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Buy an ex-service
RNLI lifeboat
Help continue the adventure of our lifesaving fleet by purchasing an ex-service lifeboat
RNLI lifeboats play a vital part in our lifesaving work. Keeping crew safe from harm and bringing those they rescue safely home. Each and every one has a story to tell. Would you like to be a part of that story?
After years of hard work and careful consideration, many lifeboats reach the end of their RNLI life. But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of their story.
Could you be a part of their story?
After everything our lifeboats do before they go off service, they continue to support our lifesaving work. Each one sold will help fund the RNLI’s work, helping to continue their lifesaving legacy.
Ex-service lifeboats currently available for sale
We currently have Trent class and Severn class lifeboats available for purchase:
RNLI ex-service boat for sale: Severn class
Located in Poole, Dorset.
Boat price is £175,000 sterling, zero rated VAT. For all further details and to arrange a boat viewing please contact the RNLI Asset Sales Manager.
RNLI ex-service boat for sale: Trent class
Located in Poole, Dorset.
Boat price is £110,000 sterling, zero rated VAT. For all further details and to arrange a boat viewing please contact the RNLI Asset Sales Manager.
Want to find out more about purchasing a lifeboat?
When are lifeboats retired from service?
Lifeboats are retired only after careful consideration. Decisions are based on condition and operational need, alongside the arrival of newer assets designed to meet the changing demands of lifesaving at sea.
Once an asset leaves operational service, it follows a clear and established RNLI process. This means assets are handled responsibly, RNLI standards are met, and funds raised are returned to the charity to enable our lifesaving work.
Case study: Mary Irene Millar
Once stationed at Portpatrick, Mary Irene Millar is now in the hands of Keith Berry, who is preserving the lifeboat and its place in the RNLI's lifesaving history.
Second lives for our lifeboats
Clyde class ex-lifeboat
Clyde class ex-lifeboat Gemini Explorer (formerly City of Bristol) served Clovelly Lifeboat Station in Devon from 1975 to 1988, before being taken out of service in 1989. Now a liveaboard.
Ex-Trent class lifeboat
Irish Mist (formerly St Brendan of Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat Station), restored by RNLI Lifeboat Mechanic Tom Edwards, who now lives aboard.
Ex-D class lifeboat
Former D class Lord Kitchener, now serving as a safety boat for Red Seal Rescue
Watch: An ex-service RNLI lifeboat in Chile
Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society
If you’d like more information about former RNLI lifeboats and their service history, the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society have a wealth of information available to those looking to buy a lifeboat or simply wanting to learn more about the fleet.
As well as an active online presence, the society publishes Lifeboats Past & Present magazine three times a year, as well as an annual Lifeboat Handbook that records all sorts of information on the lifeboats, both active and retired.
You can join the Society for £22 a year (£30 in Ireland). Visit their website for more information: https://lifeboat.test-links.com/.
