D-class lifeboat (Zodiac III)

D-233 being launched at Borth
Class overview
Name	D-class (Zodiac III)
Builders	Zodiac Nautic
Operators	RNLI
Preceded by	D-class (RFD PB16)
Succeeded by	D-class (EA16)
Built	1971–1987
In service	1971–1996
Completed	64
Retired	64
General characteristics
Class & type	Zodiac III
Complement	2 or 3

The D-class (Zodiac III) lifeboat is a class of inflatable boat, operated between 1971 and 1996 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was replaced operationally by the D-class (EA16).

Utilization

For more than 60 years the D-class has served as the workhorse of the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) fleet. The D-class is one of the few RNLI types not to feature a rigid hull. The D-class was specifically designed as a light and highly manoeuvrable rapid response craft, especially suited to close shore work.

All of the following fleet details are referenced to the 2026 Lifeboat Enthusiast Society Handbook, with information retrieved directly from RNLI records.

RNLI Fleet

Op. No.	Name	In service	Station	Comments
D-205	Unnamed	1971–1976	Conwy
		1976–1987	Relief fleet
D-206	Unnamed	1971–1974	Relief fleet
		1974–1975	Harwich
		1976–1987	Relief fleet
D-28-P		1987–1992	Publicity
D-207	Unnamed	1972–1974	Criccieth
		1974–1988	Relief fleet
D-29-P		1988–????	Publicity
D-214	Unnamed	1972–1976	Exmouth
		1977–1987	Relief fleet
D-223	Unnamed	1972–1987	Relief fleet
D-224	Unnamed	1975–1982	Stranraer
		1982–1988	Relief fleet
D-30-P		1988–????	Publicity
D-225	Unnamed	1975–1976	Moelfre
		1977–1978	Harwich
		1978–1986	Relief fleet
		1986–1987	Southend-on-Sea
D-31-P		1987–1988	Publicity
D-226	Unnamed	1975–1982	Hastings
		1982–1988	Relief fleet
D-227	Unnamed	1976–1982	Withernsea
		1982–1988	Relief fleet
D-32-P		1988–????	Publicity
D-228	Unnamed	1975–1982	Craster
		1982–1986	Relief fleet
		1986	Rhyl
		1986–1987	Relief fleet
D-33-P		1987–????	Publicity
D-229	Unnamed	1975–1984	Cullercoats
		1984–1988	Relief fleet
D-230	Miss Winfield	1975–1987	West Kirby
		1987	Relief fleet
D-231	Unnamed	1976–1986	Burnham-on-Crouch
		1987	Relief fleet
D-232	Unnamed	1975–1987	Bude
D-4-P		1988	Publicity
D-233	Unnamed	1976–1987	Borth
D-234	Unnamed	1975–1984	Stonehaven
		1985–1986	Amble
		1987	Relief fleet
D-6-P		1987–1993	Publicity
D-235	Unnamed	1975–1978	St Abbs
		1979–1987	Tighnabruaich
D-11-P		1988	Publicity
D-236	Unnamed	1975–1987	Southend-on-Sea
		1988–????	Publicity
D-237	Unnamed	1987	Crimdon Dene
		1987	Relief fleet
D-13-P		1987–1989	Publicity
D-238	Hemel Hempstead Round Table	1976–1987	New Quay
D-15-P		1987–????	Publicity
D-239	Unnamed	1976–1987	Conwy
D-240	Unnamed	1976–1978	Harwich
		1978–1987	Relief fleet
D-4-P		1987–1988	Publicity
D-241	Unnamed	1976–1986	Rye Harbour
		1986	Kilkeel
		1987	Relief fleet
D-242	Unnamed	1976–1987	Little and Broad Haven
		1987–????	Publicity
D-243	Unnamed	1976–1987	Rhyl
		1987–1988	Relief fleet
		1988–1991	Publicity
D-244	Unnamed	1976–1987	Bembridge
		1987–1988	Publicity
D-245	Alick Mackay	1976–1985	Kinghorn
		1985–1988	Relief fleet
		1988–>1994	Boarding Boat
D-246	Spirit of Rotary	1976–1987	Wells-next-the-Sea
		1987–1988	Relief fleet
D-247	Unnamed	1976–1987	Mablethorpe
D-248	Unnamed	1976–1978	Yarmouth
		1978–1988	Relief fleet
D-249	Caribbean I	1976–1987	Holyhead
D-250	Unnamed	1977–1988	Llandudno
D-4-P		1988–1993	Publicity
D-251	Unnamed	1977–1988	Lytham St Annes
D-252	Unnamed	1976–1988	Flint
D-5-P		1988–????	Publicity
D-253	Unnamed	1976–1988	Sheerness
D-254	Unnamed	1977–1988	Walmer
D-255	Unnamed	1977–1987	Exmouth
D-256	Lion Cub I	1978–1986	St Ives
		1986–1988	Relief fleet
D-257	Unnamed	1978–1988	Port Isaac
D-258	Unnamed	1978	On Board 70-003 Clyde
		1981
		1983–1984
		1986–1988
		1988–1994	Boarding Boat
D-259	S.M.T.A. Shuttle	1978–1988	Trearddur Bay
		1988–1989	Boarding Boat
D-260	Gwynaeth	1978–1988	Whitby
		1988–1993	Boarding Boat
D-261	Unnamed	1978–1988	Kippford
		1988–>1994	Boarding Boat
D-262	Clacton Round Table 3484	1978–1984	Clacton-on-Sea
		1984–1988	Relief fleet
		1988–1991	Boarding Boat
D-263	Unnamed	1978–1988	On Board 70-002 Clyde
D-270	Unnamed	1980–1988	Aldeburgh
D-271	Unnamed	1980–1988	North Sunderland
		1988–1989	Relief fleet
		1989–1993	Boarding Boat
D-272	Unnamed	1980–1983	Criccieth
		1983–1989	Relief fleet
D-278	Unnamed	1980–1984	Newquay
		1984–1989	Relief fleet
		1989–????	Boarding Boat
D-279	Unnamed	1981–1989	Penarth
		1989–????	Boarding Boat
D-280	Unnamed	1981–1989	Tynemouth
D-2-P		1989–1992	Publicity
D-281	Sewing Machine Times	1981–1989	Aberdeen
D-9-P		1989–????	Publicity
D-282	Unnamed	1981–1989	Weston-super-Mare
		1989–1993	Boarding Boat
D-283	Unnamed	1982–1990	Skerries
D-287	Unnamed	1983–1989	Stranraer
		1989–????	Publicity
D-288	Cinque Ports I	1983–1989	Hastings
D-20-P		1989–????	Publicity
D-289	Unnamed	1983–1989	Withernsea
D-290	Unnamed	1983–1989	Craster
		1989–1990	Relief fleet
D-312	Court Henbury	1985–1992	Relief fleet
		1992–1995	Publicity
D-313	Unnamed	1985–1992	Relief fleet
		1992–1995	Publicity
D-314	Tricentrol I	1985–1992	Relief fleet
		1992–1995	Publicity
D-340	Blue Peter VI	1987–1994	Relief fleet
D-341	Unnamed	1987–1988	Relief fleet
		1988	Southend-on-Sea
		1989
		1989–1993	Relief fleet
		1993–1994	Boarding Boat
D-342	Unnamed	1987–1992	Relief fleet
		1993–1996	Boarding Boat