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Arancia-class Inflatable Beach Rescue Boat.
Specifications:
| Length | 3.88-metre. | Speed | 25-35-kts. |
| Weight | 448-kg. | Range | - |
| Construction | Inflatable launch | Endurance | - |
| Engines | 30-hp Mariner Outboard. | Crew | 2 |
Designed and manufactured by Arancia Industries Ltd in New Zealand these craft are mainly used by RNLI Lifeguards for beach rescues and by the Flood Relief team. Numbered in A-? series e.g. A-24, A25, A-40 etc and wear RNLI Lifeguards titles or Flood Response where they are numbered in the FR- sequence. In 2011 the RNLI concluded an agreement to build the boats at Cowes ILC, with modifications. The first RNLI built boat was believed to have been A-76.
The first Arancia A-01 John Broad seen at the launch of the RNLI Lifeguard Service at Fistral Beach in 2001 (Photo Courtesy RNLI)
A-01 John Broad seen on 28/04/14 on demonstration (Photo Courtesy RNLI/Simon Bryant) As at 2015 this boat was in store pending display.
RNLB John Broad now used as an exhibition boat at Poole 22/08/15 (Photo N. Rush)
A-02 of the Flood Rescue seen 18/10/10 (Photo Courtesy RNLI)
A-03 FR of the Flood Relief at Poole 31/01/13 (Photo N. Rush)
A-05 FR pictured at Poole 09/07/11 (Photo N. Rush)
The former A-08 CSMA Frizzell 2005 at Poole on 30/10/14 (Photo N. Rush)
The former RNLB Kathleen Ann A-15 seen at poole as B-013 on 24/09/15 (Photo N. Rush)
A-18 photographed at Sandbanks, Poole (Photo RNLI /Laura Wiltshire)
A-18 photographed 25/05/05 at Sandbanks (Photo by Ian
Kitchen. www.emergencyservicephotos.com)
An Arancia-class lifeboat (A-25) seen on a training run at Poole 11/03/09 (Photo N. Rush)
The Arancia-class A-40 in action (Photo Dr, John Julian)
Two Arancia craft FR-21 and FR-22 from the Flood Relief Fleet seen at the Poole depot 16/03/09 (Photo N. Rush)
Pictured at Fistral Beach on 25/05/12 is the A-54 (Photo Courtesy RNLI)
RNLB Mandalay A-60 pictured at her naming ceremony at Littlehampton 08/09/13 (Phot Courtesy RNLI)o
RNLB Malcolm Hawkesford A-67 pictured at Teignmouth 20/06/13 (Photo Courtesy RNLI
Used as a Boarding Boat at Fowey, A-68 is seen at the station (Photo Courtesy Fowey LBS)
A-69 pictured at South Hams on 06/06/10 (Photo Courtesy RNLI/Amy Caldwell)
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Criccieths's A-76 Margaret and Nantw, believed to be the first RNLI built boat (Photo Courtesy RNLI)
The aberystwyth-based A-78 was delivered on station on 07/11/12 and was officiall named 27/01/13 (Photo Courtesy RNLI)
The Sandbanks-based A-79Maurice and Joyce Blake, seen on 03/04/13 shortly after handover (Photo Courtesy RNLI)
B-11a of the Flood Relief Fleet, B= B-Team, 11 is the number and A= Arancia, Simple!! Taken at Poole 21/08/14. (Photo N. Rush)
TFR-03 of the Flood Relief Training Fleet at Poole on 09/10/11 (Photo N. Rush)
TFR-04 also of the Flood Relief Training Fleet at Poole on 31/01/13 (Photo N. Rush)
e-mail: lifeboatsonline@yahoo.co.uk