Watson-class lifeboat explained

The Watson-class lifeboat is a design of wooden lifeboat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland between 1888 and 1991. There were several variations over the years but all the boats had hulls that conformed to a design by George Lennox Watson, the RNLI's naval architect from 1887 until his death in 1904.

Pulling and sailing lifeboats

The majority of lifeboats in service with the RNLI during the second half of the nineteenth century were of the self-righting type, designed to operate in rough seas close to the shore. Some stations which required a better sea-going boat preferred the greater stability of a non self-righting boat such as the . G.L. Watson designed a new non self-righting hull shape for the RNLB Edith and Annie which was built in 1888.

42 pulling and sailing lifeboats to Watson's design were built, the last in 1915 some 11 years after his death. They came in a variety of lengths to suit the needs of the different stations where they were based, the commonest being .^[1] ^[2]

Motor lifeboats

The RNLI began experimenting with motor lifeboats in 1904 when a was converted. In 1906 three other lifeboats were converted to motor but none of these was a Watson. However, when in 1908 the first new build motor lifeboats were constructed, two of them were Watsons. Over the next 55 years, 171 boats of various designs were built based on Watson's hull design.

There were 11 lengths of boat of 8 different types:

Length	Build range	No. built
	1908–1930	15
	1912–1925	22
	1926–1935	23
	1933–1952	13
	1936–1946	28
	1947–1956	28
	1954–1962	10
	1955–1963	18

The first Watson motor lifeboats were based on the most common pulling and sailing hulls, the, and types. Apart from the addition of an engine and propeller, there was little to distinguish them from their sail- and oar-powered predecessors. The engines in the early motor types were regarded almost as an auxiliary and the boats, which had an open deck with end boxes, retained sails and oars. Engines from Tylor, Blake and Wolseley were used, although the Tylor was the most satisfactory and the two Blake-engined boats were re-engined with Tylors in 1914. Power output of the Tylors was which gave a speed of around seven knots.

The first standard class of Watson motor was the 45-ft design. This began with the conversion of a pulling and sailing boat in 1912. Production of new boats began in 1919 and 22 were built between then and 1925.

A new design appeared in 1926, marking the transition from single-engine to twin-engine layout. The first two 45 ft 6in boats were single-engined, but the rest were twins. 23 were built up to 1935.

A small series of single-engine boats were built in 1929-30, the precursor of the twin engine type of 1933 with an beam but shorter than the later boats. The boats resembled scaled down versions of the contemporary design, with a small shelter ahead of the aft cockpit and the exhaust funnel in front of it. All were built by J. Samuel White at Cowes and were powered by a Weyburn CE4 4-cylinder petrol engine driving a single screw. They served until the mid 1950s when they were replaced by new boats.

From 1933 13 41 ft boats were built. These were the first twin-engined medium-sized boats intended for stations unable to accommodate the larger types. 9 were built between 1933 and 1939 and a further 4 between 1948 and 1952.

1936 saw the next development of the large Watson, the 46 ft boats which saw the introduction of diesel engines. 4 of the first 5 had petrol engines; the fourth was the first new build diesel-engined lifeboat for the RNLI and the remainder followed suit. 28 boats were built, not including 2 destroyed whilst under construction in an air raid on Groves & Guttridge's yard at Cowes. Production continued until 1946.

The first post-war new Watson design was built in 1947, a 46 ft 9 in design. The first 5 resembled the pre-war type but from 1948 a major redesign resulted in a new superstructure with midships steering and a large cabin aft. 28 were built until 1956.

A new 42 ft design in 1954 was intended for stations unable to accommodate larger types but needing something bigger than a carriage launched type and replaced the design dating from 1933. This design introduced the use of commercial diesel engines rather than the RNLI's own designs. 10 were built between 1954 and 1962.

The final incarnation of the design, the of 1955, was the last non self-righting class built for the RNLI other than the three cruising boats in 1965 and 1974. These Watsons were the first lifeboats to have an enclosed wheelhouse other than the unique "" lifeboat of 1929. The first was built in 1955 but full production began in 1957 and continued to 1963 with 18 built.

