Atlantic 21-class lifeboat

Falmouth Round Table (B-595) during Falmouth Lifeboat Day, August 2006.
Class overview
Name	B class (Atlantic 21)
Builders	Inshore Lifeboat Centre, Cowes
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Preceded by	C class
Succeeded by	B class (Atlantic 75)
Built	1969–1994
In service	1972–2007
Completed	96
Lost	1
Preserved	1
General characteristics
Type	Lifeboat
Displacement	1.4 tonnes
Length	7.21 m (23 ft 8 in)
Beam	2.49 m (8 ft 2 in)
Draught	0.81 m (2 ft 8 in)
Propulsion	2 × 70 hp (52 kW) 2-stroke outboard engines
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Endurance	3 hours
Capacity	22
Complement	3

The Atlantic 21 Inshore lifeboat was the first generation rigid inflatable boat (RIB), in the B-class series of Inshore lifeboats, that were operated around the shores of the British Isles and the Channel Islands by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), between 1972 and 2008.^[1]

The Inshore boat was designed at Atlantic College in South Wales, the birthplace of the RIB, after which the craft is named. The college was also one of nine locations where the RNLI first established lifeboat stations using smaller inshore watercraft. Atlantic College Lifeboat Station was operated by the RNLI between 1963 and 2013.^[2]

The development of the Atlantic 21 resulted in the larger Atlantic 75-class, with production beginning in 1993. The Atlantic 75 gradually replaced the Atlantic 21, with the majority of the ninety-six Atlantic 21 lifeboats retired from service by 2006. Just a handful remained on service into 2007 and 2008, with the last two Atlantic 21 lifeboats, at Enniskillen Lifeboat Station (Upper and Lower), both withdrawn from operational duties on 26 February 2008.^[1][3]

Description

The Atlantic 21 can be launched from a davit, carriage or floating boathouse depending on the location of the station and the available facilities.

The lifeboat is a rigid inflatable boat (RIB), with the hull constructed of Fibre-reinforced plastic, subdivided into water-tight compartments, and manufactured at Halmatic Ltd. of Havant. The boats are then fitted out at the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre in at East Cowes, Isle of Wight. A roll-bar is fitted above the engines, which carries an inflatable air-bag for self-righting, which can be inflated by a crew-member from a gas bottle should the boat capsize.^[4]

The boat carries a variety of equipment which includes two VHF radios, first aid kit and oxygen, GPS navigation system, night vision equipment, self-righting system, anchor and various warps, toolkit, towing system, illuminating and distress pyrotechnics, spotlight, torches.^[4]

