“Norah Wortley” 16-26 - Tamar Class All-weather
Lifeboat.
The Tamar class lifeboat “Norah Wortley” was placed on
service at St Davids in April 2013. Initially she was operated
from a swinging mooring at St Justinians whilst work to the
new station was in progress. Since October 2016 the “Norah
Wortley” has been launched down the slipway from the new
boathouse. The lifeboat has been funded through the
generous bequest of Mrs Diane Mary Symon who died in
February 2010.
The Tamar is fitted with an integrated electronic Systems and
Information Management System (SIMS) so that the crew can
monitor, operate and control many of the boat’s systems
directly from their shock-mitigating seats, improving their
safety.
The bespoke seats enhance crew comfort and safety. They
also incorporate essential controls such as throttles and
joystick with the trackball for the SIMS screen close to hand.
The Tamar’s propellers and rudders lie in partial tunnels set
into the hull that, along with steel-lined main and bilge keels,
provide excellent protection from damage in shallow water or
slipway operations.
In addition to her twin engines, the lifeboat is fitted with a
hydraulic-powered bow thruster for improved manoeuvrability.
The Tamar carries a Y boat, an inflatable powered daughter
boat housed under the aft deck, which can be deployed from
a hinged door in the transom.
The Y boat has a 15hp outboard engine and is used in
moderate conditions to access areas the lifeboat cannot
reach. Comprehensive first aid equipment includes
stretchers, oxygen and entonox and other equipment includes
a portable salvage pump carried in a watertight container.
The Tamar class lifeboat is 16.3m in length with a beam of
5.3m and draught of 1.4m. She has a displacement of 32
tonnes, a maximum speed of 25 knots and range of 250
miles. The Tamar has two 1001hp Caterpillar C18 diesel
engines and carries 4600 litres of fuel. The lifeboat is
constructed of fibre reinforced composite and she carries a
crew of 7.
The integrated electronic Systems and Information
Management System (SIMS) offers the crew the ability to
monitor, operate and control many of the boat’s systems
directly from the safety of their seats.
SIMS provides access to all communications (VHF, MF, DF,
intercom), navigation (radar, chart, DGPS, depth and speed)
and machinery monitoring including engines, transmission,
fuel and bilge.
St Davids
RNLI
Lifeboat
Station
Copyright: David John and St Davids RNLI 2017-2020.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603)