Because of the large tidal range and extensive drying foreshore at Southend, the lifeboat station uses two boathouses.
The first of these is situated at the head (outer end) of the 1.34 miles (2.16km) long Southend Pier, and houses a B-class (Atlantic 85) lifeboat and a smaller D-class (IB1) lifeboat, both of which are launched by davit into the deep water adjoining the pier.
The second boathouse is situated adjacent to the inshore end of the pier, and houses a second D-class IB1 lifeboat together with a H class hovercraft, both of which are launched down an adjacent slipway.[2]
The pier head lifeboat station from the sea (the lifeboats are stored behind the red doors, and are launched by the davits)
The pier-head lifeboat house is a modern structure, which incorporates crew accommodation and offices, an RNLI shop, and a viewing gallery from which visitors can view the lifeboats. It is topped by a sun deck to which the public have access. Lifeboat crews use an electric buggy, complete with sirens and blue flashing lights, to access this boathouse along the pier from the shore.[2]
History
Following application by local residents, and a report by the RNLI Inspector of Lifeboats, it was resolved at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 5 June 1879, to establish a station at Southend-on-Sea.[3]
It was recognised that launching a lifeboat at Southend, with the large flat expanse of shoreline, would take considerable time. The Institution were grateful that the Southend Pier Company afforded every possible assistance in allowing a lifeboat to be stationed at the end of the pier, supported on davits. A 25-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (8) oars, was provided to the station, the cost of £352-18s-5d defrayed by the gift of £300 from Edwin J. Brett, raised through his weekly periodical magazineBoys of England. At a ceremony on the 13 November 1879, in front of a large crowd, the station was declared open, and the lifeboat named Boys of England and Edwin J. Brett.[4][5]
At a further meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 6 March 1884, it was decided that a second shore based station be established at Southend, for a lifeboat which could be transported along the shore to neighbouring sandbanks, should the need arise. A new 34-foot self-righting (P&S) lifeboat was provided, its cost defrayed from the legacy of the late Mrs. Frances Sophia Smith, of Lisheen, County Cork, in memory of her two sons. On 8 October 1885, the lifeboat was named Theodore and Herbert (ON 33).[6][7]
The No. 2 boathouse, long since demolished, was located behind Marine Parade on Hartington Road, at the junction to what is now the entrance to Seaway Car Park.[8]
The first motor lifeboat arrived in 1928. In 1935, a new lifeboat house with slipway was erected at the pier head. In 1940, the lifeboat Greater London (Civil Service No.3) (ON 704) was one of the 19 lifeboats which assisted in the evacuation of Dunkirk.[2]
In 1955 what would prove to be Southend's final All-weather lifeboat went on station. The newly built Greater London II (Civil Service No.30), a 46ft 9in Watson-class, entered service on 3 April. From then until 1968, the Thames Estuary was covered by three similar slipway launched 46-foot 9in Watsons stationed on seaside piers at Clacton-on-Sea, Margate and Southend-on-Sea. Clacton's Watson was replaced by a 37-foot Oakley-class lifeboat in 1968.[2]
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. More followed, and in 1966, a D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboat was placed at Southend.[9][10]
In 1969, the RNLI placed two extra lifeboats on the Thames Estuary, following a decision by the RAF to withdraw the rescue helicopters from RAF Manston. An extra D-class lifeboat went to Southend-on-Sea, and it was decided to place an All-weather lifeboat at Sheerness on evaluation.[11]
Southend-on-Sea 'Dry End' StationSouthend hovercraft Vera Ravine (H-004)
By the early 1970s, two inflatable inshore lifeboats were in use at Southend to provide assistance to the increasing number of pleasure craft.[2]
In 1974, Sheerness was allocated a fast Waveney-class lifeboat, and two years later, the Southend All-weather Watson-class lifeboat was withdrawn and replaced by the Inshore Atlantic 21-classPercy Garon (B-527). This was initially kept in the 1935 pier head boathouse, but in 1986 the coaster Kings Abbey sliced through the pier and lifeboat slipway, badly damaging the lifeboat house. A temporary station was quickly re-established at the pierhead, and officially opened by HRH Princess Anne in 1991. This temporary station was used until 2002, when today's modern boathouse was opened.[2]
A new 'Dry End' shore boathouse was completed on 16 July 2013, to accommodate the hovercraft, Vera Ravine (H-004), and second Inshore D-class lifeboat.[12]
Two Southend lifeboats have been named in recognition of Percy Garon MCGM (1890-1987), who was Honorary Secretary of Southend-On-Sea Lifeboat Station from 1952-1975.[13][14]
Station honours
The following are awards made at Southend-on-Sea[15][16][17]
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.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution 
