be stationed at a greater number of locations. The class is sometimes referred to as the "Stromness" after the first station to receive one.

Description

The 51 ft Barnett had an open aft cockpit with a shelter ahead of it giving access to the engine room. Ahead of the engine room was a survivor cabin and there was a forward shelter ahead of the mast. The class was powered by two 60 bhp Weyburn CE6 6-cylinder petrol engines with a single exhaust funnel ahead of the aft shelter.

The final boat of the class, RNLB Southern Africa (ON 860), was built in 1949;, fourteen years after the end of regular production, and was more akin in deck layout to the first five 46ft 9in Watson-class boats built around the same time. This boat was powered by two 60 bhp Ferry VE6 6-cylinder diesels and was in effect a prototype for a post war production run of diesel powered boats. However, it was overtaken by events as James Barnett turned to midships cockpits and the new boats emerged as the 52 ft class the following year. The only other 51 ft Watson to receive diesel engines was ON 755 which was re-engined with twin Ford based 65 bhp Parsons Barracuda diesels in 1965. In 1976, ON 860 also received Barracudas while serving in the relief fleet and this boat was the final member of the class in service when retired in 1981.

Fleet

ON[lower-alpha 1]	Name	Builder	In service	Principal Station	Disposal	Image
702	J.J.K.S.W.	S.E.Saunders, Cowes	1928–1955 1955–1964	Stromness Relief fleet	Sold 1965
717	A.E.D.	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1929–1950 1951–1957	Holyhead Valentia	Sold 1957
718	William and Harriot	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1929–1954 1954–1959	Stornaway[1] Relief fleet	Sold 1959
719	Queen Victoria	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1929–1940 1940–1945 1945–1954 1954–1958	St. Peter Port Killybegs St. Peter Port Relief fleet	Sold May 1958
720	City of Glasgow	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1929–1953 1953–1958	Campbeltown Relief fleet	Sold 1959
731	Lady Jane & Martha Ryland	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1930–1958 1958–1969	Lerwick Relief fleet	Sold 1969
733	Mary Stanford	Saunders-Roe, Cowes	1930–1959 1959–1968	Ballycotton Relief fleet	Sold February 1968
734	George Shee	Saunders-Roe, Cowes	1930–1958 1958	Torbay Relief fleet	Sold December 1958
735	William and Clara Ryland	Saunders-Roe, Cowes	1930–1957	Weymouth	Sold 1958
754	Lloyds	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1932–1957 1957–1969	Barra Island Relief fleet	Sold January 1970
755	Peter and Sarah Blake	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1932–1958 1958–1972	Fenit Relief fleet	Sold October 1972
776	The Rankin	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1935–1961 1961–1969	Aith Relief fleet	Sold 1970
860	Southern Africa	Rowhedge Ironworks, Rowhedge	1949–1967 1967–1981	Dover Relief fleet	Sold July 1981

52 ft Barnett (Mk. I)

All built by J. Samuel White, Cowes

52 ft Barnett (Mk. II)

ON[lower-alpha 1]	Name	Builder	In service	Principal Station	Disposal	Image
935	R.A.Colby Cubbin No. 3	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1957–1984	Barra Island	Sold November 1984
936	E.M.M.Gordon Cubbin	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1957–1982 1982–1985	Mallaig Relief fleet	Sold 1985
938	Rowland Watts	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1957–1983 1983–1985	Valentia Relief fleet	Sold 1985 to Brendan Walsh, Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry. Used for Skellig's trips.
939	Frank Spiller Locke	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1957–1976 1977–1985	Weymouth Galway Bay	Sold October 1986
943	Claude Cecil Staniforth	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1958–1978 1978–1985	Lerwick Arranmore	Sold November 1985
944	Ramsay Dyce	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1958–1976 1976–1978 1978–1985	Aberdeen Relief fleet Lochinver	Sold August 1985	Ramsay Dyce (and Medina-class lifeboat MRI42 to starboard) at Glasson Dock
945	Princess Alexandra of Kent	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1958–1975 1975–1983	Torbay Relief fleet	Sold 1984
949	Ethel Mary	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1959–1985 1985–1987 1987–1988	Ballycotton Relief fleet Baltimore	Last on station. Sold 1989
952	Duke of Cornwall (Civil Service No. 33)	Groves & Guttridge, Cowes	1961–1984 1984 1984–1989	The Lizard Padstow Relief fleet	Sold 1989
956	John and Francis MacFarlane	J. Samuel White, Cowes	1961–1986	Aith	Sold October 1986

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barnett class lifeboats.

• RNLI
• ON943 RNLB Claude Cecil Staniforth