The Good Hope (centre) at Watchet, Somerset
Class overview
Name46ft Watson-class
Builders
Operators RNLI
Preceded by45ft 6in Watson-class
Succeeded by46ft 9in Watson-class
Cost£7,300-£17,000
Built1935-1946
In service1935-1981
Completed28
Lost2
Retired26
General characteristics
Class and type46ft Watson motor lifeboat
Displacement21 tons
Length46 ft (14 m)
Beam12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Propulsion
  • 2x40bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cyl. petrol
  • 2x40bhp Ferry VE4 4-cyl. diesel
Speed8 knots
Crew8

The 46 ft Watson-class was a non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built between 1935 and 1946 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1935 and 1981.

History

The 46 ft Watson was longer and wider than the preceding 45ft 6in Watson type. The 46 ft type was one of the last to be adapted to suit the conditions at individual stations with shallower draft versions (ONs 805,815,820 and 838) being supplied to four stations. Post World War Two, standard designs were the order of the day.

Description

The 46 ft Watson initially had an aft cockpit with a shelter containing the engine controls. Ahead of the shelter was the exhaust funnel and ahead of the mast was a small forward shelter. On ONs 805 and 815, the cockpit shelter was lengthened, with the funnel mounted on its forward end and these two featured end boxes. ON 820 also had the lengthened shelter but retained a flush deck. From ON 828 the forward shelter was deleted. Two boats, ONs 840 and 846 had midships cockpits, ahead of the funnel, with a shelter ahead of it as well as the rear shelter. Four of the first five boats had two 40 bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cylinder petrol engines, but the fourth, ON 787, was fitted with two 40 bhp Ferry VE4 4-cylinder diesels, making it the first RNLI lifeboat to be built with diesel engines. The diesels became standard from the sixth boat on. In the mid sixties, seven boats were re-engined with 65 bhp Ford-based Parsons Barracuda 6-cylinder diesels after experiments with ON 803 which had been fitted with 47 bhp Parsons Marlin diesels in 1961 and then re-engined with Barracudas in 1963. The 46 ft Watsons were long lived, most reaching more than thirty years service and some topping forty years.

Fleet

ON is the RNLI's sequential Official Number.

ON Name Built Builder In service Stations Comments
777 H.F. Bailey 1935 Groves & Guttridge 1935–1945 Cromer No.1 Sold in 1973.
On display at the Henry Blogg Museum, Cromer, since 2009.
1946–1960 Helvick Head
1960–1972 Relief fleet
778 Edward and Isabella Irwin 1935 Groves & Guttridge 1935–1963 Sunderland Sold 1971. Hull reported at Liverpool Sailing Club, May 2018.
1963–1966 Relief fleet
1966–1967 Cromer
1967–1969 Relief fleet
784 Civil Service No.6 1935 Groves & Gutteridge 1936–1963 St Davids Only carried the name Civil Service No.6 when first entered service but this was changed to Swn-Y-Mor (Civil Service No.6) in 1956.

Sold February 1973. Renamed Swn-y-Mor. Reported at Tarbert, Loch Fyne, December 2018.

