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 441 lifeboats and 7 hovercraft in our lifeboat fleet, which also includes our relief fleet.
A D class inshore lifeboat costs £101,000, a B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat costs £322,000 and a Shannon class all-weather lifeboat cost is £2.78M.
It costs £1,450 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.