# Rother-class lifeboat

The Rother-class lifeboat was a self-righting lifeboat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution around the coast of the United Kingdom and Ireland between 1972 and 1995. They were based on the 37 ft (11 m) Oakley-class lifeboat.

## History

The Rother-class was the final displacement hull lifeboat produced by the RNLI. As a result of the decision to have fast lifeboats at all all-weather stations they had a shorter than usual career and none of the 14 built reached 20 years service. The 1982 built RNLB James Cable (ON 1068) was the last displacement hull boat in RNLI service when withdrawn from Aldeburgh in December 1993.

## Design

The Rother-class was a development of the 37 ft (11 m) Oakley boat, like its predecessor primarily intended for carriage launching, although 6 of the 14 went to slipway stations. A major change was the abandonment of the Oakley's complicated water ballast self-righting system. The Rother achieved its self-righting ability from its extended watertight superstructure and all had an enclosed wheelhouse with the radar mounted on the roof. Twin 52 hp Ford Thorneycroft 250 four-cylinder diesels gave a maximum speed of 8 knots (9.2 mph; 15 km/h) and at this speed the range was around 180 nautical miles (210 mi; 330 km). The boats built for Walmer and Aldeburgh had strengthed hulls for beach launching over skids.

## Fleet

Note: Op No.s 37-01 to 37-26 were allocated to Oakley-class lifeboats, the Rother-class continuing the series from 37-27.
| ON | Op. No. | Name | Built | In service | Station | Launching method | Comments |
| 998 | 37-27 | Osman Gabriel | 1972 | 1973–1992 | Port Erin | Slipway | Sold March 1993. Renamed Anita, last seen in 2014 working as a pleasure boat at Dirhami, Estonia. |
| 998 | 37-27 | Osman Gabriel | 1972 | 1992–1993 | Relief fleet | | Sold March 1993. Renamed Anita, last seen in 2014 working as a pleasure boat at Dirhami, Estonia. |
| 999 | 37-28 | Diana White | 1973 | 1973–1991 | Sennen Cove | Slipway | Sold 1992. Renamed Joseph Day but by February 2017 it was awaiting restoration as Diana White on a farm at Mangatangi, New Zealand. |
| 1000 | 37-29 | Mary Gabriel | 1973 | 1974–1990 | Hoylake | Carriage | Sold October 1992. Reported in December 2022 as being a trip boat at Scarborough, North Yorkshire. |
| 1000 | 37-29 | Mary Gabriel | 1973 | 1990–1992 | Rhyl | Carriage | Sold October 1992. Reported in December 2022 as being a trip boat at Scarborough, North Yorkshire. |
| 1022 | 37-30 | Harold Salvesen | 1973 | 1974–1986 | Amble | Afloat | Sold October 1992. Reported in July 2019 to be working as a pleasure Boat at Burton, Pembrokeshire. |
| 1022 | 37-30 | Harold Salvesen | 1973 | 1986–1992 | Relief fleet | | Sold October 1992. Reported in July 2019 to be working as a pleasure Boat at Burton, Pembrokeshire. |
| 1022 | 37-30 | Harold Salvesen | 1973 | 1992 | Rhyl | Carriage | Sold October 1992. Reported in July 2019 to be working as a pleasure Boat at Burton, Pembrokeshire. |
| 1023 | 37-31 | J. Reginald Corah | 1974 | 1975–1992 | Swanage | Slipway | Sold June 1995. By June 2022 it had been renamed Louise 2-G-B-H and was operating as a pleasure boat at Guldborg in Denmark. |
| 1024 | 37-32 | The Hampshire Rose | 1974 | 1975–1990 | Walmer | Beach | Sold October 1992. Reported in December 2022 to be a charter boat doing lifeboat trips at Ilfracombe in Devon. |
| 1024 | 37-32 | The Hampshire Rose | 1974 | 1990–1991 | Relief fleet | | Sold October 1992. Reported in December 2022 to be a charter boat doing lifeboat trips at Ilfracombe in Devon. |