Swn-Y-Mor (Civil Service No.6)
1964–1967 Eyemouth
1967–1972 Relief fleet
787 S.G.E. 1936 Groves & Guttridge 1936–1937 Yarmouth Destroyed by fire at Groves & Guttridge 18 June 1937.
788 Jeanie Spiers 1937 Alexander Robertson 1937–1961 Portpatrick Sold April 1961. Believe lost at Largs in 1974.
789 R.P.L. 1936 Groves & Guttridge 1937–1962 Howth Sold September 1962.
790 John and Charles Kennedy 1936 Groves & Guttridge 1937–1953 Fraserburgh Capsized on service 9 February 1953, six crew lost. Broken up.
801 Sir Arthur Rose 1938 Alexander Robertson 1938–1947 Tobermory Sold February 1973. Renamed Rose Marion. Reported at Tidemill Yacht Harbour, Woodbridge, Suffolk, May 2022.
1948–1957 Mallaig
1958–1969 Courtmacsherry Harbour
1969–1973 Relief fleet
802 City of Edinburgh 1938 Alexander Robertson 1938–1968 Wick Re-engined in 1966 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold July 1976. Renamed Saltire, reported in September 2022 at South Harbour, Whitehaven.
1969–1976 Relief fleet
803 Canadian Pacific 1938 Alexander Robertson 1938–1969 Selsey Re-engined in 1961 with two 47bhp Parsons Marlin engines and in 1963 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines.Sold February 1978. Reported in December 2022 in unaltered condition working as a pleasure boat at Dornie, Kyle of Lochalsh.
1969–1970 Sheerness
1970–1977 Relief fleet
804 S.G.E. 1938 J. Samuel White 1938–1943 Yarmouth Replacement for ON 787. Sold April 1964. Renamed John Dutton in Saint Helena. Believed lost in 2000.
1943–1945 Relief fleet
1945–1963 Yarmouth
805 Samuel and Marie Parkhouse 1938 J. Samuel White 1938–1962 Salcombe Sold September 1963. Renamed Oniros, River Fal in May 2022.
814 Dunleary II 1938 J. Samuel White 1938–1967 Dun Laoghaire Sold August 1974. Reported at Wapping Wharf, Bristol, December 2021.
1967–1969 Lochinver
1969–1972 Relief fleet
1972–1973 Dunmore East
815 Violet Armstrong 1938 J. Samuel White 1938–1962 Appledore Sold October 1962. Under restoration at Albion Yard Marina, Bristol December 2021.
818 Mabel Marion Thompson 1939 J. Samuel White 1939–1952 Rosslare Harbour Sold April 1975
1952–1968 Aran Islands
1968–1970 Arranmore
1970–1974 Relief fleet
819 Julia Park Barry, of Glasgow 1939 Alexander Robertson 1939–1969 Peterhead Re-engined in 1964 wity two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold March 1979.
1969–1979 Relief fleet
820 Louise Stephens 1939 J. Samuel White 1939–1967 Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Sold August 1974.
1967–1974 Eyemouth
821 The Good Hope 1939 Alexander Robertson 1939–1972 Montrose No.1 Re-engined in 1966 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold in 1981.
1972–1980 Relief fleet
822 Jesse Lumb 1939 J. Samuel White 1939–1970 Bembridge Re-engined in 1965 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold July 1981.
1970–1980 Relief fleet
828 The Princess Royal (Civil Service No.7) 1939 J. Samuel White 1939–1968 Hartlepool Re-engined in 1965 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines.
1968–1976 Relief fleet
829 Crawford and Constance Conybeare 1939 J. Samuel White 1940–1968 Falmouth Sold August 1974
1968–1974 Relief fleet
830 Annie Blanche Smith 1939 J. Samuel White 1940–1970 Dunmore East Sold July 1971
1970–1971 Relief fleet
838 Michael Stephens 1939 J. Samuel White 1939–1963 Lowestoft Sold January 1976
1963–1968 Exmouth
1968–1976 Relief fleet
840 Millie Walton
1947-Henry Blogg		 1945 Sussex Yacht Co. 1945–1966 Cromer No.1 Fitted with midships cockpit; originally built for Douglas. Sold April 1977.
1966–1976 Relief fleet
841 Manchester and Salford XXIX 1943 J. Samuel White 1943–1953 Pwllheli Sold August 1974
1953–1972 Workington
1972–1974 Relief fleet
842 (Milly Walton) 1942 Groves & Guttridge No None Intended for Douglas, destroyed in air raid at Cowes 4 May 1942.
843 (Charles Henry Ashley) 1942 Groves & Guttridge No None Intended for Porthdinllaen, destroyed in air raid at Cowes 4 May 1942.
846 Field Marshal and Mrs Smuts 1945 Morgan Giles 1945–1977 Beaumaris Fitted with midships cockpit. Sold August 1979.
1977–1979 Relief fleet
847 Gertrude 1946 Rowhedge Ironworks 1946–1968
 Holy Island Re-engined in 1965 with two 65bhp Parsons Barracuda engines. Sold February 1982.
1968–1970 Exmouth
1971–1974 Sheerness
1974–1982 Relief fleet
1980–1981 Fowey
848 Millie Walton 1946 Groves & Guttridge 1946–1956 Douglas Sold October 1977.
1956–1974 Amble
1974–1977 Relief fleet
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