Atlantic 21 Fleet

Atlantic 21 B-526 alongside Atlantic 75 B-713 in 2005

Atlantic 21 B-582 in Poole Harbour in 2007

Atlantic 21 B-584 on exercise in Bangor Bay in 2006

Atlantic 21 B-592 on Lough Erne in 2004

Op.No.[a]	Name	In Service[5]	Station	Comments
B-500	Unnamed[b]	1970 1970 1970 1972 1972 1972–1973 1973 1973–1977	Hartlepool Mudeford Lyme Regis Littlehampton Largs Appledore Littlehampton Relief fleet	First Atlantic 21 (Prototype), trialled at various locations. Now on display at the RNLI Heritage Collection, Chatham Historic Dockyard
B-501	Unnamed	1970–1973 1973 1973–1977	Relief fleet Lyme Regis Relief fleet
B-502	Unnamed	1970–1972	Trials
B-503	Unnamed	1972–1975 1975–1981	Hartlepool Relief fleet
B-504	Blue Peter I	1972–1973	Littlehampton
B-505	Major Osman Gabriel	1972–1975 1975–1979 1979–1980 1980–1981	Queensferry Relief fleet Silloth Atlantic College
B-506	Unnamed	1972–1976 1976–1978 1978 1978–1981	West Mersea Relief fleet Staithes and Runswick Relief fleet
B-507	Griende	1972–2005	KNRM
B-508	Unnamed	1973–1980	Atlantic College
B-509	Unnamed	1973–1981 1981–1985	New Brighton Relief fleet
B-510	Tuimelaar	1973–????	KNRM
B-511	Co-Operative No.1	1973 1975–1979 1981–1982 1982 1982–1985 1985–1989 1989–1997	Largs Hayling Island Newbiggin Hunstanton Relief fleet Clacton-on-Sea Relief fleet
B-512	U.S.Navy League	1973–1980 1980–1990 1990–1992 1992–1994 1994–1995 1995–1997 1997–1998 1998 1998–1999 1999–2001 2001–2009	Lyme Regis Relief fleet Walmer Relief fleet Bundoran Relief fleet Weymouth Clifden Relief fleet Sligo Bay Publicity fleet	Damaged by vandals and scrapped
B-513	William McCunn and Broom Church Youth Fellowship	1973–1980 1980–1988 1988–1990 1990–1997	Largs Relief fleet Bangor Relief fleet
B-514	Guide Friendship 1	1974–1983 1983–1984 1984–1985 1986 1986–1991 1991–1992 1992–2000	Aberdovey Relief fleet Clacton-on-Sea Redcar Relief fleet Cullercoats Relief fleet	Now with ICE-SAR
B-515	Blue Peter II Vee Webber (1985)	1976–1985 1985–1992 1992–1993 1993–1994 1994–1996 1996 1996–2000	Beaumaris Relief fleet Port Erin Flamborough Relief fleet Penarth Relief fleet	Now with ICE-SAR
B-516	Whitstable Branch	1974–1983 1983–1990	Whitstable Relief fleet
B-517	Blue Peter I	1973–1974	Littlehampton
B-518	Sole Bay	1973–1985 1985–1987 1987–1988 1988–1990	Southwold Relief fleet Falmouth Relief fleet	Now privately owned at St Helens, Isle of Wight
B-519	Surrey Forester	1973–1986 1986–1990	Lymington Relief fleet
B-520	Wildenrath Whizzer	1974–1986 1986–1990 1990–1993 1993–2005	Appledore Redcar Relief fleet Publicity fleet
B-521	Mary Livingstone	1975–1981 1981–1984 1984 1984–1994	Queensferry Relief fleet Ramsgate Relief fleet
B-522	Dolfijn	1974–????	KNRM
B-523	Blue Peter I Unnamed (1985)	1974–1985 1985–1988 1988 1988–1995 1995–1998	Littlehampton Relief fleet Kirkcudbright Relief fleet Inshore Lifeboat Centre	Now named Bay Mermaid I with Cardiff Harbour Authority
B-524	Unnamed	1974–????	KNRM
B-525	Unnamed Spix's Macaw	1974–1975 1975 1975–1979 1979–1980 1980–1988 1988–1991 1991–1993 1993 1993–1998 1998 1998–1999 1999 1999–2001 2001 2001–2002 2002–2004	Relief fleet Blackpool Relief fleet Hayling Island Relief fleet Kirkcudbright Relief fleet Kilkeel Relief fleet Weymouth Relief fleet Sligo Bay Relief fleet Sligo Bay Relief fleet Enniskillin (Upper)
