Keeping a fleet of 330 lifeboats and their associated kit in tip-top condition is no mean feat

With the safety of the lifeboat and the shore crews always paramount, the RNLI has rightly had a zealous approach to the maintenance of its fleet. Until recently, every lifeboat had a major refit according to a calendar-based schedule and things were fixed when they broke. This often meant going to ‘lifeboat hospital’ in third-party boatyards at considerable expense.

As RNLI Principal Construction and Maintenance Manager Liam McKenna explains, this has now been reviewed: ‘The modern approach to maintenance needs to be condition-based, not calendar-based.’

One of our Severn class lifeboats may be moored afloat in an exposed location, getting shouts every other day. She’ll take a real battering compared to one housed in a sheltered bay, responding to a handful of shouts each year. They’re made up of the same bits of kit but applying the same maintenance is not necessary.’

‘It’s about making sure that equipment is fit for the job, with the maximum reliability – safe, efficient and at the right price. We took the Severn fleet and examined each component, everything from the main structure to the propulsion system, the windscreen wipers to the hot water boiler. We looked at how it would be used, its potential failures, what the risks were and how we could overcome them.’

'Smaller, frequent checks and smarter data capture means we can build a detailed picture of each boat in the fleet,’ says Liam. ‘And intervening earlier means reduced refits and longer periods between major works.’

Thanks to new materials and inspection methods, this move to condition-based maintenance for the Severn fleet alone could save the RNLI around £800,000 a year – and bigger savings are expected as it is rolled out across the fleet. So, expect our lifeboats to attend regular well-woman clinics in the future instead of invasive surgery!