# RNLB Ruby and Arthur Reed (ON 990)

Ruby and Arthur Reed (RNLI Official Number 990) was an Oakley-class lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stationed at Cromer in the English county of Norfolk from 30 April 1967 and was the No 1 lifeboat between various relief's until she was replaced after 17 years service by the Tyne-class Ruby and Arthur Reed II on 16 December 1985. During the time that the Ruby and Arthur Reed was on station at Cromer she performed 125 service launches, rescuing 58 lives.

## Design and construction

Ruby and Arthur Reed was built in 1966 at the yard of William Osborne at Littlehampton, West Sussex. She was an Oakley class self-righting design which combined great stability with the ability to self-right in the event of the lifeboat capsizing. This was achieved by a system of shifting water ballast. The system worked by the lifeboat taking on one and half tons of sea water at launching in to a tank built into the base of the hull. If the lifeboat then reached a crucial point of capsize the ballast water would transfer through valves to a righting tank built into the port side. If the capsize was to the starboard side of the lifeboat, the water shift started when an angle of 165° was reached. This would push the boat into completing a full 360° roll. If the capsize was to the port side, the water transfer started at 110°. In this case the weight of water combined with the weight of machinery aboard the lifeboat usually managed to stop the roll and allow the lifeboat to bounce back to upright.

### Hull construction

The hull of the Ruby and Arthur Reed was constructed from African mahogany built with two skins. Each skin was diagonally laid with a layer of calico laid between the skins. The outer skin was 3⁄8 in (9.5 mm) thick with the inner skin being 1⁄4 in (6.4 mm) thick. The keel was iron and weighed 1.154 long tons (1.173 t). The hull was divided into eleven watertight compartments. The lifeboat was 48 feet 6 inches (14.78 m) in length and 14 feet 0 inches (4.27 m) in beam and displaced 12 long tons 1 cwt (27,000 lb or 12.2 t), when fully laden with crew and gear. She was fitted with twin 110 hp Gardner 6LX six cylinder diesel engines, which moved her over the water at 9 Knots. Ruby and Arthur Reed’s aluminium wheelhouse was positioned amidships and was fully enclosed which provided welcome crew protection from the elements. Aft of the lifeboat there was another cabin which served as the chartroom and also housed all the lifeboats electronic equipment.

### Equipment

The lifeboat was fitted with Decca 060 radar and all she carried Pye Westminster VHF and an Ajax MF Radiotelephone. In addition a radio Direction Finding set was carried, which gave a magnetic bearing to a transmitting station. The electric searchlight was standard along with Pains Wessex speedlines.

## Service

Ruby and Arthur Reed was on station at Cromer for seventeen years and during that time she was launched 125 times and she saved fifty eight lives. Her first service took place on 4 July 1967 to a motor fishing vessel called Renovate. The fishing boat's engine had failed and she was at anchor two miles east of Haisborough Sands. Two engineers from the Royal Naval minesweeper HMS Belton were put aboard to try to repair her. Coxswain Henry "Shrimp" Davies and his lifeboat stood by through the night until the boat's engines were once again working.

## Gallery

* RNLB Ruby and Arthur Reed (ON 990). A photograph of the lifeboat taken during a launch from Cromer Station

