Mersey-class lifeboat

	Final launch of 12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177) at Newcastle, County Down, 11 January 2026
Class overview
Name	Mersey Class
Builders	A1 Shipbuilders; William Osborne, Littlehampton,; FBM Marine, Hamble; Souters Marine, Cowes; Green Marine, Lymington;
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution; ADES Uruguay; Bote Salvavidas de Valparaiso, Chile;
Preceded by	Rother, Oakley
Succeeded by	Shannon, B-class (Atlantic 85)
Cost	£430,000–£704,230
Built	1986–1993
In service	1988–present
Completed	38
Active	4
Retired	34
Preserved	1
General characteristics
Displacement	14.3 t (14.1 long tons)
Length	11.62 m (38.1 ft)
Beam	4.0 m (13.1 ft)
Draught	1.02 m (3.3 ft)
Propulsion	2 × 285 hp (213 kW) Caterpillar 3208T diesel engines
Speed	17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h)
Range	240 nmi (440 km)
Endurance	10.25 hours approx. at cruising speed
Capacity	43 survivors (self-righting up to 21)
Complement	6

Mersey-class lifeboats are a class of All-weather lifeboats, originally operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Introduced in 1988, 38 of this class of lifeboat would come to operate from stations around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. They are capable of operating at up to 17 knots (31 km/h) and can be launched from a carriage or by slipway.

The class name comes from the River Mersey which flows into the Irish Sea in north west England.