Mark I
The boat is made of an aluminium alloy with a closed cell polythene foam collar, and is powered by a Jet Drive that gives the boats extreme maneuverability which is essential to enable crews to reach casualties in the fast flowing river. The boat is 9 metres (30 ft) long and carries equipment incliding marine VHF radios, a first aid kit, an emergency defibrillator, a GPS navigation system, night vision equipment, a self-righting system, a radar interrogator, towing equipment, and lighting equipment.
The class was introduced in 2002 to serve the tidal reach of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. This was as a result of a much delayed enquiry into the Marchioness disaster in 1989, in which 51 people died. The enquiry criticised the lack of a rescue service for the tidal Thames, and the UK government asked the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Port of London Authority and the RNLI to work together to set up a dedicated Search and Rescue service for this stretch of the river.
There are currently four E class boats in use on the Thames, split between Chiswick Lifeboat Station to the west of central London, and Tower Lifeboat Station at Victoria Embankment in central London. An E class boat also originally operated from Gravesend Lifeboat Station on the estuary to the east of London, but it proved less suitable for the more exposed conditions of the lower estuary so was withdrawn in 2009 and replaced with an Atlantic 85.
With the development of the Mark II, the Mark I will be phased out following the London 2012 Olympics.
| Op. No. | Name | In service | Principal Station | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-001 | Public Servant (CS No 44) | 2002–2005 2005–2012 |
Tower Relief fleet |
Damaged beyond repair, currently in Ipswitch ready for scrap. |
| E-002 | Olivia Laura Deare | 2002–2009 2009–present |
Gravesend Relief fleet |
|
| E-003 | Chelsea Pensioner | 2002–present | Chiswick | |
| E-004 | Ray and Audrey Lusty | 2002–present | Tower | |
| E-005 | Legacy | 2002–present | Tower | |
| E-006 | Joan and Ken Bellamy | 2005–present | Chiswick |
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