September 1923: The world’s most powerful lifeboat

By 1923, the organisation now known as RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) had been in existence for almost a century. But while the organisation’s earliest rescue vessels were little more than glorified rowing boats - the harsh environments its crews had to operate in was a major spur for marine innovation.

And by 1923, the RNLI’s vessels had far more in common with the advanced rescue boats that are used to save lives today.

In September of that year, The Engineer reported on the development of a new lifeboat for New Brighton (click on the link above), which was, at the time, the most powerful and advanced of its kind in the world.

With a radius of action of 150 miles and a top speed of 10 knots, the 60 feet  long, 15 feet vessel represented a major technical advance over the its nearest competitor - which was 46ft long, 12 feet wide and had a top speed of 8.5 knots.