Lifeboats

There are two Lifeboats at Sheerness, a Trent class All Weather Lifeboat and the
smaller D-Class Inshore Lifeboat

Trent Class – George and Ivy Swanson

The Trent Class Lifeboat named “George and Ivy Swanson” is 14m in length with a beam of 4.9m and a draught of 1.4m, she is self righting and in the event of a capsize is designed to right in approx 6 seconds

She is powered by twin MAN D2840 LE 401 diesel engines with a B.H.P of 850 each, has a design speed of twenty five knots and an operational range of 250 nautical miles, she carries approx 900 gallons of fuel and uses approx 80 gallons per hour at full speed.

When on service, she normally carries a crew of 6, who can be safely seated with seat harnesses in the Wheelhouse, she can carry 10 survivors in the cabin with safety belts.

Some of the equipment carried includes:
Racal Decca Bridgemaster RadarMF and HF Radio GPS VHF Direction Finder Night Vision Equipment First Aid Equipment and Two Stretchers Search and Distress Flares Portable General service Pump Searchlights and Aldis Lamp	Twin VHF Radios VHF Portable Radio Electronic Chart Plotter Two Echo Sounders Auto Pilot Oxygen and Entonox Rocket line Throwing Apparatus Small Inflatable dinghy with Outboard

By means of the definition, All Weather, there are no weather restrictions on the Lifeboats operation, she covers a vast area from her station at Sheerness, the River Medway and lower reaches of the River Thames out into the Thames Estuary, she lies afloat on an alongside berth in Sheerness Docks.

IB 1 D- Class  D-799 “Buster”

Delta Class IB 1 D-799 “Buster”, Length 4.95 mtrs, Beam 2 mtrs, draught 0.5 mtrs. displacement 338kg. Powered by 50 H.P Mariner engine, giving a top speed of 25 knots with 3 hours endurance, carries 68 ltrs of fuel and has a crew of two or three. Crew will wear “Dry Suits”, Lifejackets and protective headgear at all times when afloat. The ILB is kept on a trolley in the Boathouse and transported to the launch site by Quad bike where it is launched by a Davit into the lower camber basin.

Some of the equipment carried includes :
VHF Radio and Portable VHF Search and Distress flares Oxygen equipment Survival equipment for casualties Searchlight and Torches Spare Propellor and tools	“Sims” Chartplot & GPS & AIS. Nightvision equipment First Aid Equipment Fire Extinguisher

By means of the definition, Inshore Lifeboat, it is ideally suited for the work around the Sheppey Coast and in the River Medway, where there are many creeks and inlets.