# 42ft Watson-class lifeboat

The 42ft Watson-class was a class of non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat built between 1954 and 1962 and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland between 1954 and 1987.

## History

The 42ft Watson was the final example of the medium-sized Watson type lifeboat built primarily for slipway launching at those stations where physical boathouse constraints and/or slipway strength precluded the use of the longer and heavier types. They were historically significant in being the first RNLI boats to be fitted with commercially available engines rather than the RNLI designed types previously used. The prototype, William Taylor of Oldham (ON 907) went on station at Coverack in Cornwall in July 1954 and served there until May 1972 as the final all-weather lifeboat at the station. In 1957 a version was developed suitable for beach launching. This had a widened (beam 12ft 3in) and strengthened hull to take the rigours of launching over skids.

## Description

The wooden hulled 42ft Watson featured a long tapering aluminium superstructure running forward from the aft cockpit. The forward part of this, ahead of the engine room, was a survivor cabin. A major departure from previous RNLI practice was the use of commercially available engines, in the form of two Gardner 4LW 4-cylinder marine diesels producing 48bhp each. The exhaust from the engines was taken up the forward mast, as with the later 46ft 9in Watson-class boats. With the exception of the last boat, ON 967, which came four years after the previous example, all of the boats originally had open cockpits. In 1965, the first boat, ON 907, was given an enclosed wheelhouse and ON 937 followed in 1967. The others, with the exception of the Aldeburgh boat, had the wheelhouse enclosed in 1971. Aldeburgh's ON 946 was the only boat fitted with a mizzen mast, at the request of the crew, for a steadying sail in rough weather and was the only boat to retain an open cockpit to the end. The last boat built had an enclosed wheelhouse from the start. During the course of their service, the boats were fitted with radar and the original aerial rigging was replaced by a long pole aerial.

