Lifeboats

We currently have two active lifeboats on station at Ilfracombe; a Shannon class all weather lifeboat and a D class inshore lifeboat.

The Barry and Peggy High Foundation

The Shannon is the latest class of all-weather lifeboat to join our fleet and the first to be propelled by waterjets instead of traditional propellers, making it our most agile and manoeuvrable all-weather lifeboat yet. 

It is designed to be launched and recovered from a beach via a new faster and safer launch and recovery system, as well as lie afloat. 

The Deborah Brown III

Our latest D class lifeboat entered service here on the 16 December 2020, replacing the Deborah Brown II.

The D class has been the workhorse of the service for 40 years. It is small and highly manoeuvrable, making it ideal for rescues close to shore in fair to moderate conditions. It has a single outboard engine and can be righted manually by the crew following a capsize. The design of the D class has continued to evolve since its introduction. The details given are for the latest version that was introduced in 2003.