The 45ft 6in Watson-class was a non self-righting displacement hull lifeboat, built between 1926 and 1933, and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) between 1926 and 1972.

History The 45ft 6in Watson-class marked the transition from a single engine, single screw lifeboat, to a twin engine, twin screw layout. The first two boats were similar to the last of the 45-foot Watson-class boats, albeit six inches longer due to a forward raked bow. The third boat was the first with twin engines and twin screws while the fourth had twin engines geared to a single screw, a unique layout in RNLI lifeboat history. The twin screw layout proved to be superior and from the fifth boat onward, this was the layout adopted.

The 45ft 6in Watsons were long lived and most survived at their original stations into the 1950s, when most were replaced by 46-foot 9in and, later in the decade, 47-foot Watsons. Many boats spent their final years in the reserve fleet, with five of the later boats serving until 1969 and one, ON759, continuing in the reserve fleet until 1972.

During their service, 45ft 6in Watsons launched on service 2,587 times and are credited with saving 2,613 lives. The single biggest contributor being the lifeboat City of Bradford II (ON 709), which in twenty-five years at the station, launched on service 228 times, saving 305 lives.

Description The 45ft 6in Watsons differed from the previous 45ft type in having flush decks with no end boxes. The aft cockpit had a shelter ahead of it covering the engine room access hatch. Ahead of this was the exhaust funnel and towards the bow was a further small shelter.

The first two boats retained the single engine layout of their predecessors, being powered by the same 80-bhp Weyburn DE6 6-cylinder petrol engines. The third boat (ON 700) was the first twin-engined version, with two 40-bhp Weyburn CE4 4-cylinder petrol engines driving twin screws. The fourth in the series (ON 701) had a unique twin engine, single screw layout which was not repeated. From ON 707 onwards, the twin screw layout was standardised.

The drop keel fitted to the single engine boats was deleted from the twins, and eventually the auxiliary sailing rig was dispensed with on the twins in the light of operational experience.

Fleet Single engine ON Name Built Stations Comments698K. T. J. S.1926 1926–1933 Legacies of Mr King, Mr Turnbull, Mr Jesset and Mrs Sandford, built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, costing £8,330.Sold May 1952. Renamed Alton (LO 511), later Alton (BM 160). Wrecked in 1980. 1933–1935 1935–1950 1950–1952 Relief fleet6991926 1926–1939 Legacy of Miss A. Russell, built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, costing £8,273.Sold July 1956. Renamed Athena. Last reported for sale at Beaulieu, Hampshire, August 2025. 1939–1953 Relief fleet 1953–1954

