Craster Lifeboat Station

Last updated

Craster Lifeboat Station
Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg
Craster Lifeboat Station - geograph.org.uk - 5690825.jpg
Craster Lifeboat Station
Northumberland UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Craster, Northumberland
General information
Type RNLI Lifeboat Station
AddressWest End
Town or city Craster, Northumberland, NE66 3TS
Country England
Coordinates 55°28′21.6″N1°35′38.6″W / 55.472667°N 1.594056°W / 55.472667; -1.594056
OpenedAugust 1969
Owner Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Craster RNLI Lifeboat Station

Craster Lifeboat Station is located at West End, in the small harbour village of Craster, situated mid-way between Seahouses and Amble, on the coast of Northumberland, England.

Contents

An Inshore lifeboat was first stationed in Craster by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in August 1969. [1]

The station currently operates a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat, Skpr James Ballard RNVR DSC (D-839), on station since 2019. [2]

History

In 1964, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies. [3]

More stations were opened, and in August 1969, a lifeboat station was established at Craster, with the arrival of a D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboat, the unnamed (D-130). In 1975, D-130 was replaced with a new D-class (Zodiac III) lifeboat, D-228. [2]

In July 1977, a harbour fete day was organised in aid of Craster RNLI Lifeboat Station. The star guest was stage and screen actress Joyce Grenfell OBE, maybe most well known for her role as Police Constable Ruby Gates, in the St Trinian's film trilogy. A total sum of £1531 was raised on the day, including £16 raised by Mrs Grenfell signing autographs. [4]

On Saturday, 1 May 1982, the lifeboat was launched at 11:10, to the aid of a crew of a fishing boat, who had moored their vessel. They had tried to row the boat's rowing boat ashore in gale force 7 conditions, but had been blown onto the rocks at Newton Haven, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Craster. The RAF Search and Rescue helicopter was also called, but it was decided to rescue the men by lifeboat. With great skill, Helm Neil Robson guided the Inshore lifeboat to the rowing boat, and the three men were recovered to Newton Haven Bay. At 12:40, the lifeboat was launched again with the same crew, to reports of a single man in the water after his dinghy capsized, also at Newton Haven. Unable to locate anyone, the lifeboat beached, but were told the man had made it safely ashore. For their service that day, Neil Robson and Keith Williams were each presented with a 'Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution'. [5]

On 3 February 1999, a new D-class (EA16) lifeboat was provided to the station, funded by John Bagley, who had raised over £16,000 from a series of talks and presentations, about his adventures taking part in the British Steel Challenge Round the World yacht race. His grandson Adam Bagley, aged just two-and-a-half, became the youngest person to name a lifeboat, which was duly named AB-One (D-542) [6]

Recovery of Craster lifeboat AB-One (D-542) Craster Harbour. - geograph.org.uk - 284864.jpg
Recovery of Craster lifeboat AB-One (D-542)

The latest D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat to be placed at Craster arrived in 2019. At a naming ceremony on Saturday 12 October, the boat was named Skpr James Ballard RNVR DSC (D-839), in memory of the captain of an armoured trawler, that had captured German sailors off the north east coast of Scotland in World War I. The boat was funded from the legacy of Mr Charles B. Campbell. [7]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Craster. [1]

A. Neil Robson, Helm - 1982
J. Keith Williams, crew member - 1982

Craster lifeboats

Op.No. [lower-alpha 1] NameIn service [2] ClassComments
D-130Unnamed1969–1975 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-228Unnamed1975–1982 D-class (Zodiac III)
D-290Unnamed1983–1989 D-class (Zodiac III)
D-395Bob1990–1999 D-class (EA16)
D-542AB-One1999–2008 D-class (EA16)
D-703Joseph Hughes2008–2019 D-class (IB1)
D-839Skpr James Ballard RNVR DSC2019– D-class (IB1)
  1. ↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat or vehicle carried on the hull.

See also

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    D-class lifeboat (EA16)

    The D-class (EA16) lifeboat is a class of inflatable boat operated since 1987 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It has been replaced operationally by the D-class (IB1), but many are still used as part of the relief fleet, as boarding boats for the larger classes of lifeboat and by the RNLI Flood Rescue Team.

