Lifeboat FAQs
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about our lifeboats.
Want to know more? See our lifeboats and stations pages.
There are 349 lifeboats in our lifeboat fleet based at our lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland and 108 lifeboats in our relief fleet.
A D class inshore lifeboat costs £100,000, a B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat costs £304,000 and a Shannon class all-weather lifeboat cost is £2.45M.
It costs £1,527 a year to train one lifeboat crew member.
There are 238 RNLI lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland. Many of our stations welcome visitors – find your nearest lifeboat station here.
The RNLI is a charity and is independent of the government - less than 1% of our funding comes from government sources.
Our lifesaving service depends on the kindness of our supporters - 94% of our total income comes from donations. The remaining 6% comes from income sources such as trading and investments.
Unfortunately not. Our lifeboats need to be ready 24/7 to provide a lifesaving service whenever required.
Trips on our lifeboats are also not possible due to insurance purposes.