Our Lifeboats

Blue Peter I

Blue Peter I is an Atlantic 75 lifeboat, the successor to the RNLI's original Atlantic 21 class. A little larger - 38cm longer and 20cm broader than the Atlantic 21, the name is derived from her length of nearly 7.5m. The Blue Peter boats are constructed slightly differently from the other Atlantic 75s in the fleet, the whole boat is covered with enormous quantities of orange sticky-back plastic.

Her twin 70hp outboard motors give her a maximum speed of 34 knots, making her the fastest lifeboat in the RNLI fleet. Quick response is a huge benefit, and the Atlantic 75 is comprehensively equipped to deal with a range of casualty situations under varying conditions.

Atlantic 75 Specification:
Length: 7.5m (24ft 7in)
Overall beam: 8ft 8in (2.64m)
Length of hull: 20ft 3in (6.17m)
Weight with crew: Approx 3,200 lbs
Engines: Twin 70hp
Speed: 32 knots
Duration: Three hours at max speed

Spirit of Juniper

The D Class Lifeboat was the first RNLI inflatable, introduced in 1963, and Spirit of Juniper is the latest generation of the D Class, known as the IB-1.

The IB-1 ia equipped with a single 50hp outboard engine and is ideal for rescues close to the shore where larger lifeboats cannot operate. It can be righted manually by the crew after a capsize and unlike its predecessors, is not restricted to daylight operation. The boat has a crew of 2 or 3, is 16 feet long and has a speed of 25 knots.

The D Class lifeboat is launched from a trolley and can stay at sea for around three hours.

D Class Specification:
Length: 4.9m (16 ft)
Engine: 50 hp
Speed: 30 knots
Displacement: 338 kg (745 lbs)
Construction: Nylon coated hypalon
Duration: Three hours at 20 knots