This unique book is packed with information on motor, steam and sailing lifeboats, including photographs and details of every surviving all-weather boat -- operational, preserved or in private ownership. Details include type, builder, listing of stations served, and a history of each craft, including ex-names and locations for those sold out of service. The RNLI's smaller boats, training boats, inshore lifeboat types and hovercraft are also covered. Never before have photographs of all the current and past RNLI fleet been published in a single volume. This Directory also includes an introduction which examines how lifeboats have evolved over 200 years, their design and development. There is even a glimpse of the future, with details of the 13m Shannon class lifeboat, due to enter service in 2013, and future lifeboat construction. Also included is a complete list of lifeboat stations past and present around the British Isles, with dates of operation for each one.