D Class Inshore Lifeboat
This class of lifeboat is the smallest operated by the RNLI , and they are a common sight at Lifeboat Stations round the coast. A fully fitted out boat costs in the region of £11,500.
The `D Class` is a superb machine for work close inshore and in the surf. A 40 hp petrol outboard engine gives the lifeboat a top speed of 20 knots - and very good manoeuvrability. The lifeboat only needs a few inches of water to float ; and can be beached and refloated with relative ease. A surprising amount of equipment is carried in this tiny boat....vhf radio, lights,flares,first aid kits, anchor and sea anchor, tow ropes etc.
The ILB normally has a crew of three and is primarily used for surfer / swimmer incidents as well as assisting in cliff incidents where the casualty is near the water. The very nature of its work requires a swift response , and the ILB can normally be underway within five minutes of the `bleepers` going off.
| 
