Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

! Class

! In service

| 11

| 41

| 40

| 27

| 33

| 3

| 122

| 143

| 4

| 7

!Class

!Build period

!Total built

!Typical length

!Self-righting

!Notes

| 1851

|

| {{cvt|36|ft|m|disp=br()}}

| Yes

| Winner of the RNLI's design competition in 1851, the design was quickly developed into the {{lbc|Peake}}.{{cite book |last1=Leonard |first1=Richie |last2=Denton |first2=Tony |title=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024|date=2024 |publisher=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society |pages=57–58}}

| {{nowrap|1884–1895}}

| 3

| {{cvt|35|ft|m|disp=br()}}

| No

| Designed for the Norfolk Shipwreck Association at Cromer before they became part of the RNLI in 1857. Also used at several other nearby stations and the RNLI built three replacements for them to a similar design.{{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2024 |pp=4–17}}

| 1790–1804

| 23

| {{cvt|40|ft|m|disp=br()}}

| No

| The first widely-adopted lifeboats were based on Henry Greathead's Original design. They were double-ended and fitted with cork buoyancy aids. At least one remained in service for 40 years to be withdrawn by the RNLI. They are sometimes referred to as the 'North Country lifeboat'.{{sfn|Cameron|2009|pp=17–19}}

| 1892–1916

| 40

| {{cvt|34|to|41|ft|m|0|disp=br()}}

| No

| {{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2024 |pp=4–29}}

| 1860–1918

| 44

| {{cvt|30|to|46|ft|m|0|disp=br()}}

| No

| A sailing lifeboat designed to operate further from shore and around the sandbanks common off East Anglia. It was broader than the self-righting types which made it less likely to capsize.{{sfn|Cameron|2009|pp=63–65}}{{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2024 |pp=4–29}}

| 1825–1850

| 29

| {{cvt|25|to|32|ft|m|0|disp=br()}}

| No

| A small lifeboat based on a whaleboat.{{sfn|Cameron|2009|p=41}}

| 1851–1916

| 500+

|{{cvt|30|to|43|ft|m|0|disp=br()}}

| Yes

| A lighter boat developed from the {{lbb|Beeching}} design in 1851. This was the standard RNLI boat for most of the second half of the nineteenth century and evolved over time. Being so widely used they were often referred to simply as 'self-righters'.{{cite journal| title = Lifeboat designed by James Peake, Esq. | journal = The Engineer | date=1856 | page=20 | url = https://theengineer.markallengroup.com/production/2022/02/lifeboat.pdf | access-date = 25 February 2024}}{{sfn|Cameron|2009|p=58}}{{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2024 |pp=4–29}}

| {{nowrap|1825–1850s}}

|

| {{cvt|26|ft|m|0|disp=br()}}

| No

| One of the institution's first standard designs.{{sfn|Cameron|2009|p=41}}

| 1856–1896

| 5

| {{cvt|33|ft|m|0|disp=br()}}

| No

| A tubular design with a slatted floor suspended between two tubes that were joined together at either end. They saw service at {{lbs|Rhyl}} and {{lbs|New Brighton}}.{{sfn|Cameron|2009|pp=62–63}}

| 1900–1918

| 17

| {{cvt|34|ft|m|0|disp=br()}}

| Yes

| A variation of the self-righting design.{{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2024 |pp=20–17}}

| 1892–1915

| 42

| 38 to 45 ft {{nowrap|(12 to 14 m)}}

| No

| {{sfn|Cameron|2009|pp=65–67}}{{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2024 |pp=14–29}}

| 1869–1910

| 5

| {{cvt|28|to|30|ft|m|0|disp=br()}}

| Yes

| A small boat built for {{lbs|Ryde}} and {{lbs|Poolbeg}}.{{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2024 |pp=4–27}}

!Class

!{{Abbr|Op. No.|Operational Number}} prefix

!Entered service

!Total built

!Length

!Displacement (tons)

!Speed (knots)

