Liverpool-class lifeboat

The Liverpool-class lifeboat, designed by Scottish naval architect James Rennie Barnett, was derived from the 35ft 6in Self-righting motor-class lifeboat and had many similarities with it. Lifeboat men at many stations preferred non-self-righting lifeboats due to their better stability and the Liverpool-class was designed to be light enough for carriage launching at these stations. The single-engined version entered service in 1932 and was powered by an RNLI designed, Weyburn Engineering built AE6 six-cylinder petrol engine mounted in a watertight compartment. Like all early motor lifeboats, the Liverpool class carried an auxiliary sailing rig and had a drop keel just forward of the engine room. 28 boats were built between 1931 and 1941. The introduction of tractors to assist with carriage launching enabled the RNLI to consider a heavier, twin-engined version of the Liverpool class and a prototype was ordered, but it was destroyed in an air-raid at the builder's yard at Cowes in May 1942. Production got underway early in 1945 and the boat was powered by two Weyburn AE4 four-cylinder petrol engines mounted in a watertight compartment. The extra redundancy of twin engines reduced the need for auxiliary sails. 31 boats were built between 1945 and 1954, the last 16 of which were powered by twin Ferry Kadenacy FKR3 3-cylinder Diesel engines. ==Description==

The Liverpool-class was based on the Self-righting motor introduced in 1929, but had greater beam ( rather than ) and much shallower end-boxes. The shelter was extended forward to cover the engine compartment, which was watertight and allowed the engine to continue to operate as long as the air intake was not submerged. The single propeller was protected by the keel. The twin-engined variant was visually very similar but had more beam and the twin propellers were in protective tunnels. In the mid-1960s, the petrol engines in the first ten twin-engined boats were replaced by Perkins 4.107 4-cyl. diesel engines (as were a couple of the later Ferry-engined boats). Only one single-engined boat, Lucy Lavers (ON 832), was re-engined, with a 47-hp Parsons Porbeagle 4-cyl. diesel engine. ==Fleet==

Single engine Twin engine All twin-engined Liverpool-class lifeboat were x ==Other fleets==