Y-class lifeboat

The Y-class lifeboat is a class of small inflatable rescue boat, operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The Y-class is mainly used as a small tender carried on board the larger RNLI All-weather lifeboats. They were originally carried aboard the lifeboats, but are now normally found on the and lifeboats. They are also used as part of the RNLI's flood rescue team.
The lifeboat is powered by a single 15-hp outboard engine. It usually carries a crew of two and is primarily used for incidents where the casualty is near or on the shore, and where the larger All-weather lifeboat cannot get close in due to rocks or water depth.
Other small boats operated by the RNLI include the Arancia-class beach rescue boats, the X-class and the XP-class lifeboats.
All of the following fleet details are referenced to the 2004–2026 Lifeboat Enthusiast Society Handbooks, with information retrieved directly from RNLI records.

Launching

The Y-class lifeboat can be launched from a All-weather lifeboat using the integral crane, or manually, depending on the fit-out of the Severn lifeboat.
On the All-weather lifeboat, the Y-class boat is housed in a built-in recessed chamber, within the stern section of the Tamar-class lifeboat. Access to this inflatable tender is achieved by lifting a section of deck and lowering a transom which doubles as a ramp. This allows the tender to be easily launched and recovered.