St Helier Lifeboat Station

St Helier Lifeboat Station
St Helier Lifeboat Station
St Helier, Jersey, Channel Is.
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Address	Albert Quay
Town or city	St Helier, Jersey, JE2 3NE
Country	Channel Islands
Coordinates	49°10′50.4″N2°06′46.9″W / 49.180667°N 2.113028°W / 49.180667; -2.113028
Opened	1830 / RNLI 1884
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
St Helier RNLI Lifeboat Station

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.

A lifeboat was first stationed at St Helier by the States of Jersey in 1830. Management of the station was taken over by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1884. ^{[1] [2]}

The station currently operates an Tamar-class All-weather lifeboat, 16-12 George Sullivan (ON 1292), and a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, The Spirit of St Helier (B-934). ^[3]

History

In January 1825, just after the founding of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), the cutter Fanny, on passage to Jersey from St Malo, ran aground and was wrecked near Elizabeth Castle. Rescuers managed to save 13 of the 18 passengers and crew, and three Gold Medals, and a Silver Medal were awarded to their rescuers. ^{[4] [5]}

Three years later, a second boat named Fanny, of St Malo, with the same Master, Captain Destouches, ran aground on rocks 1 mile (1.6 km) from St Helier, and 13 lost their lives. This would finally prompt John Le Couteur to raise the matter of a Lifeboat with the States of Jersey, suggesting that two boats be provided. For his efforts, £150 was granted by the States, that would provide just one lifeboat, a carriage and boathouse. A lifeboat was constructed at Rozel of Trinity by Mr Lillington of Weymouth, and a boathouse was built at Havre des Pas. Jersey would have a lifeboat station in 1830. ^[1]

No service records have been found for the 1830 lifeboat. But it is known that by 1861, the boat was unfit for purpose. A letter was sent to the RNLI by Philip De St Croix requesting that a new lifeboat and carriage be supplied, which was funded by the States of Jersey. The lifeboat was constructed by Forrestt of Limehouse, and tested on the Regent's Canal. The boat, equipment and carriage, constructed by Robinson of Camden Town, were then transported to Jersey free of charge by the Cheesewright and Miskin Steam Packet Company, arriving in November 1861. ^[1]

On 2 November 1872, the Isabella Northcote was wrecked on the Écréhous rock. Two farmers and a labourer set out in a small boat, and saved 18 people. They were each awarded the RNLI Silver Medal. ^{[4] [6]}

In 1884, the RNLI station at Alderney was closed after operating for just 15 years, as there were difficulties in maintaining a crew. The closure came at the same time that the existing Jersey States lifeboat had become unfit for service. The offer of a replacement lifeboat from the RNLI was readily accepted, and a site near the Picket House at West Park (now People's Park) was provided, where a new boathouse was constructed at a cost of £385. A local management committee was formed, with Philip Baudins, Constable of St Helier, being appointed Honorary Secretary. The Alderney life-boat Mary and Victoria was transferred to St Helier in April 1884. ^{[1] [7]}

Mary and Victoria was never called in 15 years on service at Alderney, and as possibly the most underused lifeboat, she would also never be called in the next four years on service at St Helier. She was replaced in 1888 by one of three lifeboats funded from the bequest of the late Col. E. A. D. Brooshoft, of Kirk Ella, near Kingston upon Hull, the 34-foot lifeboat Sarah Brooshoft, Kirk Ella (ON 153). ^{[1] [8]}

1896 St Helier Lifeboat House

Improvements to the Jersey promenade in 1896 required the West Park lifeboat house to be relocated. It was reconstructed on St Helier harbour, near South Pier, with a door at both ends, allowing the carriage and lifeboat to be accessed for transportation elsewhere should it be required. In 1912, the slipway was extended. The boathouse is used today by the Jersey Rowing Club. ^[1]

In 1906, Jersey RNLI lifeboat would finally perform its first service, recovering three workmen by Breeches buoy, after they were stranded overnight on Demie de Pas lighthouse when the weather turned. ^[1]

In 1929, a motor-powered lifeboat was placed at St Peter Port, Guernsey. At a meeting of the RNLI and the local Jersey branch, it was agreed that there was no longer a need for a lifeboat in Jersey, and the lifeboat was to be withdrawn. This was never actioned. St Helier would get their first motor-powered lifeboat, the Howard D (ON 797), a single engine Liverpool-class lifeboat, in 1937 ^{[1] [9]}

Just a few days before the German invasion of Jersey in 1940, a last minute attempt was made to remove the lifeboat to England. The Guernsey relief lifeboat Alfred and Clara Heath (ON 672) was dispatched to collect the Jersey lifeboat, and tow it to the Isle of Wight, but on passage to Jersey, it was strafed by German aircraft and Harold Hobbs, son of the Coxswain Fred Hobbs, was killed. The attempt was ultimately abandoned, and the Guernsey lifeboat was allowed to return to Guernsey. Under German control for the next five years, it was later found that the St Helier lifeboat had been launched a number of times during the war, with the crew under German guard, and had saved 35 lives. ^{[10] [11]}

Tyne-class lifeboat 47-039 Alexander Coutanche (ON 1157)

On 13 September 1949. the 45-foot Watson relief lifeboat Hearts of Oak (ON 684) was launched to find a French aircraft. After 8 hours in rough seas, and with nothing found, the lifeboat was redirected to the aid of the yacht Maurice George. The yacht and four lives were saved. Coxswain Thomas James King was awarded the RNLI Gold Medal, with the rest of the crew being awarded bronze medals. ^[4]

