Specialist Small Craft Ltd is proud to announce the supply of a purpose-built Kontra R450 rescue craft to the newly formed Southampton Independent Lifeboat service — the first vessel delivered for the new charity as it works towards full operational readiness on Southampton Water.
A New Lifeboat for Southampton Water
Southampton Independent Lifeboat is a new, volunteer-crewed rescue service stationed beneath the Itchen Bridge, tasked with providing cover across the upper reaches of Southampton Water and the rivers Test and Itchen. As an area that sees everything from commercial shipping and cross-channel ferries to sailors, paddleboarders and swimmers, it demands a rescue boat that can launch fast, handle debris-strewn water with confidence, and get under the very bridge it's based beside.
That's exactly the brief the Kontra R450 was built for.
Why the Kontra R450?
The boat supplied to the Southampton crew is finished to R450CC specification — a 4.5-metre craft with a centre console layout, engineered specifically for rescue and emergency response work. Key features include:
- Rapid launch — designed to be in the water within ten minutes of a callout
- Low profile — sufficiently shallow to operate beneath low bridges, including the Itchen Bridge itself
- Tohatsu MFS60 outboard power, matched to a specially designed launch trolley supplied by Extreme Trailers
- Polyethylene construction — tough, impact-resistant and effectively unsinkable, thanks to multi-chamber buoyancy running through the hull
Unlike a traditional inflatable lifeboat, the Kontra's polyethylene hull doesn't rely on air chambers that can be holed by submerged debris, mooring chains or other hazards lurking beneath the surface. That resilience matters enormously for a service that will regularly be working in busy, obstacle-strewn water.
Mark Pullinger, Managing Director at Specialist Small Craft Ltd, explained the thinking behind the choice: the Southampton boat is intended for urban search and rescue on Southampton Water, and unlike an inflatable it can absorb contact with hidden underwater hazards without risk of a puncture putting the crew or casualty at risk. Boats from the Kontra range have already proven themselves in demanding conditions, including widespread flood rescue deployments across Europe during Storm Boris in 2024.
Manufactured by Roto-Tech, Created by Specialist Small Craft
The Kontra range is manufactured by Roto-Tech, a Polish specialist in rotationally moulded polyethylene rescue and utility craft, trusted by fire brigades, water rescue teams, police and military units across Europe. As the UK's authorised distributor for Roto-Tech, Specialist Small Craft takes the standard Kontra platform and turns it into a fully bespoke solution — matching hull, console, equipment and engine package to each operator's exact requirements.
For emergency service customers like Southampton Independent Lifeboat, that means every boat can be configured around the specific job it needs to do: rapid launch trolleys, navigation and signalling equipment, rescue boards, lighting rigs and secure stowage can all be specified to suit the crew's operating environment. It's this ability to combine a genuinely rugged, low-maintenance hull with a tailored equipment fit that makes the Kontra range so well suited to frontline rescue work.
The polyethylene build also brings a welcome sustainability benefit: it needs no painting or antifouling, shrugs off years of hard use with minimal upkeep, and is fully recyclable at the end of its working life.
Supporting the Volunteers of Southampton Water
Southampton Independent Lifeboat joins a growing number of UK organisations that have turned to Specialist Small Craft and the Kontra range for dependable rescue platforms. As the new service continues to build towards full operational status, this Kontra R450 gives its volunteer crew a rapid-response boat capable of reaching casualties quickly and safely, whatever the water throws at it. Check out the Southampton Lifeboat Facebook page for their updates by clicking HERE
Specialist Small Craft is proud to support the volunteers who give their time to keep Southampton Water safe, and looks forward to seeing the boat in action as the service grows.
About Specialist Small Craft Ltd Based in Wiltshire, Specialist Small Craft supplies marine-grade parts, rigging and equipment for RIBs, SIBs and small craft, and is the UK's authorised distributor for Roto-Tech, building bespoke Kontra boats for leisure, commercial and emergency service use. To find out more about the Kontra range or to discuss a bespoke rescue or utility craft, contact the team on 01980 624512 or visit specialistsmallcraft.co.uk.
#RescueBoat #SearchAndRescue #VolunteerLifeboat #MarineRescue #WaterSafety #EmergencyServices #RIBLife #UKMarineIndustry #PolyethyleneBoats #UnsinkableBoat #SouthamptonLifeboat #SouthamptonWater #Southampton #Hampshire #ItchenBridge #SolentLife