A lifeboat was first placed here in 1803. By 1857, the station was operating from St Samson, and was transferred to the management of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1861. St Peter Port station was re-opened in 1881.[1]
The station currently operates a Severn-class All-weather lifeboat, 17-04 Spirit of Guernsey (ON 1203), on station since 1997, and a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), on station since 2024.
6 Silver medals awarded before the RNLI took over the station, the first in 1851 to John Mitchell for the rescue of 3 from the Cutter Adele. Five were awarded for the 1857 rescue of 6 crew from the barque Boadicea.[3]
In 1861 the station was taken over by the RNLI and a shed was built at St Sampson's.[2]
Victor Hugo presented the Harbour Master Capt. Abraham Martin, as a ‘mark of esteem’ with his own design of lifejacket and belt in 1870.[2]
1875 a new lifeboat arrived, the John Lockett.[4] in 1878 the lifeboat was moved to Les Landes but problems in finding sufficient crew in the area resulted in the boat returned to St Sampson’s.[2]
In 1881 the station relocated to Saint Peter Port Harbour castle emplacement with the Castle slipway being amended to suit lifeboat launches.[5]:12 1896 saw the introduction of maroons to summon the crew.[2]
In June 1940 the relief lifeboat Alfred and Clara Heath ON 672 was strafed by German aircraft and Harold Hobbs, son of the Coxswain Fred Hobbs, was killed. This lifeboat stayed in Guernsey during the occupation and was used by the Kriegsmarine (Nazi German navy).[3]
Lifeboat house built on St Julians Emplacement in 1946.[3]
In 1952 the Flying Christine, an ex seaplane tender was brought into service by St John Ambulance as an ambulance boat, to work closely with the RNLI.[3]
RNLI Gold Medal and Norwegian Lifeboat Service Gold Medal awarded to Hubert Petit for rescue crew of 9 from Johann Collett in 1963.[3] In 1977 maroons were replaced by ‘bleepers’, which were followed in 1983 with pagers.[3]
In 1978 Coxswain John Petit was awarded a silver medal and the ‘Maud Smith’ award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year following the rescue from the oil rig Orion.[3]
RNLI Gold Medal awarded to Coxwain Michael Scales for the rescue of 29 from Bonita in December 1981 as well as the ‘Maude Smith’ Award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year.[3]
In 1992 Coxswain Peter Bisson received a silver medal for the rescue from the yacht Sena Siorra and the ‘Maude Smith’ Award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year.[3]
From 2015, the Guernsey Joint Emergency Services Control Centre handles all 999 emergency calls including radio Mayday, Pan-pan and Sécurité messages.[6]
2020 saw the RNLI's 1,500th call out from Guernsey, during which time 600 lives have been saved and 2,000 people taken to safety.[7]
In 2024, St Peter Port received a new B-class (Atlantic 85) lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), in memory of the RNLI volunteer who was killed by German forces while serving on a Guernsey lifeboat in 1940.[8]
Operations
Search and rescue operations are conducted and co-ordinated using the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESCC) with some or all of:
↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.
Alderney
In 1865 Gunner James Moore of the Royal Artillery in Alderney was awarded a silver medal for rescuing 17 people from the Carioca following which in 1869 a lifeboat station was established in Alderney, the first boat being the ‘Mary and Victoria’. The station closed in 1885 due to a shortage of crew.[2]
In 1986 the Alderney station was re-opened with the 44ft Waveney-class lifeboat ON 1045 Louis Marchesi of Round Table (44-019) based there from 1987.[3] The current boat is the 46ft Trent-class lifeboat ON 1199 Roy Barker I (14-04).
Between 1885 and 1986 the Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station provided cover around Alderney.
Charity status
The Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station is a Guernsey registered charity. CH135.
Media
Pictures of four Guernsey lifeboats appeared on a set of postage stamps issued by Guernsey Post to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the RNLI in 1974 and a further six lifeboats appeared on a further set of stamps to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the RNLI in 1999.[19]
The lifeboat has also appeared on phonecards issued by Cable & Wireless.
Walmer Lifeboat Station is located on The Strand on Walmer promenade, in the county of Kent.
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Sennen Cove Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations for the sea around Land's End, Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The first lifeboat was stationed at Sennen Cove in 1853. Since 2009 it has operated a Tamar-class all weather boat (ALB) and a D-class (IB1) inshore lifeboat (ILB).
Torbay Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Brixham, Devon in England. Brixham Lifeboat Station was opened in 1866 but since 1924 has been known as 'Torbay'. Since 2005 it has operated a Severn-class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) together with a D-class (IB1) inshore lifeboat (ILB).
Fishguard Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station.
Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Aldeburgh in the English county of Suffolk.
Lowestoft Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) operated lifeboat station in the town of Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. The station is located at the mouth of Lowestoft's outer harbour on the South pier. It is one of the oldest lifeboat stations in the United Kingdom, having been established in 1801.
Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station located in the town of Shoreham-by-Sea in the English county of West Sussex.
St Davids Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station. It was opened in 1869 and to date has been involved in saving over 360 lives at sea in more than 420 launches. The station operates both an all-weather (ALB) and an inshore (ILB) lifeboat.
Moelfre Lifeboat Station is located in the village of Moelfre, on the north east coast of Anglesey, Wales.
Humber Lifeboat Station is an All-weather lifeboat station based at the mouth of the River Humber.
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.
Swanage Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station located on Peveril Point in the town of Swanage in Dorset, England. It operates two lifeboats, the Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat 13-13 George Thomas Lacy and the D-class (IB1) inshore lifeboat (ILB) Roy Norgrove (D-884).
Ramsey Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Ramsey in the Isle of Man. A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1829.
Lerwick Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Lerwick, the main town and port of the Shetland Islands.
St Helier Lifeboat Station is located at St Helier, capital of the Bailiwick of Jersey, and main port of the island of Jersey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency and largest of the Channel Islands.
Blampied, Guy (1984), "Mayday! Mayday!: History of the Guernsey Lifeboat Station", Guernsey Press Co Ltd, ISBN978-0902550100
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution 