| 1024 | 37-32 | The Hampshire Rose | 1974 | 1991 | Anstruther | Afloat | Sold October 1992. Reported in December 2022 to be a charter boat doing lifeboat trips at Ilfracombe in Devon. |
| 1024 | 37-32 | The Hampshire Rose | 1974 | 1991–1992 | Relief fleet | | Sold October 1992. Reported in December 2022 to be a charter boat doing lifeboat trips at Ilfracombe in Devon. |
| 1046 | 37-33 | Silver Jubilee (Civil Service No. 38) | 1977 | 1978–1991 | Margate | Carriage | Sold March 1994. Reported in March 2022 to be in unaltered condition but working as a pleasure boat at Yonkers, New York. |
| 1046 | 37-33 | Silver Jubilee (Civil Service No. 38) | 1977 | 1991–1993 | Relief fleet | | Sold March 1994. Reported in March 2022 to be in unaltered condition but working as a pleasure boat at Yonkers, New York. |
| 1047 | 37-34 | Horace Clarkson | 1977 | 1977–1987 | Moelfre | Slipway | Sold May 1993. In December 2022 it was reported to be in unaltered condition but working as a pleasure boat at Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. |
| 1047 | 37-34 | Horace Clarkson | 1977 | 1987–1993 | Relief fleet | | Sold May 1993. In December 2022 it was reported to be in unaltered condition but working as a pleasure boat at Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. |
| 1048 | 37-35 | Alice Upjohn | 1976 | 1977–1992 | Dungeness | Carriage | Sold 1995 to Ivan Talley Rescue in Greymouth, New Zealand. By September 2019 it was working as the pleasure boat Alice Upjohn at Queenstown, New Zealand. |
| 1048 | 37-35 | Alice Upjohn | 1976 | 1992–1995 | Relief fleet | | Sold 1995 to Ivan Talley Rescue in Greymouth, New Zealand. By September 2019 it was working as the pleasure boat Alice Upjohn at Queenstown, New Zealand. |
| 1054 | 37-36 | Shoreline | 1979 | 1979–1982 | Blyth | Slipway | Sold February 1994. Renamed Porta Maggie, later Mairi Bhan. Reported in April 2023 to be working as a pleasure boat at Corpach in Scotland. |
| 1054 | 37-36 | Shoreline | 1979 | 1982–1993 | Arbroath | Slipway | Sold February 1994. Renamed Porta Maggie, later Mairi Bhan. Reported in April 2023 to be working as a pleasure boat at Corpach in Scotland. |
| 1055 | 37-37 | Duke of Kent | 1982 | 1979–1993 | Eastbourne | Slipway | Sold June 1995. It was working as a survey boat at Tayport in Scotland Harbour but returned to Eastbourne in 2017 for restoration, standing near the Inshore Lifeboat Station. |
| 1063 | 37-38 | Princess of Wales | 1982 | 1982–1992 | Barmouth | Carriage | Sold May 1993. Renamed Glow-worm. Reported in May 2022 to be a pleasure boat stored at Portraine in Ireland. |
| 1063 | 37-38 | Princess of Wales | 1982 | 1992–1993 | Relief fleet | | Sold May 1993. Renamed Glow-worm. Reported in May 2022 to be a pleasure boat stored at Portraine in Ireland. |
| 1064 | 37-39 | The Davys Family | 1981 | 1981–1986 | Shoreham Harbour | Slipway | Sold July 1995. Renamed The Mary Heather, seen ashore as a holiday let on the Cuan Sound, Seil in Scotland. |
| 1064 | 37-39 | The Davys Family | 1981 | 1986–1993 | Relief fleet | | Sold July 1995. Renamed The Mary Heather, seen ashore as a holiday let on the Cuan Sound, Seil in Scotland. |
| 1068 | 37-40 | James Cable | 1982 | 1982–1993 | Aldeburgh | Beach | Sold August 1994 for further use as a lifeboat in Uruguay, renamed ADES 13 Agustin Carlevaro. By April 2015 it was a workboat named Nauti II at Montevideo. |
* ↑ 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.