# 41ft Watson-class lifeboat

The 41 ft Watson-class was a non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built between 1931 and 1952 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1931 and 1981.

## History

The 41 ft Watson was designed for service at stations which required a larger and more powerful boat than the standard carriage launched types, but which could not accommodate the larger Watson types through boathouse or slipway constraints. This is not to be confused with the earlier 41ft 'Aldeburgh' Beach Motor lifeboat, which was developed from the Norfolk and Suffolk type boat. Production ran from 1933 to 1939 and thirteen boats were completed. Between 1948 and 1952 a further four boats were built before attention turned to the much modified 42ft Watson type which appeared in 1954.

## Description

The 41 ft Watson had an aft cockpit with a cabin ahead of it containing the engine controls. There was a separate forward shelter and there was room in the two for sixteen people. The boats carried two sails as an auxiliary to the twin Weyburn AE6 6-cylinder petrol engines. The type was put back into production in 1948, nine years after the last had been built, in a revised version with an enlarged cabin which replaced the forward shelter. From 1963 eight of the boats were re-engined with 47 bhp Ford-based Parsons Porbeagle 4-cylinder diesel engines.

## Fleet

| ON | Name | Built | Builder | In service | Stations | Re-engined | Comments |
| 751 | Abdy Beauclerk | 1931 | J. Samuel White, Cowes | 1931–1958 | Aldeburgh | | Sold 1959. Renamed St. Ita. February 2010, Houseboat at Rusheen Bay, Galway |
| 758 | Rosa Woodd and Phyllis Lunn | 1933 | Groves & Guttridge | 1933–1963 | Shoreham Harbour | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1973. Renamed Dowager. October 2023, at IBTC, Lowestoft. |
| 758 | Rosa Woodd and Phyllis Lunn | 1933 | Groves & Guttridge | 1963–1973 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1973. Renamed Dowager. October 2023, at IBTC, Lowestoft. |
| 761 | Charles Cooper Henderson | 1933 | | 1933–1957 | Dungeness | | Sold 1976. March 2023, Charter boat at Mill Green, Caversham, Oxfordshire |
| 761 | Charles Cooper Henderson | 1933 | | 1957–1974 | Relief fleet | | Sold 1976. March 2023, Charter boat at Mill Green, Caversham, Oxfordshire |
| 762 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.2) | 1933 | | 1933–1959 | Walmer | | Sold 1959. April 1980, Pilot boat at Dover |
| 769 | Duke of York | 1933 | Groves & Guttridge | 1934–1961 | The Lizard | No | Sold in 1961. Reported in December 2023 at Castlebridge, Ireland. |
| 783 | The Viscountess Wakefield | 1936 | | 1936–1940 | Hythe | | Lost at Dunkirk, 31 May 1940 |
| 806 | Rachel and Mary Evans | 1936 | Groves & Guttridge | 1937–1968 | Barry Dock | No | Wrecked 12 April 1969 after breaking moorings at Weston-Super-Mare. |
| 806 | Rachel and Mary Evans | 1936 | Groves & Guttridge | 1969 | Weston-super-Mare | No | Wrecked 12 April 1969 after breaking moorings at Weston-Super-Mare. |
| 807 | Inbhear Mor | 1938 | Groves & Guttridge | 1938–1968 | Arklow | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1974. December 2013, broken up at Ynyslas Boatyard in Borth. |
| 807 | Inbhear Mor | 1938 | Groves & Guttridge | 1968–1973 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1974. December 2013, broken up at Ynyslas Boatyard in Borth. |
| 808 | Mary Ann Hepworth | 1938 | Groves & Guttridge | 1938–1974 | Whitby | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1975. Purchased 1988, was fully restored as a trip boat at Whitby but by June 2023 was at Caernarfon. |
| 812 | Edmund and Mary Robinson | 1938 | Groves & Guttridge | 1938–1950 | New Brighton No.2 | No | Sold March 1964. In February 2016, broken up near Bromsgrove. |
| 812 | Edmund and Mary Robinson | 1938 | Groves & Guttridge | 1950–1964 | Relief fleet | No | Sold March 1964. In February 2016, broken up near Bromsgrove. |
| 813 | Ann Letitia Russell | 1938 | Groves & Guttridge | 1939–1976 | Fleetwood | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold April 1977. In storage at ABP Marine yard, Fleetwood Dock December 2024, now under threat of being broken up in January 2025. |
| 823 | Matthew Simpson | 1939 | Groves & Guttridge | 1939–1972 | Port Erin | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1976. Renamed Penros. May 2022, unaltered pleasure boat with the Hayling Island Yacht Company. |
| 823 | Matthew Simpson | 1939 | Groves & Guttridge | 1972–1976 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1976. Renamed Penros. May 2022, unaltered pleasure boat with the Hayling Island Yacht Company. |