!data-sort-type=number|Range ({{Abbr|nmi|Nautical Mile}})

|–

|1923

|37

|{{cvt|51|to|60|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|{{nowrap|28 to 40}}

|9.5

|300

|70

|1965

|3

|{{cvt|70|to|71|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|78 to 85

|11.5

|1,700

|–

|1930

|1

|{{cvt|64|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|27

|17.25

|94

|–

|1938

|1

|{{cvt|28|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|

|

|

|–

|1931

|60

|{{cvt|35|ft|6|in|m}}

|6 to 8

|7.5

|{{nowrap|70 to 120}}

|–

|1921

|3

|{{cvt|46|ft|6|in|m}}

|14 to 17

|8

|115

|37

|1958

|31

|{{cvt|37|ft|m|disp=br()}} Three Oakley-class lifeboats were {{cvt|48|ft|6|in|m}} long and given Operational Numbers 48-01 to 48-03. These larger boats displaced 30 tons.

|12

|8

|140

|–

|1925

|3

|{{cvt|48|ft|m}}

|21 to 23

|8

|

|37

|1972

|11

|{{cvt|37|ft|6|in|m}}

|13

|8

|140

|–

|1908

|48

|{{cvt|35|to|42|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|5+

|8

|

|48

|1969

|11

|{{cvt|48|ft|6|in|m}}

|27

|9.5

|240

|–

|1889

|3

|{{cvt|50|to|55|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|31

|

|

|–

|1898

|3

|{{cvt|56|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|

|

|

|–

|1901

|1

|{{cvt|95|ft|6|in|m}}

|133

|10

|

|–

|1936

|9

|{{cvt|32|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|4+

|6.5+

|40

|50

|1973

|2

|{{cvt|50|ft|m|disp=br()}}

|24+

|17.5

|210

|–

|1909

|213

|{{cvt|40|to|47|in|m|disp=br()}}

|data-sort-value="23"|Up to 23

|8

|280

!Class

!{{Abbr|Op. No.|Operational Number}} prefix

!Entered service

!Total built

!Length

!Displacement (tonnes)

!Speed (knots)

!Range ({{Abbr|nmi|Nautical Mile}})

!Crew

!Survivor capacity

!Launch method

|52Some Arun-class lifeboats were 54 feet long so carried Operational Numbers prefixed 54.

|1971

|46

|{{cvt|52|ft|m|order=flip}}

|{{cvt|32|LT|t|abbr=values|disp=out}}

|18.5

|250

|6

|

|Afloat

|40

|1968

|1

|{{cvt|40|ft|m|order=flip}}

|

|

|

|

|

|Afloat

|–

|1981

|3The Medina-class lifeboats were Rigid Inflatable Boat prototypes. The Dutch lifeboat service continued their development and put lifeboats of this design into service.

|{{cvt|35|ft|m|order=flip}}

|

|28

|

|4

|

|

|12

|1988

|38

|{{cvt|11.6|m|ft}}

|14

|17

|140

|6

|43

|Carriage, slipway or afloat

|13

|2013

|47+ Shannon-class lifeboats are still being constructed. 47 had been completed by 2023.

|{{cvt|13.6|m|ft}}

|18

|25

|250

|6

|79

|Carriage, slipway or afloat

!Class

!Model

!Entered service

!Total built

!Length

!data-sort-type=number|Displacement

!Speed (knots)

!Endurance (hours)

!Crew

!Survivor capacity

!Launch method

|{{lbb|Boston Whaler}}

|1985

|1

|{{cvt|20|ft|6|in|m|order=flip}}

|

|30

|

|2–3

|

|Afloat

|{{lbb|Hatch}}

|1967

|5

|{{cvt|20|ft|6|in|m|order=flip}}

|

|25

|5

|2–3

|

|Afloat

|{{lbb|McLachlan}}

|1967

|10

|{{cvt|20|ft|6|in|m|order=flip}}

|

|22

|

|2–3

|

|Afloat

|Zodiac IV

|1970

|30

|{{cvt|17|ft|6|in|m|order=flip}}

|

|26

|

|4

|

|

|{{lbb|Atlantic 21}}

|1970

|96

|{{cvt|6.9|m|ft}}

|{{cvt|2750|lb|kg|order=flip}}

|30

|3

|3

|22

|Carriage

|{{lbb|Atlantic 75}}

|1993

|97

|{{cvt|7.3|m|ft}}

|{{cvt|3200|lb|kg|order=flip}}

|34

|3

|3

|23

|Carriage

|{{Lbb|Atlantic 85}} {{Cite web|title=B Class Atlantic Lifeboat — One Of The Fastest RNLI Lifeboats|url=https://rnli.org/what-we-do/lifeboats-and-stations/our-lifeboat-fleet/b-class-lifeboat|access-date=2020-07-06|website=rnli.org|language=en}}

|2005

|140+ B-class Atlantic 85s are still being constructed. 140 had been completed by 2023.

