Predicting future technology is rarely an exact science. But we couldn't resist a peek into the world of 2074 – and what a lifeboat of the future might look like …

‘How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense.’

This was the reaction of one Napoleon Bonaparte, when he heard of Robert Fulton’s new invention, the steamboat, in the early 19th century. The notion of self-righting, carbon-fibre lifeboats each having the power of 2,000 horses would have seemed even more preposterous. But they are a reality we take for granted in the 21st century.

Thanks to the Shannon class, the RNLI is on track to have an entire 25-knot all-weather fleet in time for its 200th birthday. This lifesaving craft is state of the art today but what could lifeboats of the more distant future look like – what about in 60 years, on our 250th anniversary in 2074?

In the past, those brave enough to foretell future technology often turned out to be ludicrously wide of the mark. Today though, by carefully analysing current trends, our environment and demands on the service, it is possible to make some informed predictions about what a future lifesaving craft could be capable of.

SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING
RNLI Senior Naval Architect Peter Eyre is well-placed to forecast such things – he developed a new hull form for the RNLI’s Shannon class lifeboat when all the off-the-shelf equivalents were struggling to live up to the task.

‘Designing the Shannon really focussed our minds. She had similar requirements to those of our Tamar class but was restricted by the size of our boathouses. How could we fit all those capabilities into a smaller space? We did, of course. That challenge drove the entire design.’

Peter believes that this could be a trend: ‘Lifeboats will probably get smaller. There was a natural size limit on old lifeboats: manpower! But diesel engines removed that limitation and vessels grew as they carried more and more complex equipment and technology.

‘Around 70% of the Shannon’s space is dedicated to making her function as a boat: wheelhouse, engines, jets, fuel tanks, anchor locker – with a little slice below deck for survivors. So, the actual “lifesaving bit” is quite small.

‘As technology progresses, the secondary functions will naturally shrink around the lifesaving and survivor requirements. At some point we’ll enter a loop where things rapidly become more compact. A lighter payload needs less powerful engines, so they become smaller and lighter. With less fuel to carry, she becomes lighter again and structural loads are not so great, and so on.’

But isn’t a larger lifeboat better at handling rough seas and towing? ‘Not necessarily,’ Peter explains. ‘Smaller boats are more agile and efficient and, with newer methods of propulsion like linear jet propulsors on the horizon, smaller boats will have greater towing capacity.’

That will probably be needed too – commercial vessels seem to be growing and it’s likely we’ll see more activity on the water. ‘Offshore windfarms have already created a lot of new activity around our coastline,’ says Peter.

‘There’s so much tidal energy there for the taking too – millions of tons of water. With the right technology we can harvest it but we’ll see even more people working in these risky environments. Our lifeboats and crews will be needed more than ever.’

But will we really need a radical redesign of all-weather lifeboats by 2074? The Shannon has an operational life of 25 years but is actually capable of far longer. Peter explains: ‘She could be retrofitted with the latest technology several times within her life, along with the Tamars and Severns, but her composite structure is expected to last 50. To think that the Shannon could still be out there then, in a completely different world, is difficult to fathom.’

FUTURE LIFEBOAT 2074

Connected crew

‘With crew kit, we’ve always focussed on safety,’ says Peter. ‘We’ve pretty much got that cracked so, in the future, it may be about enhancing human capabilities too. We could reasonably expect intelligent wear that incorporates computer systems and even bionics. Just imagine the coxswain with a head-up glass display in his helmet, holographic helm controls on his wrists and symbiotic connection with boat and crew!’

But what about thought-controlled systems, artificial intelligence – and predictions that computers will become smarter than humans in just a few decades? Peter grins: ‘Some of that is closer than you may think. Intelligent autopilot systems can already modify their own algorithms. We would never let technology replace our crew though, fully-trained human lifesavers will always be at the heart of the RNLI. Technology would only serve to assist and, above all, keep them safe.’

Back to basics

The Shannon class revives a trend of making lifeboats higher at bow and stern, like the double-ended lifeboats of the 18th century. That’s likely to continue as it provides self-righting properties without the need of a huge wheelhouse. 

Fossil or fusion?

Rad Hart-George, renewable energy expert and long-time RNLI supporter, says: ‘Unfortunately, I doubt we will have completely dropped fossil fuels by 2074. As the demand decreases, as will their price – so they will probably always be around to some extent. I doubt that RNLI lifeboats would need to use them though. More likely would be the use of hydrogen fuel cells.’

Mothership

'In the future remote boats or aerial drones could be deployed from the lifeboat to complete searches for people in the water,’ says Peter. ‘We could see a trend of lifeboats becoming more of a control centre or platform to launch from.’

Compact and capable

The systems and information management system used on today’s lifeboats means having multiple displays, several big computers and hundreds of cables onboard. ‘In just a few years from now they could be smartphone sized, wireless and portable,’ says Peter.

Hull modes

Peter says: ‘Deployable foils could achieve higher speeds in calmer water and maybe we’ll develop a hull that is capable of different modes or forms.’ Air lubrication systems could also reduce hull resistance in seawater, increasing energy efficiency.

Tough, smart and friendly

Carbon fibre is light and strong but not particularly green. ‘There’s already work going on to develop eco-friendly composites,’ says Peter. ‘Their performance is not great at the moment but it’s improving all the time. I suspect they will be smart and self-healing one day too. The fibres would have a matrix binding, capable of releasing capsules when damaged. This would start a healing process, a bit like when you get a bruise.’

The need for speed

‘There’s always a natural stretching of what’s possible,’ says Peter. ‘We thought an 8-knot all-weather lifeboat fleet was fast enough in the 60s but, less than a generation on, our benchmark is three times that. It’s possible to go much faster but the key is doing it appropriately for lifeboats. 40 knots doesn’t work when you’re trying to get casualties and crews home in a force 12.’