    D-class lifeboat (IB1)

    The D-class (IB1) lifeboats are inflatable boats serving in the RNLI inshore lifeboat (ILB) fleet as well as a number of Independent Lifeboats around the UK and Ireland. Although they are known as the "IB1" at times, they are the latest development of the D-class lifeboat and as such are mainly referred to as a "D-class".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenby Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in Pembrokeshire, Wales

    Tenby Lifeboat Station is a lifeboat station in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales that has been situated to the east of the town since 1852, three generations having been built; the original and updates in 1905 and 2005. The station currently houses two lifeboats.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Walmer Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station on the East coast of England in the UK

    Walmer Lifeboat Station is located on The Strand on Walmer promenade, in the county of Kent.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">North Berwick Lifeboat Station</span> RNLI Lifeboat Station in Scotland, UK

    North Berwick Lifeboat Station is located on Victoria Road, in North Berwick, a seaside town and former royal burgh, on the south side of the Firth of Forth, 20 miles (32 km) east of Edinburgh.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Penarth Lifeboat Station</span> RNLI lifeboat station in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales

    Penarth Lifeboat Station is located on the Esplanade in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Porthcawl Lifeboat Station</span> RNLI lifeboat station in Bridgend County Borough, Wales

    Porthcawl Lifeboat Station is located at The Esplanade, in the town of Porthcawl, on the South Wales coast, in Bridgend, Wales.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Southend-on-Sea Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station at Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England

    The Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station is a lifeboat station at Southend-on-Sea in the English county of Essex, operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since 1879.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhyl Lifeboat Station</span> RNLI lifeboat station in Denbighshire

    Rhyl Lifeboat Station is operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in the North Wales town of Rhyl. For over 150 years, the Lifeboat Crew in Rhyl have been saving lives at sea. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1852 and the present station was opened in December 2001. The station operates a Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat (ALB), and an D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat (ILB).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardigan Lifeboat Station</span> RNLI lifeboat station in Pembrokeshire, Wales

    Cardigan Lifeboat Station is located at Poppit Sands, on the southern side of the River Teifi estuary in North Pembrokeshire, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north-west of the town of Cardigan, Wales.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayling Island Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in Hampshire, England

    Hayling Island Lifeboat Station is located on the eastern side of Hayling Island, Hampshire, opposite the village of West Wittering, at the entrance to Chichester Harbour, where it joins the major shipping route of the Solent. This major shipping route is busy at all times of the year and there are estimated to be 10,000 boats in the Chichester area alone.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Littlehampton Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in West Sussex, England

    Littlehampton Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Littlehampton, in West Sussex, on the south coast of England.The station is on the harbour side on the eastern bank of the River Arun, a quarter mile from the harbour entrance and the pier. The current lifeboat house on Fisherman's Quay was built in 2002.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Little and Broad Haven Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in Pembrokeshire, Wales

    Little and Broad Haven Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The station was opened in 1882 at Little Haven where it operated until 1921. It reopened in 1967 under its present name, and serves the area in St Bride's Bay surrounding Little Haven and Broad Haven resorts. When it was built it was the RNLI's smallest lifeboat station.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">New Quay Lifeboat Station</span> RNLI Lifeboat Station in Wales, UK

    New Quay Lifeboat Station is located off Glanmor Terrace, in the seaside town of New Quay, Ceredigion, West Wales.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Barmouth Lifeboat Station</span> RNLI lifeboat station in Gwynedd, Wales

    Barmouth Lifeboat Station is located in Barmouth, a town at the mouth of the Afon Mawddach river in Gwynedd, Wales. A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1828.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Anstruther Lifeboat Station</span> RNLI lifeboat station in Fife, Scotland

    Anstruther Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station located in the town of Anstruther, Fife. The station has been in operation since 1865, although RNLI activity in the area dates back to 1832.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Mablethorpe Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in Mablethorpe, United Kingdom

    Mabelthorpe Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire, England. It operates Atlantic 85-class and D-class (IB1) lifeboats.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Tynemouth Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in Tyne and Wear, England

    Tynemouth Lifeboat Station is located on the River Tyne, at Fish Quay, North Shields, in the county of Tyne and Wear.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Flint Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in Flintshire, Wales

    Flint Lifeboat Station is located in the shadow of Flint Castle at the end of Castle Dyke Street, in Flint, a town situated on the south bank of the River Dee estuary, on the North Wales coast.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in Conwy County Borough, Wales

    Conwy Lifeboat Station is located in the shadow of Conwy Castle, on Lower Gate Street in Conwy, a town situated on the west bank of the River Conwy, on the North Wales coast.

    References

    1. 1 2 "Craster's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
    2. 1 2 3 Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
    3. ↑ "Inshore Rescue Boats". The Lifeboat. XXXVIII (407): 3. March 1964. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
    4. ↑ "Some Ways of Raising Money" (PDF). The Lifeboat. XLV (462): 99. Winter 1977. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
    5. ↑ "Two Calls". The Lifeboat. XLVIII (481): 116–117. Autumn 1982. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
    6. ↑ "Starting young!" (PDF). The Lifeboat (548): 4. Summer 1999. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
    7. ↑ "On Saturday 12 October 2019 Craster RNLI held their lifeboat naming ceremony during a day of beautiful weather". RNLI. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.