B-526	Unnamed LSV 001 (2020)	1974–1978 1978–1987 1987–1995 1995 1997–1998 1998–2002 2002–2009	Relief fleet Harwich Relief fleet Hayling Island Clacton-on-Sea Relief fleet Training fleet	LifeSaving Victoria, AU, VMR900 Mornington & Hastings, AU. 2010 - Transferred to Lifesaving Victoria (Melbourne, Australia) 2013 - Operated by VMR Mornington & Hastings - Volunteer Marine Rescue Inc - (Mornington, Australia)
B-527	Percy Garon (Civil Service)	1976–1986 1986–1996 1996 1996–1998 1998	Southend-on-Sea Relief fleet Red Bay Relief fleet Arran (Lamlash)	Now with Finnish Lifeboat Society
B-528	Unnamed	1975–1976 1976–1978 1978–1982 1982 1982–1998 1998 1998–2000	Relief fleet Blackpool Relief fleet Hunstanton Relief fleet Helvick Head Relief fleet
B-529	Alexander Duckham	1976–1987 1988–1990 1991–1993 1993–2000	West Mersea Mudeford Falmouth Relief fleet
B-530	Himley Hall	1975–1981 1981–1985 1985–1989 1989–1993	Eastney Relief fleet Macduff Relief fleet
B-531	Foresters	1975–1988 1988–1993 1993–1994 1994–1995 1995 1996 1996–1998 1998 1998–2001 2001 2001–2002	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Relief fleet Criccieth Relief fleet Lough Swilly Galway Relief fleet Clovelly Relief fleet Sligo Bay Relief fleet	2002–2011 with Poole Harbour Commission 2011–present with Aegir Nautical
B-532	Guide Friendship III	1976–1986 1986–1998	Hartlepool Relief fleet	Now with Finnish Lifeboat Society
B-533	Unnamed	1976–1988 1988–1990 1990–1991 1991–1992 1992–1993 1993–1995 1995 1995–1996 1996 1996–1998	Littlestone-on-Sea Relief fleet Teignmouth Relief fleet Kilkeel Relief fleet Kinghorn Relief fleet Galway Relief fleet
B-534	Unnamed	–	–	1975. Reported to have been sold to MOD
B-535	R.A.O.B. Unnamed Clara T (1997)	1975–1976 1976–1992 1992–1995 1995–1997 1997–2010	Hartlepool Berwick-upon-Tweed Relief fleet Kyle of Lochalsh Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue (Ind.)	2011–present in private ownership in Szczecin, Poland named Aga B used for pleasure, training and safety boat (also cooperating with local volunteer rescue services)
B-536	Unnamed	1976–1989 1989–1992 1992–1994 1994–1997 1997 1997–1999	Peel Relief fleet Sheringham Relief fleet Helvick Head Relief fleet
B-537	Unnamed	1976–1978 1978–1979 1979–1983 1983–1984 1984–1986 1986–1988 1988–1999	Relief fleet Blackpool Relief fleet Youghal Relief fleet St Abbs Relief fleet
B-538	Lord Brotherton	1978–1989 1989–1990 1990	Staithes and Runswick Relief fleet Teignmouth
B-539	Lions International District 105 SE	1978–1989 1989–1990 1990–1991 1991–1994 1994 1994–1995 1995 1995–1998	Brighton Relief fleet St Catherine Relief fleet Sheringham Relief fleet Newquay Relief fleet
B-540	Wolverhampton	1978–1990 1990–1996 1996 1996–2000	Abersoch Relief fleet Trearddur Bay Relief/Training fleet	Now with ICE-SAR
B-541	Elizabeth Bestwick Unnamed	1976–1988 1988–1991 1992–1993 1993–1994 1994–1995 1995–1996 1996–1997	Relief fleet Falmouth Berwick-upon-Tweed Falmouth Hayling Island Weymouth Relief fleet
B-542	William Yeo	1976–1987 1987–2003	Relief fleet Inshore Lifeboat Centre
B-543	Round Table	1978–1990 1990–1996 1996–1997 1997–1998 1998–1999 1999–2001	Helensburgh Relief fleet Weymouth Skerries Clovelly Relief fleet
B-544	Catherine Plumbley	1979–1994 1995 1995–1996 1996 1996–1998	Minehead St Bees Relief fleet Weymouth Relief fleet	Now with ICE-SAR
B-545	Amelia Gregory Armstrong	1980–1995 1995–1998	Silloth Relief fleet
B-546	Independent Forester Benevolence	1980–1997 1997–1998	Lyme Regis Relief fleet	Now in Portugal
