List of RNLI stations in Great Britain and Ireland
An all-weather lifeboat station with a slipway for launching.Inshore lifeboat station, which uses a carriage to launch lifeboats.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stations are the bases for the RNLI's fleet of search and rescue lifeboats that cover the coastal waters around the entire British Isles, as well as major inland waterways.
The service was established in 1824 and is operated largely by volunteers. Its headquarters are at Poole, Dorset and it is a registered charity in both the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
The types of boats provided at each station and the launching methods vary depending on local needs. If more than one boat is provided they are sometimes stationed in separate buildings at different locations in the same town. Current RNLI boats fall into three broad groups:
Carriage – an ALB or ILB is pushed into the water on a carriage by a tractor
Davit – an ALB or ILB is lowered into the water by a crane
Launchway – an ILB is pushed into the water on a carriage by hand
Moored afloat – an ALB or ILB is kept in the water alongside the lifeboat station or nearby, in which case a small boarding boat is provided so that the crew can reach it
Slipway – an ALB slides down a slipway straight into the water
Transporter – hovercraft are kept on the rear of trucks that can transport and offload them anywhere
Versadock / Aquadock – a floating 'drive-on' pontoon
Regions
The following lists do not include the lifeguard patrolled beaches which also have their own equipment including inflatable boats and jetskis. The information is correct with reference to the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025 unless noted otherwise,[1] and is set out like the RNLI's regional model. As far as possible it follows a clockwise route around the coast.
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