D-class lifeboat at speed
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General characteristics
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Class & type:
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Evans Avon 16
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Displacement:
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338 kg (745 lb)
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Length:
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4.9 m (16 ft)
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Beam:
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2 m (6.6 ft)
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Propulsion:
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1 × 40 hp Mariner outboard engine
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Speed:
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20 knots (23 mph)
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Endurance:
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3 hours at full speed
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Complement:
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3 or 4
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The D-class (EA16) lifeboat is a class of inflatable boat formerly operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It has been replaced by the D-class (IB1).
The type designator EA16 stands for Evans Avon 16.
Utilization
For more than 40 years the D-class has served as the workhorse of the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) fleet. Significantly smaller in comparison to the rest of the inshore fleet, the D-class is also one of the few RNLI types not to feature a rigid hull. The main aspect of the boat would be both its size and weight - only 436 kg (961 lb). The D-class has been specifically designed as a light and highly manoeuvrable rapid response craft.
Design and construction
RNLB Inbhear Deas (D-518), which is now part of the Flood Rescue team.
The D-class lifeboat consists of two sponsons, together housing seven inflatable segments intersected by baffles. The main construction fabric is Hypalon-coated Nylon which provides a durable, non-tear surface.
This is one of the smaller classes of lifeboat operated by the RNLI, and they are a common sight at lifeboat stations around the coast. Unlike other members of the ILB fleet, the D-class does not have a rigid hull; all others, with the exception of the Arancia, hovercraft and ALB Tenders, are Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs).
The D-class normally has a crew of three or four and is primarily used for surfer/swimmer incidents as well as assisting in cliff incidents
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