B-547	Independent Forester Liberty	1980–1998	Largs	Now named Káraborg (BB 7482) with ICE-SAR
B-548	Aldershot	1980–1994 1994–1995 1995–1996 1996 1996–1999	Hayling Island Poole Relief fleet Rye Harbour Relief fleet	With Finnish Lifeboat Society, later Muhu Maritime Rescue Society (Muhu, Saaremaa, Estonia)
B-549	Blenwatch	1981–1996 1996 1996–1997 1997–1998 1998–2001 2001–2003	New Brighton Porthcawl Relief fleet Tighnabruaich Relief fleet Enniskillin (Lower)	Now with ICE-SAR
B-550	"City of Portsmouth"	1981–1996 1996–1998	Portsmouth Relief fleet	Now with Estonian Maritime Rescue Organization (Tallinna Vabatahtlik Merepääste/Tallinn SAR)[6]
B-551	Constance Macnay	1981–1997 1997–1998 1998–1999	Queensferry Relief fleet Clifden	Now with Finnish Lifeboat Society
B-552	Bruinvis	1981–2006	KNRM Ter Heyde
B-553	Kirklees Dove (2000)	1982–1998 1998–1999 1999–2000 2000–2013 2013–	Newbiggin Helvick Head Relief fleet Sandown and Shanklin (Ind.) Lagan Search and Rescue
B-554	American Ambassador	1982–2000 2000–2001	Atlantic College Relief fleet	Now in Australia
B-555	Long Life I	1982–1985 1985 1986 1986–1993 1993 1993–1995 1995 1995–1996 1996	Relief fleet Macduff Portaferry Relief fleet Falmouth Relief fleet St Bees Relief fleet Kilrush
B-556	Spirit of America	1982–1998 1998–1999	Hunstanton Relief fleet	Now with Finnish Lifeboat Society
B-557	Weston Centenary	1983–2001	Weston-super-Mare	Now with Finnish Lifeboat Society
B-558	Ramsgate Enterprise St. Brendan (2002)	1984–2000 2000–2001 2002–2007	Ramsgate Relief fleet Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue
B-559	Long Life 3	1984–1999 1999–2002	Aberdovey Relief fleet	Now named Spirit of Tortola at British Virgin Islands
B-560	British Diver	1983–2000	Whitstable
B-561	Marjorie Turner	1984–2002	Youghal	Now with Finnish Lifeboat Society
B-562	The Quiver	1985–1998 1998–2001	Southwold Relief fleet	Now with Finnish Lifeboat Society
B-563	Blue Peter II	1985–2000 2000–2002	Beaumaris Relief fleet	Now with Finnish Lifeboat Society
B-564	Blue Peter I	1985–2001 2001–2003	Littlehampton Relief fleet
B-565	Manchester and District XXXII	1986–1997 1997–1998	Appledore Relief fleet
B-566	Frank and Mary Atkinson	1986–2002	Lymington	Now named Willemtje with KNRM
B-567	Percy Garon II	1986–2001 2001–2002 2002 2002–2004	Southend-on-Sea Relief fleet Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Relief fleet	Sold to Chile
B-568	Burton Brewer	1986–2000 2000–2002 2002 2002–2005 2005–2007 2008–2010	Hartlepool Relief fleet St Abbs Relief fleet Training fleet Hired to Dorset Police (P-002)	Now with Dorset Police (P-002)
B-569	Blue Peter V	1986–1994	Portaferry
B-569	Unnamed	1994–1997 1997–1998 1998–2000	Relief fleet Helvick Head Relief/Training fleet
B-570	Himley Hall	1987–2001 2001–2005	West Mersea Relief fleet
B-571	British Diver II	1987–2002 2002–2006 2006–2021	Harwich Relief fleet Training fleet	VMR Mornington, Australia, 2008–2016 - Operated by LifeSaving Victoria (Melbourne, Australia) 2016–2021 Operated by VMR Mornington - Volunteer Marine Rescue Inc (Mornington, Australia) 2021–Present, In private ownership (Mornington, Australia)
B-572	Dorothy and Katherine Barr	1988–2001	St Abbs	Now with Chilean Lifeboats
B-573	The Lady Dart and Long Life II	1988–2001	Littlestone-on-Sea	Now with Chilean Lifeboats
