(left) Solent: length overall, 48ft 6in; beam 14ft; draught 4ft 6in; displacement 27 tons; maximum speed, over 9 knots; range at full speed, 240 nautical miles. The Solent, introduced in 1969, is a development of the 48ft 6in Oakley and she has a crew of seven; she launches down a slipway or lies afloat. Her hull is built of steel. photograph by courtesy of 'Birmingham Post and Mail'.