| 824 | John Pyremont | 1939 | Groves & Guttridge | 1939–1941 | Tynemouth | No | Destroyed in air raid 9 April 1941. |
| 856 | Susan Ashley | 1948 | Groves & Guttridge | 1948–1972 | Sennen Cove | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Used as an RNLI boarding boat at Tynemouth 1979-1981. On display at Chatham Historic Dockyard from April 1996. |
| 856 | Susan Ashley | 1948 | Groves & Guttridge | 1973–1979 | Barry Dock No.2 | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Used as an RNLI boarding boat at Tynemouth 1979-1981. On display at Chatham Historic Dockyard from April 1996. |
| 857 | Glencoe-Glasgow | 1949 | Morgan Giles | 1949–1960 | Buckie | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1979. Renamed Vagrant. September 2019, being used as a pleasure boat at Burghead Harbour. |
| 857 | Glencoe-Glasgow | 1949 | Morgan Giles | 1960–1961 | Girvan | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1979. Renamed Vagrant. September 2019, being used as a pleasure boat at Burghead Harbour. |
| 857 | Glencoe-Glasgow | 1949 | Morgan Giles | 1961–1965 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1979. Renamed Vagrant. September 2019, being used as a pleasure boat at Burghead Harbour. |
| 857 | Glencoe-Glasgow | 1949 | Morgan Giles | 1965–1978 | Portavogie | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1979. Renamed Vagrant. September 2019, being used as a pleasure boat at Burghead Harbour. |
| 858 | R.L.P. | 1949 | Sussex Yacht Co., Shoreham | 1949–1975 | Swanage | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold August 1981. Renamed Beya. Was a workboat at Millport, Great Cumbrae in June 1989, now believed to have been given to a Sea Cadet group. |
| 858 | R.L.P. | 1949 | Sussex Yacht Co., Shoreham | 1975–1981 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold August 1981. Renamed Beya. Was a workboat at Millport, Great Cumbrae in June 1989, now believed to have been given to a Sea Cadet group. |
| 859 | Beryl Tollemache | 1949 | Sussex Yacht Co., Shoreham | 1949–1977 | Eastbourne | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold 1979. Renamed Steadfast. August 2022, at Bath, Somerset |
| 859 | Beryl Tollemache | 1949 | Sussex Yacht Co., Shoreham | 1977–1979 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold 1979. Renamed Steadfast. August 2022, at Bath, Somerset |
| 897 | St. Andrew (Civil Service No.10) | 1952 | William Osborne | 1952–1959 | Whitehills | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1982. April 2022, a restored pleasure boat at New Ross Boatyard, County Wexford. October 2023, on display at West Wales Maritime Heritage centre, Pembroke Dock. |
| 897 | St. Andrew (Civil Service No.10) | 1952 | William Osborne | 1959–1961 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1982. April 2022, a restored pleasure boat at New Ross Boatyard, County Wexford. October 2023, on display at West Wales Maritime Heritage centre, Pembroke Dock. |
| 897 | St. Andrew (Civil Service No.10) | 1952 | William Osborne | 1961–1968 | Girvan | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1982. April 2022, a restored pleasure boat at New Ross Boatyard, County Wexford. October 2023, on display at West Wales Maritime Heritage centre, Pembroke Dock. |
| 897 | St. Andrew (Civil Service No.10) | 1952 | William Osborne | 1968–1973 | Arklow | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1982. April 2022, a restored pleasure boat at New Ross Boatyard, County Wexford. October 2023, on display at West Wales Maritime Heritage centre, Pembroke Dock. |
| 897 | St. Andrew (Civil Service No.10) | 1952 | William Osborne | 1973–1976 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1982. April 2022, a restored pleasure boat at New Ross Boatyard, County Wexford. October 2023, on display at West Wales Maritime Heritage centre, Pembroke Dock. |
| 897 | St. Andrew (Civil Service No.10) | 1952 | William Osborne | 1976–1977 | Girvan | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1982. April 2022, a restored pleasure boat at New Ross Boatyard, County Wexford. October 2023, on display at West Wales Maritime Heritage centre, Pembroke Dock. |
| 897 | St. Andrew (Civil Service No.10) | 1952 | William Osborne | 1977–1982 | Relief fleet | 1963 Parsons Porbeagle | Sold in 1982. April 2022, a restored pleasure boat at New Ross Boatyard, County Wexford. October 2023, on display at West Wales Maritime Heritage centre, Pembroke Dock. |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.