Fleet

Pulling and sailing boats

	Name	Built	Length		Station	class=unsortable	Comments
208	Edith and Annie	1888		1888–1902	Southport No. 2	^[3]
315	Brothers	1892		1892–1910	St Annes No. 2
315	Brothers	1892		1911–1923
316		1892		1897–1910		Built in 1892 but stored until 1897.
316	Reserve No. 7	1892		1910–1918	Reserve fleet	Built in 1892 but stored until 1897.
346	Henley	1892		1893–1918
359	Maude Pickup	1894		1894–1929		Sold and fitted with twin screws but wrecked by 1939.
393	Samuel Fletcher of Manchester	1896		1896–1930		Undergoing restoration in Blackpool.
409	Dunlearly (C.S. No. 7)	1898		1898–1913	Kingstown No. 2	Donated by the Civil Service Lifeboat Fund.
414	Henry Richardson	1898		1898–1919	New Brighton No. 1	Sold and converted to a houseboat, broken up in 1978.
418	Margaret Platt of Stalybridge	1898		1898–1930
424	Elizabeth and Blanche	1899		1899–1908		Sold and used as a yacht until at least 1969.
				1908–1913
				1913–1922
429	James Stevens No. 7	1899		1899–1926		One of 20 lifeboats funded from the James Stephens Legacy.
434	Henry Dundas	1899		1899–1919
434	Henry Dundas	1899		1919–1927
442	James Stevens No. 15	1900		1900–1921		Another of the James Stevens lifeboats.
445	James Stevens No. 16	1900		1900–1930		Another of the James Stevens lifeboats. Sold and used as the yacht Helvick Head until at least 1972.
456	John Wesley	1901		1901–1922		Named Reserve No. 7E for a while but then reverted to John Wesley. Sold and used as a motor yacht until at least 1956.
456	John Wesley	1901		1923–1928
457	James Stevens No. 20	1901		1901–1920		The last of lifeboats funded from the James Stephens Legacy. Sold and used as a yacht until the 1970s.
	Reserve No. 7B			1920–1922	Reserve fleet
	James Stevens No. 20			1923–1927
462	Thomas Fielden	1901		1901–1927
				1927–1929
				1929–1929
463	Albert Edward	1901		1901–1929		Sold and modified as a yacht, reported to be at Ipswich in 2023.
463	Albert Edward	1901		1929–1932
487	Wighton	1902		1902–1923		Sold and used as a yacht but reported out of use on the River Great Ouse in 2019.
488	Colonel Stock	1902		1902–1933		Sold and used as a yacht until about 2001.
497	William and Mary Devey	1902		1902–1923
505	William Roberts	1903		1903–1921	Little Haven	Sold and used as yacht Quest until 2009.
	Reserve No.7C			1921–1922	Reserve fleet
				1923–1924
				1924–1925	Reserve fleet
				1925–1926	Aberdeen No. 1
				1926–1928
513	Fiern Watch	1903		1903–1924		Sold and used as yacht Easting Down but sank in 1965.
513	Fiern Watch	1903		1924–1925	Reserve fleet	Sold and used as yacht Easting Down but sank in 1965.
515	James, William and Caroline Courtney	1904		1904–1922		Sold and used as yacht Grey Fox but out of use at Erith by 2023.
517	Ann Fawcett	1904		1904–1912		Renamed Dunleary when transferred to Kingstown.
517	Dunleary	1904		1913–1919		Renamed Dunleary when transferred to Kingstown.
518	John Harling	1904		1904–1925	Southport No. 2	Sold and used as the pleasure boat Pride of the Lake at Southport until 1958.
521	James and Mary Walker	1904		1904–1933		Undergoing restoration for display at Anstruther.
523	John Fortune	1904		1904–1921		Off station 1914 but returned in 1915. Sold and used as yacht Port Eroll until 1975.
523	Reserve No. 7A	1904		1921–1923	Reserve fleet
525	Busbie	1904		1904–1929
528	James Cullen	1904		1904–1926		Sold and used as a yacht until 1996.
529	John R. Ker	1904		1904–1930		Sold and used as a yacht Knot until at least 1975.
530	Oldham	1904		1904–1930	Penrhyn Du
535	Charlie Medland	1904		1905–1924		Awaiting restoration at Migennes in France.
	Charlie Medland			1924–1928
	Reserve No.7E			1928–1936	Reserve fleet
	Reserve No.7E			1936–1938
538	Jones-Gibb	1905		1905–1939		Modified for use as a yacht, last reported as being at South Benfleet in 2021.
541	James Finlayson	1905		1905–1923
	James Finlayson			1923–1924	Gorleston No.2
	Reserve No. 7A			1925–1933	Reserve fleet
544	Civil Service No. 5	1905		1905–1931		Sold and modified as yacht Tamesis, later renamed Adele Jeanne but not seen since 2002.
550	Anne Miles	1905		1906–1926		Sold and reported as a ketch in 1968.
				1926–1930
				1930–1936
581	Maria Stephenson	1907		1908–1922
	Reserve No. 7D			1922–1929	Reserve fleet
				1929–1930
				1930–1931	Penrhyn Du
				1931–1933	Reserve fleet
583	Charles Henry Ashley	1907		1907–1932		Restored and displayed at Cemaes since 2009.
585	Sarah Austin	1908		1909–1929
585	Sarah Austin	1908		1929–1935	Reserve fleet
590	Charles Deere James	1909		1909–1920		Sold and used as yacht Silver Cloud until the 1950s.
590	Reserve No. 7	1909		1920–1934	Reserve fleet	Sold and used as yacht Silver Cloud until the 1950s.
605	Charles and Eliza Laura	1910		1910–1929		In store at Duns.
637	Staughton	1915		1915–1919	Reserve fleet
637	Staughton	1915		1919–1930	New Brighton No. 2	Sold and used as fishing boat Viater until about 2000.