## Service and rescues

| Date | Casualty | Lives saved |
| 1967 |||
| 4 July | Motor fishing vessel Renovate, stood by | |
| 20 January | Motor vessel Alme of Meppel, took out doctor | |
| 3 September | Haisborough Lightvessel, landed a sick man | |
| 10 October | Crab boat Lewis James of Cromer, gave help | |
| 19 December | Trawler Rotha of Lowestoft. Landed a sick man | 1 |
| 1968 |||
| 4 February | Dinghy, saved dinghy | 3 |
| 2 March | Motor launch Pinnace, of Poole saved launch | 2 |
| 31 March | Steamship Alice Bowater of London, landed a sick man | 1 |
| 11 May | Fishing boat Provider of Cromer, saved boat | 2 |
| 13 May | Tug Workman of Hull stood by tug with warhead on board | |
| 30 June | Cabin cruiser She’s a Lady. Assisted to save cruiser | 3 |
| 11 July | Motor vessel Ramso of Copenhagen, escorted | |
| 23 August | Trawler Filby Queen of Lowestoft, landed a sick man | |
| 30 August | Yacht Stilalisanin landed 1 and saved yacht | |
| 18 September | Trawler Rock Fish of Lowestoft, took out doctor | |
| 15 November | Gas Rig Hewitt Alpha, gave help | |
| 1969 |||
| 3 January | Motor vessel Friederike of Brake, landed a sick man | |
| 14 January | Trawler Suffolk Kinsman of Lowestoft. Landed a sick man | |
| 22 January | Motor fishing boat Thistle, saved boat | 3 |
| 10 May | Motor fishing vessel Kindly Light, gave help | |
| 21 May | Pipe laying vessel WD Tideway, landed a sick man | |
| 1970 |||
| 26 June | Motor fishing vessel Normanby of Bridlington, gave help | |
| 12 November | Fishing boat My Beauty of Cromer, give escort | |
| 1971 |||
| 15 May | Cabin cruiser Nadine Leah, gave help | |
| 13 June | Yacht Gentle Nimbus, gave help | |
| 1972 |||
| 5 May | Two fishing boats, stood by | |
| 20 May | Trawler Boston Viscount of Lowestoft, landed injured man | |
| 21 August | Fishing boat Cossack, saved boat | 4 |
| 12 September | Cabin cruiser New Prince of Wales, saved cruiser | 3 |
| 25 October | Fishing boat Provider of Cromer. Saved boat | 4 |
| 1973 |||
| 22 March | Motor vessel Silver Sands, landing a sick man | 1 |
| 1973 to August 1974 of station for refit |||
| 1974 |||
| 31 August | Lightvessel LV.22, landed sick man | |
| 10 September | Motor vessel Langstone Tern, escorted boat | |
| 1 November | Motor vessel Dutch Sailor, landed an injured man | |
| 1975 |||
| 21 February | Cargo vessel Fortuna II, landed an injured man | |
| 22 May | Royal Naval ship HMS Shevington, sick man gave help | |
| 8 September | Yacht Irishman, saved boat | 10 |
| 26 October | Cruiser Andruss, saved boat | 2 |
| 12 December | Freighter Alexandria, stood by vessel | |
| 14 December | Freighter Alexandria, stood by vessel | |
| 1976 |||
| 6 February | Trawler Suffolk Conquest, took out Doctor to injured man | |
| 23 June | Cargo vessel Garden Saturn, stood by vessel | |
| 7 August | Fishing vessel Albert, saved vessel | 2 |
| 18 August | Haisborough Lightvessel, landed an injured man | |
| 15 September | Yacht Mr Micawber, saved boat | 2 |
| 18 October | Fishing boat Sea Green, gave help | |
| 1977 |||
| 19 February | Cargo vessel Atlantic Duke, stood by vessel | |
| 22 February | Catamaran Katabatic, gave help | |
| 24 February | Chemical carrier Thorodland of Panama, stood by vessel | |
| 18 March | Cargo vessel Femmy Lian, of Cyprus, gave help | |
| 18 April | Cargo vessel Star River of France, gave help | |
| 27 July | Cargo vessel Heye-P of Germany, injured man gave help | |
| 9 September | Yacht Autumn Liz, gave help | |
| 14 November | Cargo vessel Nimrod, of Jersey, | 1 |
| 24 December | Cargo vessel Rafaela of Panama, stood by vessel | |
| 1978 |||
| 16 August | Fishing boat, gave help | |
| 4 September | Fishing boat Charles Perkins, gave help | |
| 1978 to May 1979 of station for refit |||
| 1979 |||
| 22 May | Fishing boat Concorde II, missing crewman, landed body | |
| 6 June | Yacht Victoria George gave help | |
| 6 June | Tug Englishman, stood by vessel | |
| 20 June | Oil rig standby vessel Boston Hornet, took out Doctor, landed a sick man | |
| 1980 |||
| 5 January | Fishing vessel Ellen, of Great Yarmouth, gave help | |
| 17 January | Cargo vessel Lendoudis Evangelos of Greece, gave help | |
| 8 April | Fishing boat, escorted home | |
| 3 May | Motor fishing vessel Bess of Denmark, saved boat | 4 |
| 23 June | Motor vessel Jenny Glen of Kings Lynn, saved boat | 2 |
| 1981 |||
| 30 January | Cargo vessel Ems of West Germany after collision, recovered life raft | |
| 30 January | Cargo vessel Undine of Belgium after collision, recovered life raft | |
| 2 June | Fishing boat Provider of Great Yarmouth, gave help | |
| 2 August | Cabin cruiser Lancer, gave help | |
| 2 August | Cabin cruiser Falcon, gave help | |
| 13 August | Helicopter, gave help | |
| 30 November | Oil rig supply vessel The Cuttlefish | 2 |
| 1982 |||
| 17 September | Skin Diver, gave help | |
| 21 September | Fishing boat Provider of Cromer, escorted | |
| 21 September | Fishing boat Elizabeth Kathleen of Wells-next-the-Sea, escorted | |
| 12 December | Motor boat Trade Winds, saved boat | 2 |
| 1983 |||
| 12 July | Fishing boat Ventura of West Runton, landed injured man | |
| 1984 |||
| 15 February | Cargo vessel Camilla Weston, of London, landed 5 | |
| 9 May | Cargo vessel Marie Anne of Germany, landed sick man | |
| 12 July | Aircraft, recovered the wreckage | |
| 13 July | Fishing boat G.N.D., of Great Yarmouth, saved boat | 2 |
| 15 August | Cargo vessel Emily P.G., of Shorham landed injured man | |
| 4 September | Fishing boat Provider of Great Yarmouth, escorted | |
| September 1984 | Retired from Cromer | |