B-574	Joseph B. Press	1988–2002 2002–2007 2007–2008	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Relief fleet Training fleet
B-575	John Batstone	1989–1992 1992–1997 1997–1998 1998–2000 2000–2002 2002–2005	Peel Relief fleet Clifden Relief fleet Crosshaven Relief fleet
B-576	Ellis Sinclair	1989–2002 2002–2006	Staithes and Runswick Relief fleet
B-577	Graham Hillier and Tony Cater Sidmouth Herald (1999)	1989–1997 1997–1999	Brighton Relief fleet Sidmouth (Ind.)	2005–present named Ira with Nisos Yacht Charter in the Ionian Islands, Greece
B-578	The Rotary Club of Glasgow	1989–2006 2006–2008 2008–2010	Macduff Training fleet Hired to Dorset Police (P-001)	Sold to Dorset Police (P-001). Now in private ownership in the Netherlands and named Anna Jacoba
B-579	Institute of London Underwriters	1989–1997 1997–2001 2001–2002 2002–2003	Clacton-on-Sea Relief fleet St Abbs Relief fleet
B-580	Leicester Challenge	1990–2001 2001–2002 2002 2002–2009	Redcar Sligo Bay Enniskillin (Upper) Relief fleet
B-581	Andrew Mason	1990–2002 2002–2004 2004–2008	Helensburgh Relief fleet Enniskillin (Upper)
B-582	Borough of Solihull	1990–2002 2002–2007 2007–2008 2008–2009	Abersoch Relief fleet Training fleet Hired Dorset Police (P-003)	2011 - returned to RNLI
B-583	Ken Derham	1990–2006 2006–2009	Mudeford Training fleet	2021 Purchased by Safetyboat Services Ltd for use as a safety / rescue boat
B-584	Youth of Ulster	1991–2006	Bangor
B-585	Peter and Grace Ewing	1991–2006	Kirkcudbright
B-586	Clothworker	1991–1998 1998–1999 1999–2001 2001–2002 2002–2004 2004–2007 2007–2009	Relief fleet Cardigan Relief fleet Littlehampton Relief fleet Lough Derg Relief fleet
B-587	Jessie Eliza	1991–2000	St Catherine
B-588	Frank and Dorothy	1991–2006 2006–2008 2008–2009	Teignmouth Relief fleet Storage
B-589	James Burgess	1992–2006 2006–2009	Walmer Training fleet	2009 - Sold to Gardline
B-590	Wolverson X-Ray The Dove II	1992–1993 1993–1994 1994–1996 1996 1996–1997 1997–2002 2002 2002–2006 2006–2007 2007–2009 2011–	Relief fleet Aberystwyth Relief fleet Kilrush Galway Relief fleet Youghal Relief fleet Cullercoats Training fleet Sandown and Shanklin (Ind.)
B-591	Edmund and Joan White	1992–2006 2006–2008	Cullercoats Enniskillin (Lower)	Now with ICE-SAR in Eskifjordur
B-592	Ernest Armstrong	1992–1998 1998–2001 2001–2003 2003–2006	Relief fleet Arran (Lamlash) Relief fleet Enniskillin (Lower)
B-593	Valerie Hull	1993–2006	Kilkeel	2010–2013 with Oban Sea Cadets 2013–present in private ownership
B-594	Herbert and Edith	1993–2006	Port Erin
B-595	Falmouth Round Table	1994–2007	Falmouth	Now with KNRM

1. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.
2. Not every Atlantic 21-class lifeboat was given a name

References

1. "B class Atlantic lifeboat". RNLI. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
2. Gaskell, Simon (6 May 2013). "The Welsh home of the RIB waves goodbye to its lifeboat after nearly 50 years". Wales Online. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
3. "Enniskillen's station history". Enniskillen Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
4. Atlantic 21 Lifeboat (L3/82 ed.). RNLI. 1982. pp. 1–4.
5. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 80–81.
6. "Eesti Vabatahtlik Mere- ja Järvepääste is at Eesti Näituste messikeskus". Facebook. Retrieved 2 October 2025.

External links

• RNLI FLeet
• Atlantic College Lifeboat Station
• RIB History (2017 video) at UWC Atlantic College