The RNLI’s very last Arun class lifeboat on service (right) is finally withdrawn, replaced at Calshot by a former relief Tyne class (left). The first Arun, named Arun, was built in 1971 and had a wooden hull. The last, Duke of Atholl, was completed in 1990 and served for 17 years in the relief fleet. When introduced, the Arun was the only all-weather lifeboat with a speed of almost 20 knots that offered complete crew protection in the watertight wheelhouse. A Design Council award was presented to the RNLI in 1982 in recognition of the outstandingly good hull shape and overall design of the boat. Ex-RNLI Aruns can be found on service in Iceland, Finland and China Photo: Nicholas Leach/Ships Monthly.