|{{cvt|8.4|m|ft}}

|{{cvt|1800|kg|lb}}

|35

|3

|3-4

|20

|Carriage, davit or floating boathouse

|Avon S650

|1971

|4

|{{cvt|16|ft|m|order=flip}}

|

|20

|3

|

|10

|

|Dunlop

|1965

|11

|

|

|

|

|2-3

|

|

|EA16

|1987

|257

|{{cvt|16|ft|m|order=flip}}

|{{cvt|745|lb|kg|order=flip|disp=br()}}

|20

|3

|3–4

|

|Carriage or davit

|Humber

|1981

|2

|

|

|

|

|2-3

|

|

|IB1{{Cite web|title=D Class Lifeboat — The Workhorse Of The RNLI for 50 Years|url=https://rnli.org/what-we-do/lifeboats-and-stations/our-lifeboat-fleet/d-class-lifeboat|access-date=2020-07-06|website=rnli.org|language=en}}

|2001

|284+ D-class IB1s are still being constructed. 284 had been completed by 2023.

|{{cvt|5|m|ft|disp=br()}}

|{{cvt|400|kg|lb|disp=br()}}

|25

|3

|2-3

|5

|Carriage or davit

|RFD 320

|1966

|6

|

|

|

|

|2-3

|

|Used as Boarding Boats

|RFD PB16

|1963

|228

|{{cvt|16|ft|m|order=flip}}

|

|

|

|2–3

|

|Carriage or davit

|Zodiac III

|1971

|64

|

|

|

|

|2–3

|

|Carriage or davit

|Mark 1

|2002

|6

|{{cvt|10.5|m|ft}}

|{{cvt|5900|kg|lb}}

|40

|3

|4

|20

|Afloat

!Class

!Type

!Entered service

!Total built

!Length

!Weight / Displacement

!Speed (knots)

!Endurance (hours)

!Crew

!Notes

|Inflatable rescue boat

|2001

|78+

|{{cvt|3.8|m|ft|disp=br()}}

|165 kg

|8

|

|2

|25 used by on lifeguard units, 3 deployed at lifeboat stations.{{Cite web|title=RNLI Lifeboat Fleet — Inshore Rescue Boats|url=https://rnli.org/what-we-do/lifeboats-and-stations/our-lifeboat-fleet/inshore-rescue-boat|access-date=2020-07-06|website=rnli.org|language=en}}

|Boarding boat

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|The Boarding Boats are a variety of different types mostly used where lifeboats are moored afloat. Modern examples are inflatable boats but retired inshore lifeboats may also be used.

| Hovercraft

|2002

|7

|{{cvt|8|m|ft|disp=br()}}

|3.86 tonnes

|30

|3

|2-4

|{{Cite web|title=Rescue Hovercraft — The RNLI's Lifeboat Fleet — RNLI|url=https://rnli.org/what-we-do/lifeboats-and-stations/our-lifeboat-fleet/rescue-hovercraft|access-date=2020-07-06|website=rnli.org|language=en}}

|Rescue water craft

|2001

|

|

|

|

|

|1

|Fast craft used by lifeguard units.

|Inflatable rescue boat

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|Unmotored boat normally carried on board Tyne-class lifeboats but is an option on the {{lbb|Mersey}} and {{lbb|Shannon}}.

|Inflatable rescue boat

|

|

| {{cvt|9.2|m|ft|disp=br()}}

| 61 kg

| 10 or 25

| 2

| 2

|A small powered boat which is normally carried on board the Trent-class lifeboats.

|Inflatable rescue boat

|

|

| {{cvt|3|m|ft|disp=br()}}

|

| 25

|

| 2

|Small powered boat normally found on board {{lbb|Severn}} and {{lbc|Tamar}} lifeboats.