C-class lifeboat (Zodiac Grand Raid IV)

Class overview
Name	C-class
Builders	Zodiac Marine & Pool, France
Operators	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Preceded by	D-class (RFD PB16)
Succeeded by	B-class (Atlantic 21); D-class (EA16);
General characteristics
Length	17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
Beam	8 ft (2.4 m)
Propulsion	2 x 40 hp Mariner outboard engines
Speed	>26 knots (30 mph)
Complement	4

A C-class lifeboat usually refers to the Zodiac Grand Raid Mark IVs lifeboats, powered by twin 40 hp outboard motors, manufactured by Zodiac Marine & Pool of France, and which were operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

They were initially designated as D-class lifeboats, starting a series of boats numbered from D-500, but this was subsequently changed to C-class, to signify the difference between the twin engine C-class and the single engine D-class.^[1]

In 1970, the first lifeboats to be classed as C-class were twin engine RIBs, which were developed to be the Atlantic series lifeboats, and were re-designated B-Class. C-1 was renumbered as B-3, C-2 became B-4 etc.^[1]

The C-class Zodiac Grand Raid IV was replaced by both the D-class (EA16) and the B-class (Atlantic 21) inshore lifeboats.^[2]

Fleet

Op. No.^[a]	Name	In Service^[1]	Station	Comments
B-3	Unnamed	1970 1971	Littlestone-on-Sea Atlantic College	Formerly C-1
B-4	Unnamed	1971–1974 1974–1976 1978	Helensburgh Littlestone-on-Sea Helensburgh	Formerly C-2
B-5	Unnamed	1972–1974 1976–1978	Littlestone-on-Sea Helensburgh	Formerly C-3
B-6	Unnamed	1973 1974–1976	Lymington Helensburgh	Formerly C-4
B-7	Unnamed	1974 1981–1984	Helensburgh Tynemouth BB	Formerly C-5
B-8	Unnamed	1975 1977	Poole Poole
D-500	Unnamed	1972–1974 1974–1979 1979–1981	Trials Minehead Relief fleet
D-501	Unnamed	–	Trials only
C-502	John Gilpin	1973–1975 1975–1977 1977–1983 1983–1985 1985–1988	Trials Silloth Relief fleet Boarding Boat Inshore Lifeboat Centre	Formerly D-502
C-503	Unnamed	1973–1977 1977–1979 1979–1983 1983–1987	Trials Silloth Training fleet Boarding Boat	Formerly D-503
C-504	Unnamed	1973–1978 1978–1987	Trials Inshore Lifeboat Centre	Formerly D-504
C-505	Unnamed	1979–1986 1986–1987 1987 1987–1989 1990	St Abbs Red Bay Relief fleet Clifden Arran (Lamlash)	Formerly D-505
C-506	Unnamed	1980–1986 1987–1988 1988–1993 1993–1997	Portaferry Arran (Lamlash) Relief fleet Boarding Boat	Formerly D-506
C-507	Unnamed	1981–1988 1988–1990	Mudeford Relief fleet	Formerly D-507
C-508	The Chris Pirson	1981–1992 1992–1996	Relief fleet Boarding Boat	Formerly D-508
C-509	Oats	1983–1993 1993–1994 1994–1995 1995–1996 1996–1998	Aberystwyth Relief fleet Newquay Tighnabruaich Relief fleet	Formerly D-509
C-510	Unnamed	1983–1991 1991–1995	Criccieth Relief fleet	Formerly D-510
C-511	Unnamed	1984–1994 1994–1996 1996–2008	Newquay Relief fleet Boarding Boat	Formerly D-511
C-512	Unnamed	1984–1991 1991–1996	Cullercoats Relief fleet	Formerly D-512
C-513	Sebag of Jersey	1984–1990 1990–1993 1993 1993–1996 1997–	St Catherine Relief fleet Criccieth Relief fleet Boarding Boat
C-514	Unnamed	1985–1995 1995–1997 1997–1998 1998	Kinghorn Relief fleet Clifden Inshore Lifeboat Centre
C-515	Unnamed	1985–1995 1995	St Bees Inshore Lifeboat Centre
C-516	Belsize Charitable Trust No.1	1986–1995 1995–1996	St Ives Relief fleet
C-517	Unnamed	1986–1996 1996–1997 1997–2008	Rye Harbour Relief fleet Boarding Boat
C-518	Unnamed	1987–1997	Cardigan
C-519	Thomas Corbett	1987–1995 1995–1996 1996–1997	Red Bay Relief fleet Tighnabruaich
C-520	Unnamed	1988–1996 1996–1999	Relief fleet Boarding Boat
C-521	Prince of Arran	1988–1998	Arran (Lamlash)
C-522	Unnamed	1989–1997 1997 1998–	Clifden Boarding Boat Publicity	Private ownership, Clifden, Ireland, August 2024.^[3]
C-523	British Diver IV	1990–1991 1991–1993 1993–1994 1994–1995 1995–1996 1996–1998	Relief fleet Criccieth Relief fleet Tighnabruaich Red Bay Relief fleet

^ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 101–102.
^ Jenkins, David. "Inshore rescue - three miles from the sea!". Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
^ "Unsung heroes, brought to you by the letters 'A' and 'C'". RNLI. Retrieved 17 December 2025.

External links

RNLI Fleet

[Op-3] Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

[LBES-1] Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 101–102.

[2] Jenkins, David. "Inshore rescue - three miles from the sea!". Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2013.

[A-510-4] "Unsung heroes, brought to you by the letters 'A' and 'C'". RNLI. Retrieved 17 December 2025.

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