RNLB Spirit of Lowestoft (ON 1132)
Spirit of Lowestoft
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| History | |
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| Owner: | Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) |
| Builder: | Fairey Marine, Cowes, Isle of Wight |
| Official Number: | ON 1132 |
| Donor: | |
| Station | Lowestoft |
| Cost: | £2.5 million |
| Sponsored by: | The Lowestoft Appeal with other gifts and legacies |
| Christened: | 1987 |
| Acquired: | 1987 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Tyne class |
| Tonnage: | 31.5 tonnes |
| Length: | 52 ft 5 in (15.98 m) overall |
| Beam: | 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m) |
| Draught: | 1.35m |
| Installed power: | Twin turbo Diesel engine of 1,015 bhp (757 kW) each |
| Propulsion: | 2 X fixed pitch 5 blade propellers |
| Speed: | 25 knots (46 km/h) |
| Range: | 10 hours at 25 knots (46 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 4,600 litres/1,000 gallons |
| Crew: | 7 crew including a doctor |
RNLB Spirit of Lowestoft (ON 1132) is a Tyne-class lifeboat which was stationed at Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk The lifeboat commenced its service at the station in 1987 and was replaced by a Shannon class boat in 2014.
Like all the Tyne Class Lifeboats, the Spirit of Lowestoft was designed as a fast slipway boat (FSB) and featured a semi-planing hull fabricated from steel. This hull had a shallow draught and a long straight keel with a flared bow above the waterline. To protect the propellers they were housed in tunnels with substantial bilge keels, and a straight wide keel ending at a hauling shoe enabling winching for the boat when it was returned up the slipway, or to operate in shallow waters where hitting the bottom was a concern as is the case at Lowestoft.
The lifeboats power came from twin General motors GM6V92TA DDEC turbo-charged marine two-stroke diesel engines which could develop 525 brake horsepower (391 kW). These engines could push the lifeboat to a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h). At full speed there was enough diesel fuel in the tanks for ten hours service. At lower speeds the endurance was significantly increased. The engines were computer-managed, with data being displayed on twin screens which was viewed at both the Mechanic’s and the Helm position in the wheelhouse. Within the wheelhouse there were six seats for the crew plus a jumper seat for a doctor. Spirit of Lowestoft’s equipment included satellite navigation apparatus interfaced through a PC to a visual chart display. Daylight viewing radar was used both for navigation and to search for casualties. There was VHF radio direction-finding equipment for locating vessels in trouble. The lifeboat also carried the latest DSC digital radio equipment for the vital radio communication used in search and rescue missions. The lifeboat was equipped with three VHF radios, one of which was portable, together with an MF `long range`set. On the deck were powerful searchlights, and the lifeboat was also later equipped with image-intensifying night sight equipment. Spirit of Lowestoft carried a large amount of first-aid equipment including both oxygen and entonox.
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