Plymouth Lifeboat Station | |
---|---|
Former names | Millbay Customs Office |
General information | |
Type | Lifeboat station |
Address | Custom House Lane |
Town or city | Plymouth, Devon |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 50°21′47″N 4°09′01″W / 50.36301°N 4.15038°W |
Current tenants | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Completed | 1850 (as customs office) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | George Wightwick |
Designations | Grade II |
Website | |
www |
Plymouth Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Plymouth in England. The first lifeboat was stationed in the city in the early 1800s. The station moved to its present site at Millbay Docks in 1992, a Grade II-listed three-storey tower. Since 2003 it has operated a Severn-class all-weather boat (ALB) along with an B-class Atlantic inshore lifeboat (ILB).
Plymouth was one of the towns that received one of the Lloyds North Country-class lifeboats in the first decade of the nineteenth century, but it never saw service. In 1825 a new lifeboat was provided by the new National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (renamed the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1854), but this too saw no use.[1]
A new lifeboat station was established in Plymouth in 1862 with a lifeboat house on the West Wharf of the outer basin of Millbay Docks. This was replaced in 1897 by a new boathouse at the Camber (at the seaward end of the wharf) with its own 130-foot (40 m) launching slip which allowed the lifeboat to get to sea more quickly. The station's first motor lifeboat was a Barnett-class which had to be kept moored afloat due to its 60-foot (18 m) length. A new station was built on the Princess Royal Pier in 1979 and a new mooring was provided alongside. From 1988 until 1992 the lifeboat was moored in Sutton Harbour while the area around the Princess Royal Pier was redeveloped as a marina, but it then returned to Millbay.[2][3]
An Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) was first stationed at Plymouth in May 1967. For the first year. this was a D-class inflatable lifeboat. Larger A-class ILBs were then provided, 18-foot (5.5 m) Hatch and McLachlan lifeboats. The McLachlan class boat was withdrawn in 1983.
In 2004, an Inshore boat was again put on station at Plymouth, the 7.5-metre (25 ft) Atlantic 75 Millennium Forester (B-775).[4].
The current Inshore boat is the B-class (Atlantic 85), Annabel E Jones (B-908).[5]
A number of rescues carried out by the station's lifeboats have been recognised by letters, certificates and medals from the RNLI management, including three that resulted in a total of four bronze medals.
The following are awards made at Plymouth[9][10]
Since 1992 the all-weather lifeboat has been moored afloat in the Millbay Marina, which is on the eastern side of the outer basin. The inshore lifeboat is kept next to it in a floating cradle.[11]
Crew facilities and storage are in the old Customs Office on the quay close to the moorings. This is a Grade II Listed building which was erected in 1850 to the design of George Wightwick. It is built from granite, octagonal in plan and three storeys high. This gave the customs officers all-round views of the area.[12][13][14]
The RNLI aims to reach any casualty up to 50 miles (80 km) from its stations, and within two hours in good weather. To do this the Severn class lifeboat at Plymouth has an operating range of 250 nautical miles (460 km) and a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h).[15] The Atlantic 75 can go out in Force 7 winds (Force 6 at night) and can operate at up to 32 knots (59 km/h) for 2½ hours.[16] Adjacent all-weather lifeboats are stationed at Salcombe to the east, and Fowey to the west. There is also an ILB at Looe between Plymouth and Fowey.[11]
'Pulling and sailing' lifeboats were equipped with oars but could use sails when conditions allowed.
At Plymouth | ON | Name | Built | Class | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1800s | – | – | ? | North Country | [1] |
1825–? | – | – | 1825 | Newbury | [1] |
1862–1873 | – | Prince Consort | 1862 | Peake | [6][Note 1] |
1873–1885 | – | Clemency | 1873 | Peake | [6] |
1885–1898 | 44 | Escape | 1885 | Peake | [6][17] |
1898–1922 | 412 | Eliza Avins | 1898 | Peake | [18] |
1922–1926 | 531 | Reserve No.6A | 1904 | Peake | [19][Note 2] |
At Plymouth[5] | ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name | Built | Class | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1926–1943 | 696 | – | Robert and Marcella Beck | 1926 | Barnett | |
1943–1946 | – | Minister Anseels | [Note 3] | |||
1946–1947 | 671 | – | The Brothers | 1922 | Watson | |
1947–1952 | 696 | – | Robert and Marcella Beck | 1926 | Barnett | [Note 4] |
1952–1974 | 890 | – | Thomas Forehead and Margaret Rowse | 1952 | Barnett | [Note 5] |
1974–1987 | 1028 | 44-010 | Thomas Forehead and Margaret Rowse II | 1974 | Waveney | [Note 6] |
1988–2002 | 1136 | 52-40 | City of Plymouth | 1987 | Arun | [Note 7] |
2003– | 1264 | 17-35 | Sybil Mullen Glover | 2002 | Severn |
At Plymouth[5] | Op. No. | Name | Built | Class | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1967–1968 | D-130 | (no name) | 1967 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
1968–1972 | A-1 (18-01) |
(no name) | 1966 | A-class (Hatch) | [Note 8] |
1972–1977 | A-509 | (no name) | 1972 | A-class (McLachlan) | |
1977–1979 | A-507 (18-007) |
(no name) | 1972 | A-class (McLachlan) | |
1979–1980 | A-506 (18-006) |
(no name) | 1972 | A-class (McLachlan) | |
1980–1983 | A-507 (18-007) |
(no name) | 1972 | A-class (McLachlan) |
The inshore lifeboat was withdrawn from Plymouth in 1983.
At Plymouth[5] | Op. No. | Name | Built | Class | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004–2005 | B-775 | Millennium Forester | 2001 | B-class (Atlantic 75) | |
2005 | B-700 | Susan Peacock | 1993 | B-class (Atlantic 75) | [Note 9] |
2005–2006 | B-769 | Coventry and Warwickshire | 2001 | B-class (Atlantic 75) | [Note 10] |
2006–2018 | B-775 | Millennium Forester | 2001 | B-class (Atlantic 75) | |
2016–2020 | A-31 | Unnamed | – | Arancia-class | |
2018– | B-908 | Annabel E Jones | 2018 | B-class (Atlantic 85) |