Our inshore lifeboat the "Claire and David Delves" is an Atlantic 85 class lifeboat. Which is davit launched from her boathouse, located in the outer harbour.
The name Atlantic is derived from Atlantic College in Wales, where the rigid inflatable B class was first developed. The number ‘85’ is derived from her length of nearly 8.5m. The Atlantic 85 is a fast, manoeuvrable and very reliable boat, which is capable of operating in rough weather conditions, up to force 7 in daylight and force 6 at night.
A manually operated self-righting mechanism combined with two 115hp 4-stroke inversion-proofed engines keep her operational even after capsize. She is also capable of being beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to engines or steering gear.
The Atlantic 85 carries a full suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, including VHF radio, VHF direction finding, intercom, DGPS and electronic chart, radar and hand-held VHF, as well as a searchlight, night-vision equipment and illuminating paraflares for night-time operations.
