The Magnificent Severn: 25 years of the Severn class lifeboat

Happy birthday to our 44 Severn’s 🎈🎈

This year marks 25 years of the magnificent Severn class lifeboat! Since 1996 the Severn has saved 1,000 lives: she remains vital in making our seas safer for all. Hear from some of those who have crewed her, follow her from drawing table to active service, and watch this lifesaving boat in action.

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, lifeboat crews around the UK and Ireland are ready to launch to help those in need. Whether you're stuck on a sinking ship, cut off by a rapidly rising tide, or in the water and close to drowning, RNLI crew members will drop everything to come to your rescue. 95% of RNLI lifeboat crews and station staff are volunteers.

But it’s not just lifeboats. RNLI lifeguards patrol 248 beaches across the UK and Channel Islands, keeping people safe, providing safety advice and rescuing those in trouble. Education volunteers visit schools and swimming clubs to help teach the next generation how to enjoy the water safely. And volunteer fundraisers and shop workers give up their time to generate vital funds. The RNLI is also working to help communities around the world that are most at risk of drowning.

If you spot someone in trouble in the water, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.

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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland (20003326), the Bailiwick of Jersey (14), the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Alderney of West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ

[alandavis]

A fitting and respectful tribute to a game-changing lifeboat, and of course to the volunteers who risk their lives for us. Thank you.

[berniecoles]

Amazing boat, only surpassed by the dedicated volunteers who crew her and a worthy successor to the Arun class.

[tomriley]

Beautiful boats! Fantastic pieces of design and brilliantly maintained - they still look new despite all the work they've done, testimony to the crews!

[psvymepaulh]

Great job all you are still the best happy birthday 👍👋🇬🇧🙏❤️

[ruperthartop]

Fantastic, thank you all so much for the amazing work that you do

[hyacinth]

I have seen the brixham Torbay seven go out a few times always a impressive site thank you for all that you do

[Bulletguy]

The Severn class to me has always looked "right" with its classic lines and shape.

[micstonemicstone]

I wanted to check what I remembered was true it is
it can take 124 rescued survived very grateful souls, what a boat
these people don't take a wage, I would roll a coin down there collection boxes when I was young, thankyou to all the people involved your all super-hero's

[BeeblebroxTheThird]

25 years - time flies. I remember our crew taking on a new Severn to replace the trusty Arun class. Seemed like we had been given the starship Enterprise...

[nick.caffrey]

Lifeboat volunteers are nothing short of supermen and superwomen. My local boat is a Severn.

[andygreenhalgh]

I managed to see a Severn class up close in NW Scotland (Lochinver). Amazing boat. Thanks to Covid i have almost completed a 1:16 Tamar build.

[Someoutside]

Underrated under funded true hero's

[Kshadowfax]

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. to ALL who serve in the RNLI / FIRE BRIGADE

[Fcutdlady]

One of these in Dun Laoghaire here in Dublin called the Ana Livia (name of the sprit of the River Liffey that runs through central Dublin)

[morzee]

2:51 That’s a Trent isn’t it? Speaking of which, are they getting a life extension since they’re more of less the same age and of similar design?

[steviedee]

Remember seeing a Severn class prototype on passage from Dublin to Oban in the Irish Sea. Blowing around force 7 and see appeared out of the spray, waved then headed south.
She was painted in yellow.

[tonys]

Time they underwent a major refit? Cheaper than constructing Shannon's and quicker to complete. Conversion to Water Jet propulsion would make them more manoeuvrable in shallow or restricted space areas and protect the sea bed in shallow marine protection areas. They may have another 25 years service then.

[debrick]

Will you be looking into the Inverted/ Reverse bow in the next stage of boat design?

[welshskies]

RNLI, humanity at its best! Saving anybody in peril at sea. 👍🏻👍🏻😇. The Severn/Hafren is my local river too. 😀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[KlingonCaptain]

It would be cool to see one retrofitted for long range as an exploration vessel. I'm just saying. Disney, you own National Geographic now, make it happen.