Sheerness Lifeboat Station | |
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General information | |
Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
Location | Sheerness Lifeboat Station, Sheerness Docks, Garrison Point, Sheerness, ME12 1RS |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 51°26′46″N 0°44′37″E / 51.44611°N 0.74361°E |
Opened | 1971 |
Inaugurated | 1969 |
Owner | ![]() |
Sheerness Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in the English county of Kent.[1] The station is on the north coast of the county, strategically placed at the mouth of the River Medway and close the busy Thames estuary.[2] It is a relatively new station only being established in 1969 when a lifeboat was stationed in the Harbour.[2]
In 1969 the Institution decided to send a lifeboat - the Ernest William and Elizabeth Ellen Hinde (ON 1017) - to Sheerness for evaluation.
Following a successful appraisal, the RNLI decided to establish a permanent station in 1971. The first boat on service was Gertrude (ON 847), already a 25 year old 46ft Watson-class lifeboat that had previously been stationed at Holy Island and Exmouth. Three years later, in 1974, the station received a brand new Waveney-class lifeboat, 44-009 Helen Turnbull (ON 1027), which served the station for the next 22 years.[3]
In 1985, negotiations took place with the Medway Ports Authority, and the lifeboat was relocated to Gun Wharf Steps. New crew facilities were provided in 2000, and a new Pontoon berth was constructed in 2010.[4]
ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name | In service [3] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1017 | 40-001 | Ernest William and Elizabeth Ellen Hinde | 1969 | Keith Nelson-class | Boat on station for evaluation prior to establishment of station |
847 | Gertrude | 1971–1974 | 46ft Watson-class | ||
1027 | 44-009 | Helen Turnbull | 1974–1996 | Waveney-class | |
1211 | 14-13 | George and Ivy Swanson | 1996–2021 | Trent-class | |
1345 | 13-38 | Judith Copping Joyce[5] | 2021– | Shannon-class | Delivered 28 May 2021 |
Op. No. | Name | In service [3] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
D-145 | unnamed | 1972–1976 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
D-253 | unnamed | 1976–1988 | D-class (Zodiac III) | |
D-362 | Kensington Rescuer | 1988–1996 | D-class (EA16) | |
D-513 | Seahorse I | 1996–2006 | D-class (EA16) | |
D-662 | Eleanor | 2006–2016 | D-class (IB1) | |
D-799 | Buster[6] | 2016– | D-class (IB1) |
The following are awards made at Sheerness[4]