Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) maintains the lifeboat service in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The RNLI operates a fleet of about 300 motorized lifeboats stationed at selected places around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The lifeboats are ready to go to sea as soon as any boat is reported to be in danger. The RNLI also operates a relief fleet of about 100 lifeboats.
The RNLI uses many classes of boats, including large crafts capable of speeds up to 25 knots and inflatable boats. Some of the larger vessels stay afloat permanently. Others are launched down boat ramps when they are needed.
Crews of most lifeboats are volunteers who earn their living in other ways. Every lifeboat station has at least one full-time crew member, usually a mechanic. Some stations have more full-time crew members. A typical lifeboat crew consists of five to seven people. Inflatable lifeboats have a crew of two or three people.
The National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was founded in England by royal charter in 1824. It was later renamed the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The institution is financed entirely by voluntary contributions. The RNLI cooperates with government agencies that are also responsible for rescue at sea. These agencies include His Majesty’s Coastguard and the rescue services of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