The Tyne-class lifeboat 47-039 Alexander Countanche (ON 1157) was placed on service in 1989. Coxswain Robert Vezier received the "Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum" for his role when the lifeboat was involved in Jersey's biggest maritime disaster, a multi-agency rescue of 307 people from the French passenger catamaran Saint Malo, which holed and starting to sink after hitting an object off the Corbiere lighthouse. ^{[12] [13]}

On 17 November 2017, a breakdown in relations between the RNLI and the Jersey Lifeboat Crew prompted the temporary removal from the island, of the Tamar-class lifeboat 16-12 George Sullivan (ON 1292). All Jersey lifeboat crew were stood down or resigned. ^[14] Former crew members went on to form the independent lifeboat service Jersey Lifeboat Association, and currently operate a former RNLI lifeboat 47-018 Max Aitken III (ON 1126), now renamed Sir Max Aitken III. ^{[15] [16]}

The George Sullivan was returned to the Island on 5 December 2017, with full service resumed in March 2018, after further training of new crew. ^[17]

Station honours

The following are awards made at St Helier, Jersey. ^{[4] [10]}

• RNIPLS Gold Medal

Francis De St Croix – 1825

Jean De St Croix – 1825

Philip De St Croix – 1825

• RNLI Gold Medal

Thomas James King, Coxswain – 1949

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

Philip Nicholle – 1825

• RNLI Silver Medal

Charles Blampied, Farmer – 1872

John Bouchard, Labourer – 1872

Elias Whitley, Farmer – 1872

Edward Larbelestier, Coxswain – 1951

Michael Edward Berry, Coxswain – 1974

Michael Edward Berry, Coxswain – 1983 (Second-Service clasp)

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Philip Boutell, crew member – 1949

Kenneth S. Gubbey, crew member – 1949

David Robert Talbot, crew member – 1949

Charles George King, crew member – 1949

Reginald John Nicholle, crew member – 1949

George Stapely, crew member – 1949

Lionel Percival Stevens, Honorary Secretary, crew member – 1949

Silver Harry Le Riche, Acting Coxswain – 1950

Michael Edward Berry, Coxswain – 1983

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Edward Larbalestier, Coxswain – 1953

Eric Grandin, Coxswain – 1967

St Helier Lifeboat Crew – 1974

St Helier Lifeboat Crew – 1983

Robert Vezier, Coxswain – 1995

• Letters of commendation signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Coxswain and Crew – 1964

St Helier lifeboats

States of Jersey lifeboats

Name	On Station [1]	Class	Comments
Unnamed	1830–1861	A lifeboat
Unnamed	1861–1884	30-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 1]

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON [a]	Name	Built	On Station [18]	Class	Comments
Pre-532	Mary and Victoria	1869	1884–1888	33-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 2] Previously at Alderney.
153	Sarah Brooshoft, Kirk Ella	1887	1888–1910	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 3] Previously at Seaton Carew
370	Lily Bird	1894	1910–1912	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 4] Previously at Dunwich and Aberystwyth
625	William Henry Wilkinson	1911	1912–1937	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 5]

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society,
to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

All-weather lifeboats

ON [a]	Op. No. [b]	Name	On Station [19]	Class	Comments
797	–	Howard D	1937–1948	Liverpool	[Note 6]
865	–	Elizabeth Rippon	1948–1975	46-foot 9in Watson	[Note 7]
1034	44-013	Thomas James King	1975–1989	Waveney	[Note 8]
1157	47-039	Alexander Coutanche	1989–2009	Tyne
1292	16-12	George Sullivan	2009–	Tamar

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No. [b]	Name	On Station [20]	Class	Comments
B-756	Eve Pank	2005–2007	B-class (Atlantic 75)
B-816	David Page	2007–2022	B-class (Atlantic 85)
B-934	The Spirit of St Helier	2022–	B-class (Atlantic 85)

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

1. 30-foot (6-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London.
2. 33-foot x 8-foot 6in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £275-12s when new.
3. 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Watkins & Co. of Blackwall, London, costing £409.
4. 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
5. 35-foot (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by the Thames Ironworks, costing £979.
6. Liverpool-class lifeboat, built by Saunders Roe, single 35 hp engine providing 7¼ knots, costing £3,623.
7. 46ft 9in Watson-class lifeboat, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, twin 40 hp diesel engines giving 8¼ knots, costing £20,000.
8. Waveney-class lifeboat, built by Groves and Guttridge. Twin General Motors engines, each developing 260 hp, giving 14 knots, and costing £100,000.

References

1. Moignard, Ian G. (1975). The History of Jersey's Lifeboats. Ashton & Denton Publishing Co. (C.I.) Ltd. pp. 1–84.
2. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 119.
3. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 128–129.
4. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN   0-907605-89-3.
5. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (5977). 15 January 1825.
6. "Rewards for Saving Life". Leeds Mercury. No. 11106. Leeds n. 13 November 1873.
7. "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. XII (134): 441. 1 November 1884. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
8. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 22.
9. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 48.
10. "St Helier's station history". St Helier Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
11. "St Peter Port's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
12. Boggan, Steve (6 September 1995). "Ferry captain who hit rocks 'risked 300 lives'". The Independent. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
13. "20 years on: Recalling the Channiland ferry disaster". Jersey Evening Post. 18 April 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
14. Morris, Steven (17 November 2017). "RNLI recalls lifeboat from Jersey after dispute with crew". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
15. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 64–65.
16. "The Jersey Lifeboat Association". Vibrant Jersey. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
17. "St Helier's all-weather lifeboat to return this afternoon". Bailiwick Express. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
18. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 14–40.
19. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 48–71.
20. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 82–85.

External links

• St Helier RNLI Lifeboat Station