# Brede-class lifeboat

The Brede-class lifeboat was operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from its stations around the coasts of the United Kingdom between 1982 and 2002, at which time it was the fastest all-weather lifeboat in its fleet. Eleven were put into service and when replaced by larger boats, seven were sold for further use as lifeboats, mainly in South Africa.
The class took its name from the River Brede which joins the River Rother to flow into the English Channel at Rye, Sussex.

## History

During the 1960s and 1970s the RNLI had placed a number of fast lifeboats into service. These had mostly been 44 ft (13 m) Waveney-class lifeboats but there was a need for smaller, more manoeuvrable boats that were larger than the Atlantic 21 inshore lifeboats. A large boat was built using the construction methods of the Atlantic 21 but this Medina-class lifeboat was never adopted. A prototype Brede was constructed in 1981 and the following year the first two production Brede-class were built. These had a larger wheelhouse than the prototype and placed in service at Fowey and Oban lifeboat stations in October. Ten more production boats followed but production ceased in 1985. The first Brede to be withdrawn was RNLB Ann Richie (ON 1080) which only saw five years service. By the end of 1994 the fleet had been reduced to just five boats; three in the relief fleet and those stationed at Poole and Calshot. The boats had been too small to operate in extreme weather and surveys highlighted potential problems with structural strength.
Most of the fleet found new use with other rescue services. One was transported to New Zealand in 1993. Six were bought between 1994 and 2002 by the National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa, with a seventh boat purchased privately in 2012 to replace Sanlam Rescuer (RNLI ON 1102) which was destroyed by fire awaiting refit. In September 2016, the NSRI announced that they were embarking on a project to replace their ageing Brede lifeboat fleet, starting with Eikos Rescuer II (RNLI ON 1104) based in Durban, with further replacements planned for every two years. The Brede lifeboats will be sold out of the fleet as they are replaced. As of Nov 2023, 3 are still in service.

## Description

The Brede was built with a glass reinforced plastic (GRP) hull, a strengthened version of a commercial design by Lochin Marine of Rye, Sussex. It was fitted with twin 203 hp diesel engines which gave it a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h) which was faster than any other all-weather lifeboat in the fleet until the introduction of the Severn and Trent classes in 1991. It had an operating range of 140 nautical miles (260 km).
The hull was divided into five watertight compartments and spaces were filled with buoyant materials which combined with a watertight GRP wheelhouse to give it a self-righting capability. A survivors' cabin was sited forward of the wheelhouse with eight seats and a stretcher could be carried in the wheelhouse which had seats for the four crew members.

## RNLI fleet

All built by Lochin Marine, Rye
| ON | Op. No. | Name | Built | In service | Station | Comments |
| 1066 | 33-01 | – | 1981 | – | – | Trials boat 1981–1982. Sold 1983. Renamed John Alexander. Used as a workboat at Yarmouth. July 2019, Workboat, Southampton East Docks |
| 1080 | 33-02 | Ann Richie | 1982 | 1982–1987 | Oban | Broken up 1988. |
| 1083 | 33-03 | Leonore Chilcott | 1982 | 1982–1987 | Fowey | Sold 1990 for use as a diving support boat at Littlehampton. In 2000 she took up duty as a pilot boat at Braye. Alderney. MMSI 235104864 |
| 1084 | 33-04 | Philip Vaux | 1982 | 1983–1989 | Girvan | Sold 1990. Renamed Mourne Mist. December 2022, Pilot boat at Greencastle, Carlingford Lough. MMSI 235084945 |
| 1087 | 33-05 | Merchant Navy | 1983 | 1983–1987 | Relief fleet | Sold 1990; in use as a pleasure boat Lyonesse on the River Hamble. Sold to South Africa in 2012 for further use as a lifeboat. |
| 1087 | 33-05 | Merchant Navy | 1983 | 1987–1989 | Oban | Sold 1990; in use as a pleasure boat Lyonesse on the River Hamble. Sold to South Africa in 2012 for further use as a lifeboat. |
| 1088 | 33-06 | Caroline Finch | 1983 | 1983–1994 | Exmouth | Sold 1994 to South Africa. |
| 1089 | 33-07 | Inner Wheel | 1983 | 1983–2001 | Poole | Sold 2002 to South Africa. |
| 1089 | 33-07 | Inner Wheel | 1983 | 2001–2002 | Calshot | Sold 2002 to South Africa. |
| 1090 | 33-08 | Foresters Future | 1984 | 1984–1986 | Alderney | Sold 2002 to South Africa. |
| 1090 | 33-08 | Foresters Future | 1984 | 1986–2002 | Relief fleet | Sold 2002 to South Africa. |
| 1101 | 33-09 | Enid of Yorkshire | 1984 | 1984–1997 | Relief fleet | Sold 1997 to South Africa. |
| 1102 | 33-10 | Nottinghamshire | 1984 | 1984–1988 | Invergordon | Sold 1997 to South Africa. |
| 1102 | 33-10 | Nottinghamshire | 1984 | 1989–1997 | Oban | Sold 1997 to South Africa. |
| 1104 | 33-11 | Safeway | 1985 | 1985–2001 | Calshot | Sold 2002 to South Africa. |
| 1105 | 33-12 | Amateur Swimming Associations | 1985 | 1985–1989 | Relief fleet | Sold September 1993 to New Zealand. |
| 1105 | 33-12 | Amateur Swimming Associations | 1985 | 1989–1993 | Girvan | Sold September 1993 to New Zealand. |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
* ↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

## Other fleets
### New Zealand

Operated by New Zealand Coast Rescue, Nelson
| RNLI ON | Name | In Service | Station | Comments |
| 1105 | Sealord Rescue | 1993–2011 | Port Nelson | Sold 2012. Renamed Girvan, Private ownership, Queen Charlotte Sound, Picton, NZ, restored to RNLI livery. |

### South Africa

Former RNLI Brede-Class lifeboats operated by the National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa. As from 2019, the NSRI has embarked on a project to replace the ageing Brede fleet with a new class of lifeboat.
| RNLI ON | Name | In Service with NSRI | Station | MMSI | Comments |
| 1087 | Rescue 15 | 2012–2021 | Mossel Bay (Rescue 15) | | Acquired 2012 from UK to replace Sanlam Rescuer. Refit completed 6 November 2012 Decommissioned May 2021. Sold to Bridge Maritime Ltd, SA. |
| 1088 | South Star | 1994–2021 | Hermanus (Rescue 17) | | Refit 2011. Sold 2022 to Bridge Maritime Ltd, SA |
| 1089 | Nadine Gordimer | 2002– | Hout Bay (Rescue 8) | 601029700 | Refit March 2012, completed 20 February 2013. |
| 1090 | Spirit of Safmarine III | 2002–2021 2021– | Simon's Town (Rescue 10) Mossel Bay (Rescue 15) | 601029500 | Refit 2014 at Treetops Marine. Moved to Station 15 Mossel Bay in May 2021. |
| 1101 | Spirit of Toft | 1997–2024 | Port Elizabeth (Rescue 6) | 601105100 | 2017, Refit in Cape Town. Retired February 2024 |
| 1102 | Sanlam Rescuer | 1997–2010 | Gordons Bay (Rescue 9) | | Destroyed by fire whilst awaiting refit, December 2010. |
| 1104 | Eikos Rescuer II | 2002–2019 | Durban (Rescue 5) | 601664000 | Sold and renamed Bosss Charger, with Bosss Marine, Durban, SA |