Twin engine ON Name Built Stations Comments700K. E. C. F.1927 1927–1939 Legacies of Mrs Kirby, Mrs Dudley, Mr Kleeman and Miss Potton, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £11,116.Twin engine, twin screw. First RNLI lifeboat with Radio.Sold December 1956. Renamed Taob Ruo II, P'teuchti IV and Pteuchti. Broken up at C & J Marina, North Shields, April 2015. 1939–1952 1952–1956 Relief fleet701N. T.1927 1927–1951 Legacy of Mrs Myer, and gift of Mr S. H. Thompson, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £10,826.Unique Twin engine, single screw layout.Sold December 1956. Renamed Diana Victoria. Last reported as a workboat on the River Ouse in York, 1987. 1952–1953 1953–1956 Relief fleet 707 Edward Z. Dresden 1929 1929–1952 Legacy of Mr E. Dresden, built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, costing £8,496.First twin engine, twin screw.Sold December 1968. Renamed St Peter. Lost at Troon, 1 September 1984. 1952–1955 1955–1968 Relief fleet708H. C. J.1928 1928 (temp.)Legacies of Mr Richardson and Mrs Stephens, and a gift of Mr Fielden, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £8,390.Sold in 1962. Renamed Mary Dolan, later Seawitch. At Castletown, Isle of Man, July 2025. 1928–1929 (temp.) 1929–1956 1956–1962 Relief fleet709City of Bradford II1929 1929–1954 Gift of the City of Bradford LB fund, and legacy of Mr M. Howson, built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, costing £8,662.Sold December 1968. Renamed Freida and Spurn. As City of Bradford II, beached at Ringhaddy Pier, Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, December 2025. 1954–1956 1956–1959 Relief fleet 1960 1960–1968 Relief fleet710White Star1930 1930–1957 Gift of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Co., built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £7,878.Sold June 1968. Renamed Outward Bound, Kurt Hahn Aberdovey, Kurt Hahn and Tunnara. Last reported on a mud berth at Oyster Creek Marina, Canvey Island, July 2024. 1957–1968 Relief fleet711James Macfee1928 1928–1955 Legacy of Dr J. Macfee, of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Co., built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £8,205. Sold 1959. Renamed Macfee. Houseboat on Loch Oich at Invergarry, July 2023, last reported abandoned, Sept 2026. 1955–1956 Relief fleet 1956–1957 1957–1959 Relief fleet712C. D. E. C.1928 1928–1954 Legacies of Mr Nottage, Miss Moss, Mrs Liddell and Mrs Picking, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £8,309.Sold 1959. Renamed Thameserver. Last reported to be semi-derelict at Leigh-on-Sea, October 2023. 1954–1959 Relief fleet713Elizabeth Elson1929 1929–1957 Legacy of Mr B. Elson, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £8,253.Sold December 1968. Last reported at Kenmare in County Kerry, Ireland, May 2023 1957–1968 Relief fleet714 H. F. Bailey1928 1928–1929 Cromer No.1Legacy of Mr H. F. Bailey, built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, costing £8,470.Transferred to and renamed Canadian Pacific, 1929. Destroyed by fire during maintenance at Groves & Guttridge, Cowes, 18 June 1937. Canadian Pacific 1929–1937 716Sarah Ward and William David Crossweller1929 1929–1958 Legacy of Mr Crossweller, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £8,454.Sold in 1961. Renamed Lady Leigh IV, Court McSherry. As Courtmacsherry at Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, September 2025. 1958–1959 Relief fleet 1959–1961 728Cunard1930 1930–1955 Gift of Cunard Steamship Co., built by Saunders-Roe of Cowes, costing £8,324.Sold in 1969. Renamed Henry Joy. Reported as being ashore at Coney Island, Killough, Northern Ireland, December 2025. 1955–1969 Relief fleet729John R. Webb1930 1930–1955 Legacy of Mr J. R. Webb, built by Saunders-Roe of Cowes, costing £8,318.Sold September 1969. Renamed Rairewa II. Last reported to have been moved to Poland, 1969 1955–1969 Relief fleet730Cecil and Lilian Philpott1930 1930–1959 Gift of Mrs L. Philpott, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £7,982.Sold October 1969. Renamed Stenoa. At Titchmarsh Marina, Walton-on-the-Naze, May 2025. 1959–1969 Relief fleet 732 Catherine 1930 – Bombay Built by J. Samuel WhiteBuilt for Bombay Port Trust. Last reported sold in 1935.736W. and S.1931 1931–1960 Legacies of Miss Young and Miss Coode, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £7,684.Sold in 1970. Renamed Early Mist, later Atlantic. Reported broken up at Bathside, Harwich, September 2025. 1960–1961 1961–1969 Relief fleet749George and Sarah Strachan1931 1931–1959 Legacy of Mr Strachan, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £7,680.Sold in March 1969. Last reported as a workboat at Dunoon, November 2013. 1959–1960 Relief fleet 1960–1963 1964–1969 Relief fleet753Civil Service No.51932 1932–1950 Gift of the Civil Service LB fund, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £7,294.Sold February 1958. Renamed Donaghadee, Loe Trout, Silver Sea, Silver Bay, Lorelei, and White Star. At the former Titanic Museum, Clacknaharry Road, Muirtown Basin, Inverness, May 2025. 1950–1956 1956–1958 Relief fleet759Thomas McCunn1933 1933–1962 Legacy of Mr W. McCunn, built by Groves & Guttridge of Cowes, costing £7,120.Sold August 1972. Renamed Pentland Speir. Restored as Thomas McCunn, and on display since December 2000 at Longhope Lifeboat Museum, December 2025. 1962–1972 Relief fleet774Charlotte Elizabeth1935 1935–1959 Gift of Miss E. Sinclair, built by Alexander Robertson & Sons of Sandbank, Argyll, costing £8,381.Sold in 1961. Renamed Corgarth and Dale Queen. Last reported cut in two at Thurso River Quay and stored on wasteland, September 2021. 1959–1961 Relief fleet 775 Mona 1935 1935–1959 An anonymous gift, built by Groves & Guttridge of Cowes, costing £6,802.Capsized on service with eight crew lost, 8 December 1959. Boat later burned on the beach.

See also Watson-class lifeboat Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

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References

External links RNLI