With the 25-knot Trent and Severn lifeboats becoming increasingly common sights around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Nicholas Leach looks at the history of the Waveney class, the first 'fast' lifeboat to see service with the RNL1.

Tm in he introduction of the Waveney, a groundbreaking design developed and first constructed in the USA in the early 1960s, marked the beginning of the modern lifeboat era. By the mid-1950s, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) required a new design of all-weather craft. The design had to be both fast and able to operate in the worst of weathers. It also had to have * twin screws, a range of 150 nautical miles at full speed, provisions for survivors and excellent towing capability. The design developed to meet these specifications was the 44ft motor lifeboat. It was fast, strong, well-equipped and capable of operating in severe sea conditions and heavy surf.

In September 1961, the USCG announced that new 44ft lifeboats would replace the old 36-footers. A total of 110 were eventually built, of which 106 entered service with the USCG, while the remaining four were sold abroad.

Faster, stronger, better When the RNLI began to show an interest in the USCG's lifeboat in 1963, it was the first time the Institution had seriously considered putting a fast lifeboat into service on a nationwide basis.

Previously, the greatest speed achieved by the RNLI's lifeboats was a little over 9 knots.

The RNLI realised that the lifeboat was ideal for use in the UK. Not only had it been built, but it had also been tested in extreme conditions on the American seaboard. Therefore, in January 1964 a delegation visited the United States to inspect the lifeboat. During their visit, they witnessed an exercise in which a lifeboat took a 1,300-tonne vessel, the Sassafras, in tow. Using a nylon line the lifeboat maintained a speed of nearly six knots.

As a result of this visit, the RNLI's Committee of Management decided to acquire one of the 44ft vessels for evaluation purposes. The USCG allocated the 28th boat to the RNLI and it arrived in London in May 1964 to became the prototype vessel, numbered 44-001 by the RNLI.

Although completely different from any lifeboat in Britain, and thus initially something of a curiosity to lifeboat crews oasta !• a s were aiunqualified success. As well as being fast, the boat proved capable of operating in all conditions encountered so the RNLI decided to build six further boats to the design.

The first British Waveney In 1965 a contract was awarded to Brooke Marine, of Lowestoft, to begin construction of six 44ft boats. As the boatyard was on the river Waveney, the type was given the class name 'Waveney' and it has been RNLI policy ever since to name lifeboat classes after rivers. The first RNLI-built Waveney to enter service, John F Kennedy, was placed on station at Dun Laoghaire in May 1967.

The 22nd and last Waveney built by the RNLI, The William and Jane was completed in 1982 and stationed at Blyth. She entered service two decades after the design was first introduced in the United States. Although an outstanding design, as technology and naval architecture advanced, by the 1990s more sophisticated boats were being developed and plans for its replacement were under way on both sides of the Atlantic.

With the introduction of two new classes of allweather lifeboat, the 17m Severn and 14m Trent, in 1994. the Waveneys were phased out of service. Both new lifeboats had fully enclosed, heated wheelhouses, and could achieve speeds up to 25 knots, almost twice that of the Waveney.

Following withdrawal from station, the RNLI offered the boats for sale.

The end of an era The last Waveney in the RNLI fleet, Margaret Graham, left Amble in Northumberland in July 1999 and brought the Waveney era in Britain to a close. Her departure, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday 24 July, was marked formally by the Institution as the Waveney class was officially decommissioned. Many coxswains who had served on board Waveneys were present at the Amble ceremony to say a final farewell to the class. Margaret Graham sailed from Amble under the command of her retiring coxswain, Rodney Surge MBE. to take up a new role at Whitby as the local pilot boat.Capsize! Although several 44-footers have capsized during service with the USCG, only once in Britain has a Waveney capsized on service, on 28 February 1993. The Waveney stationed at Hartlepool, The Scout, was twice capsized while standing by the tanker Freja Svea in severe conditions off the north-east coast. As she stood by, the lifeboat was climbing at an angle up a 1015m sea when she was laid over hard to port as she neared the wave's crest.

With no water on the other side, she fell into the trough of the wave and capsized.

The lifeboat performed exactly as designed and righted. The crew sustained some minor injuries and one crew member was washed overboard but was safely picked up by an RAF helicopter.

The lifeboat was damaged by the force of the water and escorted back to station by the Teesmouth lifeboat. Only minor structural damage was sustained, caused mainly by water pressure. The mast sheered, the searchlight was bent over and the after cabin had some indentations.A proud record During more than three decades of service, the Waveney answered 7,000 calls and saved 2,800 lives. The coxswains and crews who served on the boat performed many fine rescues, and this is reflected in the number of bravery medals awarded to coxswains and crews who operated the boats: six Silver and 14 Bronze medals were won in Waveneys.

The USCG prototype was withdrawn from service in July 1996 and was handed over to the Columbia River Maritime Museum in 1998. The British prototype went to Chatham Historic Dockyard in 1997 to form part of the National Lifeboat Collection. In June 1999, she was taken to Poole by a crew of volunteers to participate in the 175th Anniversary celebrations. She is one of the most important lifeboats of the 20th century and her preservation ensures that the significance of the 44ft design will not be forgotten.Waveney Lifeboat Length: 44ft 10in (13.4m) Beam: 12ft Sin (3.8m) )raft: 4ft 2in (1.2m| Engines: twin diesels Speed: 15 knots Range: 95 miles Crew: FiveThe Waveney Lifeboats.

by Nicholas Leach, costs £13 including postage (£12 + £1 postage} and is available from; Bernard McCall 'Halia', 400 More Road Portishead Bristol BS20 8EZ.