Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station

Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station
RNLI lifeboat station
Country United Kingdom
County Devon
Town Ilfracombe
Location Broad Street, EX34 9EE

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Founded First boat 1828
Current building 1996
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Ilfracombe

Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Ilfracombe, Devon in the United Kingdom. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1828 and the present station was opened in 1996. For 29 years a second boat was operated from Morte Bay at Woolacombe. It operates a Mersey Class all weather boat (AWB) and an IB1 inshore lifeboat (ILB).

Contents

History

A pilot boat was fitted out as a lifeboat for the town in 1828, and another lifeboat was bought by local people in 1850 which operated from a boat house in Hiern's Lane near the harbour. The RNLI started its service in Ilfracombe in 1866 when a boat house was built near the pier at the bottom of Lantern Hill with a slipway nearby. Alterations to the pier in 1871 meant that the slipway was lost and the boat then had to be taken along the road to the harbour whenever it needed to be launched. The boat house was demolished in 1893 to allow a larger building be built for the new Co-operator No. 2 which, at 37 feet (11 m) was 3 feet longer than the previous boat. This boat house was used until 1996 when it was replaced by a new facility near the slipway at the harbour.[1]

In 1871 a lifeboat was stationed at Morte Bay near Woolacombe, about 6 miles (10 km) south west of Ilfracombe. When the lifeboat was needed west of Morte Point a crew came out from Ilfracombe on a carriage. It proved difficult to launch into strong winds blowing onto its west-facing beach and so the station was closed in May 1900. The lifeboat was transferred up the coast to Watchet; the boat house has since been incorporated into a café known as the Boat House Café.[2]

The first motor lifeboat at Ilfracombe was placed on station in March 1936. This was a 32 feet (9.8 m) Surf lifeboat, a type that was designed for work close inshore. It was replaced by a more conventional 35 feet (11 m) Liverpool Class boat in 1945, which allowed the Surf boat to be sent to the Netherlands where there was an acute shortage of lifeboats at the end of World War II.[1] The all weather boat has been supported by an inflatable inshore rescue boat since 1991.[3]

Service awards

The volunteer crews of the RNLI do not expect reward or recognition for their work, but the records include many rescues that have been recognised by letters, certificates and medals from the RNLI management. This list is just some of the most notable.

On 13 November 1949 the Richard Silver Oliver was launched to assist the SS Monte Gurugu which had lost sinking near Morte Point after losing her rudder in a severe storm. After pulling the casualty clear of the shore, the lifeboat took the 23 crew aboard and safely back to Ilfracombe. Coxswain Cecil Irwin was awarded an RNLI silver medal for his work.[1]

In a Force 8 gale on September 1984, the Liberty was dragging her anchor just 50 yards (46 m) from the shore when the Lloyds II reached her. The lifeboat's crew managed to get a line secured to the yacht and towed her into the harbour. A bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain David Clemence for his courage, leadership and seamanship.[1]

Area of operation

The Mersey Class lifeboat at St Ives has an operating range of 145 nautical miles (269 km) and a top speed of 17 knots (31 km/h).[4] Adjacent lifeboats are stationed at Appledore to the West, and The Mumbles to the North, along with an ILB at Minehead to the East.[5]

Current fleet

Former lifeboats

'ON' is the RNLI's sequential Official Number; 'Op. No.' is the operational number painted onto the boat.

Pulling and sailing lifeboats

ON Name Built At Ilfracombe At Morte Bay Class Comments
–  ? 1828 1828–? – [7]
– Lady Franklin 1850 1850–? – [7]
– Broadwater 1866 1866–1886 – [7]
– Jack-a-Jack 1871 1871–? Renamed Grace Woodbury in 1872.[2]
Co-operator No. 2 1886 1886–1893 [7]
Theophilus Sidney Echalaz  ? –1900 [2]
Co-operator No. 2 1893 1893–1921 [7]
596 Richard Crawley 1910 1920–1936 [8][9]

Motor lifeboats

ON Op. No. Name Built At Ilfracombe Class Comments
779 – Rosabella 1936 1936–1945 Surf Sold for further service at Terschelling, Netherlands, then preserved at Aalsmeer.[8][10]
794 – Richard Silver Oliver 1937 1945–1952 Liverpool Sold in 1963 for further service in Chile.[10][11]
904 – Robert and Phemia Brown 1952 1952–1966 Liverpool Sold in 1967 for use as a yacht.[12][13]
986 37-19 Lloyds II 1966 1966–1990 Oakley Used at Sheringham until 1993 but then broken up.[12][14]

Inshore lifeboats

This list is incomplete
Op. No. Name At Ilfracombe Class Type Comments
D-422 Alec Dykes c.1990 D EA16
D-555 Deborah Brown 2000–2009 D EA16 [15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Leach, Nicholas (2009). Devon's Lifeboat Heritage. Chacewater: Twelveheads Press. pp. 46–48. ISBN 0-906294-72-7. 
  2. ^ a b c Leach, Nicholas (2009). pp. 45. 
  3. ^ "Ilfracombe History". RNLI. http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/southwest/stations/IlfracombeNorthDevon/history. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
  4. ^ Wake-Walker, Edward (2008). The Lifeboats Story. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. p. 112. ISBN 0-7509-4858-6. 
  5. ^ Denton, Tony (2009). Handbook 2009. Shrewsbury: Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 68. 
  6. ^ Denton, Tony (2009). p. 32. 
  7. ^ a b c d e Leach, Nicholas (2009). p. 46. 
  8. ^ a b Leach, Nicholas (2009). p. 47. 
  9. ^ Denton, Tony (2009). pp. 8–9. 
  10. ^ a b Denton, Tony (2009). pp. 16–17. 
  11. ^ Leach, Nicholas (2009). pp. 47–48. 
  12. ^ a b Leach, Nicholas (2009). p. 48. 
  13. ^ Denton, Tony (2009). pp. 20–21. 
  14. ^ Denton, Tony (2009). pp. 24–25. 
  15. ^ Denton, Tony (2009). p. 46. 

External links

Lifeboat stations in Somerset and North Devon
Operational stations
Devon
RNLI
Appledore • Clovelly • Ilfracombe
Somerset
RNLI
Other
Burnham Area Rescue Boat • Portishead Lifeboat Trust
Defunct stations
Devon
Braunton Burrows • Lynmouth • Morte Bay • Northam Burrows
Somerset