## Fleet

| ON | Name | Built | Builder | In Service | Stations | Comments |
| 907 | William Taylor of Oldham | 1954 | William Osborne | 1954–1972 | Coverack | Sold August 1986. Renamed Gypsy Moth. By February 1995 was a fishing boat at Petite Martinique, Grenada. |
| 907 | William Taylor of Oldham | 1954 | William Osborne | 1972–1973 | Relief fleet | Sold August 1986. Renamed Gypsy Moth. By February 1995 was a fishing boat at Petite Martinique, Grenada. |
| 907 | William Taylor of Oldham | 1954 | William Osborne | 1973–1986 | Arklow | Sold August 1986. Renamed Gypsy Moth. By February 1995 was a fishing boat at Petite Martinique, Grenada. |
| 909 | James and Barbara Aitken | 1955 | William Osborne | 1955–1968 | Troon | Withdrawn after it was damaged on service, 15 October 1976. Sold 1977. Reported in December 2021 as being stored on the River Yonne at Migennes in France. |
| 909 | James and Barbara Aitken | 1955 | William Osborne | 1968–1976 | Girvan | Withdrawn after it was damaged on service, 15 October 1976. Sold 1977. Reported in December 2021 as being stored on the River Yonne at Migennes in France. |
| 922 | Watkin Williams | 1956 | William Osborne | 1956–1977 | Moelfre | Sold May 1983. As at December 2022 it was stored at Museum Wales' National Collections Centre in Nantgarw. |
| 922 | Watkin Williams | 1956 | William Osborne | 1978–1981 | Oban | Sold May 1983. As at December 2022 it was stored at Museum Wales' National Collections Centre in Nantgarw. |
| 922 | Watkin Williams | 1956 | William Osborne | 1981–1983 | Relief fleet | Sold May 1983. As at December 2022 it was stored at Museum Wales' National Collections Centre in Nantgarw. |
| 933 | J.W. Archer | 1956 | William Osborne | 1956–1987 | Wicklow | This was the last 42ft Watson on station. Sold March 1989. By December 2022 it was working as a pleasure boat at Port Penrhyn, Bangor, Wales. |
| 934 | The Duke of Montrose | 1956 | Groves & Guttridge | 1956–1982 | Arbroath | Sold 1984 to ADES Uruguay, in service at Montevideo as ADES II. |
| 934 | The Duke of Montrose | 1956 | Groves & Guttridge | 1982–1984 | Relief fleet | Sold 1984 to ADES Uruguay, in service at Montevideo as ADES II. |
| 937 | Mabel E. Holland | 1957 | William Osborne | 1957–1978 | Dungeness | Beach version. Sold 1983. Reported in August 2019 as stored on a trailer on farm near Blaenffos, Pembrokeshire. |
| 937 | Mabel E. Holland | 1957 | William Osborne | 1979–1983 | Relief fleet | Beach version. Sold 1983. Reported in August 2019 as stored on a trailer on farm near Blaenffos, Pembrokeshire. |
| 941 | William and Mary Durham | 1957 | William Osborne | 1957–1976 | Berwick-upon-Tweed | Sold October 1983. Renamed RonMeadhonach. By December 2018 it was stored at Portree on the Isle of Skye. |
| 941 | William and Mary Durham | 1957 | William Osborne | 1977–1983 | Girvan | Sold October 1983. Renamed RonMeadhonach. By December 2018 it was stored at Portree on the Isle of Skye. |
| 946 | Alfred and Patience Gottwald | 1958 | J. Samuel White | 1959–1979 | Aldeburgh | Beach version. Sold 1980 then renamed Alfie. In August 2021 it was reported to be a houseboat at South Dock Marina in Rotherhithe. |
| 946 | Alfred and Patience Gottwald | 1958 | J. Samuel White | 1979–1980 | Relief fleet | Beach version. Sold 1980 then renamed Alfie. In August 2021 it was reported to be a houseboat at South Dock Marina in Rotherhithe. |
| 948 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.32) | 1958 | William Osborne | 1959–1975 | Walmer | Beach version. Sold 1988. Renamed Charlie D. Last seen at Brighton Marina but sold in 2014. |
| 948 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.32) | 1958 | William Osborne | 1975–1977 | Relief fleet | Beach version. Sold 1988. Renamed Charlie D. Last seen at Brighton Marina but sold in 2014. |
| 948 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.32) | 1958 | William Osborne | 1977–1979 | Eastbourne | Beach version. Sold 1988. Renamed Charlie D. Last seen at Brighton Marina but sold in 2014. |
| 948 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.32) | 1958 | William Osborne | 1979–1982 | Aldeburgh | Beach version. Sold 1988. Renamed Charlie D. Last seen at Brighton Marina but sold in 2014. |
| 948 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.32) | 1958 | William Osborne | 1982–1988 | Relief fleet | Beach version. Sold 1988. Renamed Charlie D. Last seen at Brighton Marina but sold in 2014. |
| 967 | Dorothy and Philip Constant | 1962 | Groves & Guttridge | 1963–1981 | Shoreham Harbour | Sold April 1988. Reported in May 2022 to be a workboat at the R.W. Davis boatyard at Saul Junction on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. |
| 967 | Dorothy and Philip Constant | 1962 | Groves & Guttridge | 1981–1982 | Oban | Sold April 1988. Reported in May 2022 to be a workboat at the R.W. Davis boatyard at Saul Junction on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. |
| 967 | Dorothy and Philip Constant | 1962 | Groves & Guttridge | 1982–1987 | Relief fleet | Sold April 1988. Reported in May 2022 to be a workboat at the R.W. Davis boatyard at Saul Junction on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.

## Other Fleets
### Uruguay

ADES Uruguay is an Honorary Lifesaving Institution founded in 1955. All our volunteers are honorary, people who train weekly to go to sea with the sole purpose of helping whoever requests help. The rescues have no cost to the beneficiaries. At the national level ADES Uruguay is part of the National Emergency Committee and at the international level it is part of the IMRF (International Maritime Rescue Federation)[9]
| ON | Name | In Service | Stations | Comments |
| 934 | ADES II | 1984–2004 | Montevideo | Sold 2004. Renamed Sudelmar. December 2022, Tourist trip boat, Carmelo, Uruguay |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.