brede

The 18 knot Brede was a new departure for the RNLI, as in order to have the design in service as quickly as possible, it was based on a slightly modified version of an existing commercial GRP hull design, the Lochin 33 which was used mainly for fast inshore fishing boats. Up to this point, almost all UK lifeboats had been designed from the keel up by the RNLI themselves. One apparent disadvantage of this approach was that Bredes were the only boats in the RNLI fleet not allowed to venture out in sea states higher than force 6, but this has not proved to be a great problem in service. Most Bredes were based at lifeboat stations like Poole, Exmouth and on the Solent, where their size and handling characteristics made them particularly well suited to attending the many inshore small boat rescues typical of such locations. The first two photos show the Exmouth Brede, 33-06 Caroline Finch, a superb model built by Brendan Dempsey of Dublin, and then the real thing at the RNLI base in Poole. This model was originally powered by two 540 motors, but replacing these with more efficient Decaperms greatly improved duration without affecting the performance noticeably. Power supply is a 6volt 8amp lead acid accumulator, and the all-up weight is around 6kg. The next pic comes from the front page of my local newspaper a few years ago, quite possibly the only time that one of my hulls has been so featured. It shows a proud German customer posing with his model Brede in front of the real thing on station in Poole, and the model now resides in the RNLI museum. The fourth photo shows the hull and cabin mouldings as supplied. As can be seen, the hull is moulded with full keel as well as all the complicated multiple spray rails on the hull sides and bottom that are such a prominent feature of the Brede design.