The Brede-class lifeboat was operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from its stations around the coasts of the United Kingdom between 1982 and 2002, at which time it was the fastest all-weather lifeboat in its fleet. Eleven were put into service and when replaced by larger boats, seven were sold for further use as lifeboats, mainly in South Africa.

The class took its name from the River Brede which joins the River Rother to flow into the English Channel at Rye, Sussex.

History During the 1960s and 1970s, the RNLI had placed a number of fast lifeboats into service. These had mostly been Waveney-class lifeboats but there was a need for smaller, more manoeuvrable boats, but larger than the existing inshore lifeboats. A large boat, the lifeboat, was built using the construction methods of the Atlantic 21, but untimately never went into production.

A prototype Brede was constructed in 1981, and the following year, the first two production Brede-class lifeboats were built. These had a larger wheelhouse than the prototype and placed in service at and Oban lifeboat stations in October.

Ten more production boats followed but production ceased in 1985. The first Brede to be withdrawn was RNLB Ann Richie (ON 1080), which only saw five years service. By the end of 1994, the fleet had been reduced to just five boats; three in the relief fleet and those stationed at and . The boats had been too small to operate in extreme weather and surveys highlighted potential problems with structural strength.

Most of the fleet found new use with other rescue services. One was transported to New Zealand in 1993. Six were bought between 1994 and 2002 by the National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa, with a seventh boat purchased privately in 2012 to replace Sanlam Rescuer (ON 1102), which was destroyed by fire awaiting refit.

In September 2016, the NSRI announced that they were embarking on a project to replace their ageing Brede lifeboat fleet, starting with Eikos Rescuer II (ON 1104) based in Durban, with further replacements planned for every two years. The Brede lifeboats will be sold out of the fleet as they are replaced. As of December 2025, two are still in service.

Description

The Brede was built with a glass reinforced plastic (GRP) hull, a strengthened version of a commercial design by Lochin Marine of Rye, Sussex. It was fitted with twin Caterpillar 3208 diesel engines, which gave it a top speed of . This was faster than any other all-weather lifeboat in the fleet, until the introduction of the and classes in 1991. It had an operating range of .

The hull was divided into five water-tight compartments, and spaces were filled with buoyant materials, which combined with a watertight GRP wheelhouse, to give it a self-righting capability. A survivors' cabin was sited forward of the wheelhouse with eight seats, and a stretcher could be carried in the wheelhouse, which had seats for the four crew members.

RNLI fleet All built by Lochin Marine, Rye ON Op. No. Name Built Station Comments 1066 33-01 1981 1981–1982 Trials Sold 1983.Renamed John Alexander. Used as a workboat at Yarmouth. Last reported as a workboat, Berth 24/25, Southampton East Docks, July 2019. 1080 33-02 Ann Richie 1982 1982–1987 Gift of Mrs Ritchie, built by Lochin Marine, costing £110,000. Broken up, 1988. 1083 33-03 Leonore Chilcott 1982 1982–1987 Gift of Mr Paul Chilcott, built by Lochin Marine, costing £155,475. Sold 1990.Renamed Privateer, used as a dive support boat at Littlehampton. Pilot boat Leonore Chilcott since 2000 at Braye, Alderney, October 2025.MMSI 235104864 1084 33-04 Philip Vaux 1982 1983–1989 Legacy of Mrs Vaux, built by Lochin Marine, costing £150,000. Sold 1990.Renamed R.T.K., later Sea Truck 4 at Poole. As Pilot boat Mourne Mist since 2009 at Greencastle Carlingford Lough, November 2025.MMSI 235084945108733-05Merchant Navy1983 1983–1987 Relief fleetFunded by the 'Merchant Navy Lifeboat Appeal', built by Lochin Marine, costing £150,000. Sold 1990.Pleasure boat Lyonesse on the River Hamble.Sold 2012, to NSRI, South Africa, for further use as a lifeboat. 1987–1989 1088 33-06 Caroline Finch 1983 1983–1994 Legacies of Mr Finch, Mr Rohill, Mrs Shaw and Mr Orley, built by Lochin Marine, costing £150,000. Sold 1994.To NSRI, South Africa. See below:–108933-07Inner Wheel1983 1983–2001 Gift of the Inner Wheel Clubs of Gt. Britain and Ireland, built by Lochin Marine, costing £155,000. Sold 2002.To NSRI, South Africa. See below:– 2001–2002 109033-08Foresters Future1984 1984–1986 Gift of the Ancient Order of Foresters, built by Lochin Marine, costing £145,000. Sold 2002.To NSRI, South Africa. See below:– 1986–2002 Relief fleet 1101 33-09 Enid of Yorkshire 1984 1984–1997 Relief fleet Gift of Mr Sanderson, built by Lochin Marine, costing £150,000. Sold 1997.To NSRI, South Africa. See below:–110233-10Nottinghamshire1984 1984–1988 Funded by the 'Nottinghamshire LB Appeal', built by Lochin Marine, costing £145,000. Sold 1997.To NSRI, South Africa. See below:– 1989–1997 1104 33-11 Safeway 1985 1985–2001 Funded by the 'Safeway Food Stores LB Appeal', built by Lochin Marine, costing £155,000. Sold 2002.To NSRI, South Africa. See below:–110533-12Amateur Swimming Associations1985 1985–1989 Relief fleetFunded by the 'Amateur Swimming Association, built by Lochin Marine, costing £160,000. Sold September 1993.To New Zealand Coast Rescue, Nelson. See below:– 1989–1993

Other fleets

New Zealand Operated by New Zealand Coast Rescue, Nelson RNLI ON Name Station Comments 1105 1993–2011 Sold 2012.Renamed Girvan. Last reported restored to RNLI livery, at Queen Charlotte Sound, Picton, New Zealand, March 2021.

South Africa Former RNLI Brede-Class lifeboats operated by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in South Africa. As from 2019, the NSRI has embarked on a project to replace the ageing Brede fleet with a new class of lifeboat. RNLI ON Name Station Comments 1087 Rescue 15 2012–2021 Mossel Bay (Rescue 15) Acquired from UK to replace Sanlam Rescuer, 2012. Refit completed 6 November 2012Decommissioned May 2021.Last reported as a workboat with Bridge Maritime Ltd, SA, February 2022. 1088 South Star 1994–2021 Hermanus (Rescue 17) Refit 2011. Sold 2022.Last reported as a workboat with Bridge Maritime Ltd, SA, February 2022. 1089 Nadine Gordimer 2002– Hout Bay (Rescue 8) , completed 20 February 2013.MMSI 601029700.1090 2002–2021 Refit 2014 at Treetops Marine.Moved to Station 15 Mossel Bay in May 2021.MMSI 601029500. 2021– Mossel Bay (Rescue 15) 1101 Spirit of Toft 1997–2024Port Elizabeth (Rescue 6) Refit in Cape Town, 2017.Retired February 2024. Last reported in private ownership, Port Elizabeth, December 2024.MMSI 601105100. 1102 Sanlam Rescuer 1997–2010 Gordons Bay (Rescue 9) Destroyed by fire whilst awaiting refit, December 2010. 1104 Eikos Rescuer II 2002–2019 Durban (Rescue 5) Sold 2019.Renamed Bosss Charger, workboat with Bosss Marine, Durban, SA, November 2025.MMSI 601664000.

See also Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

References

External links The Royal National Lifeboat Institution National Sea Rescue Institute of South Africa