H-class lifeboat
H-class rescue hovercraft serve the shores of the United Kingdom as a part of the RNLI inshore fleet. A modified Type 470TD design built by Griffon Hoverwork, they were developed to operate in tidal areas such as Morecambe Bay, where strandings by incoming tides can have fatal consequences; and in waters too shallow for normal craft.
RNLI Hovercraft H001 Molly Rayner in 2005 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | H-class rescue hovercraft |
| Builders | Griffon Hoverwork |
| Operators | Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) |
| Preceded by | None |
| Built | 2002–2009 |
| In service | 2002– |
| Completed | 7 |
| Active | 7 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 3.86 tonnes |
| Length | 6.88 m (22.6 ft) |
| Beam | 3.36 m (11.0 ft) |
| Draught | N/A |
| Propulsion | 2 x VW 1.9 turbo diesels |
| Speed | 30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h) |
| Endurance | 3 hours |
| Capacity | 10 |
| Complement | 2-4 |
Hovercraft were also assigned to three other stations, New Brighton, Hunstanton, and Southend-on-Sea. In 2016, the New Brighton Hovercraft H-005 Hurley Spirit was reassigned to Hoylake.
In 2023, trials were carried out by the RNLI, assisted by the team at Hoylake station, to evaluate different crafts being considered as a potential successor to the current hovercraft.
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