Solent-class lifeboat

The Solent-class lifeboat is a steel-hulled version of the Oakley-class self-righting lifeboat and is sometimes referred to as the 48-foot, 6-inch Oakley-class Mark III. Solent Operational Numbers followed on from the first three 48-foot, 6-inch Oakleys and were interrupted by the last two Oakleys (48-12 and 48-13). The operational numbers of the Solent-class had three digits in the suffix to indicate a metal hull (as with Clyde-, Waveney-, Thames-, Tyne-classes, one Arun class and the first eleven Merseys). Two digits indicates a wooden, glass-reinforced plastic or fiber-reinforced composite hull.
Description.
Apart from the steel hull, the principal difference to the wooden-hulled Oakley-class was the elimination of the complicated water ballast self-righting system; the Solent derived its self-righting capability from its watertight superstructure. The class was the last design of the traditional displacement-type lifeboat to come from the drawing boards of the RNLI. There were (unofficial) "Mark I" and "Mark II" versions of the class, the first eight boats having a vertical steering wheel with wheelhouse access via sliding doors at the forward end of the wheelhouse on each side, while the last three has a seated steering position with hinged wheelhouse doors at the after end of the wheelhouse. The "Mark II" entered service in 1972. The first four boats (ON 1007-1010) and the last three (ON 1019-1021) were built at Cowes by Groves & Guttridge. The second four (ON 1011-1014) were built at Gosport by Camper & Nicholson.
Propulsion.
The Solent was powered by twin 110 bhp Gardner 6LX diesel engines which gave the boat a top speed of . There were twin spade rudders installed which were coupled to Mathway manual steering gear which gave this class a much better manoeuvrability than earlier classes of lifeboats.