38-43ft Watson motor lifeboats

	Name	Built	Builder	Length	Beam	In service	Stations	class=unsortable	Comments
560	Maria	1908						Sold in 1932.
						1922–1929
						1930–1931
						1931
565	John Ryburn	1908				1909–1915		Sold February 1935.
						1915–1920	No.2
						1921–1935
590		1909	^[4]			1909–1920		Sold 1934. Renamed Silver Cloud; destroyed Cherbourg Harbour in the 1950s.
590		1909	^[4]			1920–1934	Relief fleet
595	William and Laura	1910				1910–1932		Sold in 1935.
595	William and Laura	1910				1932–1935		Sold in 1935.
602	Elliot Galer	1910				1911–1936		Sold in 1936. Renamed Quest; wrecked on passage to Milford Haven in the 1980s.
603	Helen Smitton	1910				1911–1936		Sold in 1936. Reported under restoration at Milford Haven in December 2020.
620	William MacPherson	1912				1912–1929		Renamed Carn Ingli. Broken up in Malta by 1999.
						1930	No.2
						1931–1940
621	Frederick Kitchen	1913				1914–1945		Sold in 1948.
621	Frederick Kitchen	1913				1945–1948	Reserve fleet	Sold in 1948.
622	Alexander Tulloch	1912				1912–1914	No.2	Wrecked on service 26 December 1914, three crew lost.
651	Samuel Oakes	1918	/			1919–1923		Sold January 1933.
						1924–1929
						1929–1933
677	Prince David	1922				1922–1937		Sold December 1937.
681	K.B.M.	1922				1922–1949		Sold September 1952. Reported as under restoration at Galway in November 2013.
681	K.B.M.	1922				1949–1952	Reserve fleet

45ft Watson motor lifeboats

22 boats in service between 1912 and 1956 with Official Numbers in the range 463 to 695. See 45ft Watson-class lifeboat for fleet details.

45ft 6in Watson motor lifeboats

23 boats were built between 1926 and 1935 with Official Numbers in the range 698 to 775. See 45ft 6in Watson-class lifeboat for fleet details.

40ft 6in Watson motor lifeboats

	Name	Built		Stations	class=unsortable	Comments
721	Lady Kylsant	1929			Sold in 1956. Renamed Kylsant; broken up at Peel, Isle of Man in 2003.
			1930–1937
			1937–1956
722	J. and W.	1929	1929–1937		Sold May 1957. Reported as under restoration at Berwick-upon-Tweed in October 2018.
			1937–1940	Relief fleet
			1940–1957
723		1929	1929–1955		Sold June 1956. Last reported as fishing boat, Aberystwyth, June 1973.
724	G.W.	1930	1930–1956		Sold May 1956. December 2022, Under Restoration at Donaghadee.

41ft Watson motor lifeboats

13 were built, 9 between 1933 and 1939 and a further 4 between 1948 and 1952. Official Numbers were in the range 751 to 897. See 41ft Watson-class lifeboat for fleet details.

46ft Watson motor lifeboats

28 boats were built between 1936 and 1946 and Official numbers were in the range 777 to 848. See 46ft Watson-class lifeboat for fleet details.

46ft 9in Watson motor lifeboats

28 were built between 1947 and 1956 with Official Numbers in the range 849 to 932. See 46ft 9in Watson-class lifeboat for fleet details.

42ft Watson motor lifeboats

10 were built between 1954 and 1962 with Official Numbers in the range 907 to 967. See 42ft Watson-class lifeboat for fleet details.

47ft Watson motor lifeboats

18 were built, the first in 1955 but full production began in 1957 and continued to 1963. Official Numbers were in the range 920 to 971. See 47ft Watson-class lifeboat for fleet details.

Notes and References

Book: Cameron . Ian . Riders of the Storm . 2009 . Orion Books . 978-0-7528-8344-1 . 65–67.
Book: Wake-Walker, Edward . The Lifeboats Story. The History Press . 2007 . 978-0-7509-4858-6 . 46.
Book: Leonard . Richie . Denton . Tony . Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. 2024 . Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society . 10–11.
News: . New Lifeboat for Scilly . Cornishman . Truro . 29 July 1909 . 28 September 2015. . subscription .