The Station D Class D-788 is named the ‘Leslie & Mary Daws‘ and was commissioned at the station on Wednesday 25 November 2015 replacing our previous inshore lifeboat boat D-651 ‘John William Hirst‘ and before her D-504 ‘Spirit of the RPC‘
The naming ceremony took place on Friday 12 August 2016 during the Stations’ 150th Anniversary Week of events.
Images David Ham MBE The ‘Leslie & Mary Daws‘ – D-788
(IB1) D Class Technical Details
Name ‘Leslie & Mary Daws‘ – D-788
Class (IB1) D Class Technical Details
Length 5 metres (16 ft 5 ins) Endurance 3 hrs at 25 knots
Beam/Width 2 metres (6 ft 7 ins) Engine 50 hp Immersion Proofed
Speed 25 knots Launch Trolley and Tractor
Displacement 338 kg (745 lb) TBA Structure Fibre reinforced plastic
Crew 2/3 Boat Fabric Nylon coated hypalon fabric
Weight 400 kg (880 lbs) Survivor
Capacity 5
The D Class Inshore Lifeboat has been a workhorse of the service for 40 years around the coastline of the UK since ‘Blue Peter 1’. The updated IB1 is highly manoeuvrable, making it ideal for rescues close to shore in fair to moderate conditions and performs a significant role in Tor Bay. It has a single 50 hp outboard immersion-proofed engine and can be righted manually by the crew following capsize.
Torbay Lifeboats 