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).[1]
History
In January 1825, just after the founding of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), the cutterFanny, 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.[2][3]
Three years later, a second boat named Fanny, of St Malo, with the same Master, Captain Destouches, ran aground on rocks 1 mile (1.6km) 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, carriage and boathouse. A lifeboat was constructed at Rozel of Trinity by a Mr Lillington of Weymouth, and a boathouse was built at Havre des Pas. Jersey would have a lifeboat station in 1830.[4]
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.[4]
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.[2][5]
By 1884, the Jersey lifeboat was once again unfit for service. The station management was passed to the RNLI, with a local management committee formed, the chairman being Philip Bordains, Constable of St Helier. At that time, it had been decided to close the Alderney lifeboat station, and the lifeboat, a 33-foot Self-righting boat Mary and Victoria, was transferred to St Helier. A new boathouse was constructed near the Picket House, at West Park, at a cost of £385.[4]
The Mary and Victoria would never be launched on service. 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]
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.[4]
In 1906, Jersey RNLI lifeboat would finally perform its first service, recovering by Breeches buoy three workmen, stranded overnight on Demie de Pas lighthouse when the weather turned.[4]
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 that the lifeboat would 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][4]
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 5 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.[6][7]
Tyne-class lifeboat 47-039 Alexander Coutanche (ON 1157)
On 13 September 1949. the 45ft Watson-class 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. Th 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.[2]
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.[8][9]
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 (ON 1292). All Jersey lifeboat crew were stood down or resigned.[10] 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.[1][11] 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.[12]
Station honours
The following are awards made at St Helier, Jersey[2][6]
↑ 30-foot (6-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse.
↑ 33-foot (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, formerly at Alderney.
↑ 34-foot (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Watkins & Co. of Blackwall, London, costing £409.
↑ 34-foot x 8-foot (10-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
↑ 35-foot (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by the Thames Ironworks, costing £979.
↑ Liverpool-class lifeboat, built by Saunders Roe, single 35 hp engine providing 7¼ knots, costing £3,623.
↑ 46ft 9in Watson-class lifeboat, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, twin 40 hp diesel engines giving 8¼ knots, costing £20,000.
↑ Waveney-class lifeboat, built by Groves and Guttridge. Twin General Motors engines, each developing 260 hp, giving 14 knots, and costing £100,000.
Related Research Articles
Blyth Lifeboat Station is located at the Port and seaside town of Blyth, in the south east corner of the county of Northumberland, approx. 13 miles (21 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Skegness Lifeboat Station is located at Tower Esplanade, in the town of Skegness, on the east coast of England, south of the Humber Estuary and north of The Wash, in the county of Lincolnshire.
Eyemouth Lifeboat Station is located at the harbour town of Eyemouth, in the Scottish Borders, Scotland.
Moelfre Lifeboat Station is located in the village of Moelfre, on the north east coast of Anglesey, 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.
Ramsey Lifeboat Station is located on Queens Promenade, in the town of Ramsey, in the Isle of Man, a British Crown Dependency.
Douglas Lifeboat Station is located at Battery Pier, Douglas Head, in Douglas, capital of the Isle of Man, a British Crown Dependancy.
Fleetwood Lifeboat Station is located on The Esplanade at the port of Fleetwood, a Lancashire town at the north end of The Fylde, situated at the mouth of the River Wyre.
Buckie Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Buckie, Moray, on the Moray Firth coast of NE Scotland. A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1860.
Chapel Lifeboat Station was located at the village of Chapel St Leonards, in the county of Lincolnshire.
Fraserburgh Lifeboat Station is located at the harbour town of Fraserburgh, in the NE corner of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Hauxley Lifeboat Station was located in the village of Hauxley, in the county of Northumberland.
Boulmer Lifeboat Station is a former Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station, which was located at the village of Boulmer in the county of Northumberland.
Cullercoats Lifeboat Station is located on the north side of Cullercoats Harbour, in the town of Cullercoats, North Tyneside, in the county of Tyne and Wear.
Seahouses Lifeboat Station is located in the village of Seahouses, in the county of Northumberland.
Berwick-upon-Tweed Lifeboat Station is located on the south bank of the River Tweed at Tweedmouth, part of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the county of Northumberland.
Courtmacsherry Harbour Lifeboat Station is located on Sea Road, in the village of Courtmacsherry, County Cork, on the southern shore of the Argideen River estuary, approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) south west of Cork, on the south coast of Ireland.
Montrose Lifeboat Station is located at Wharf Street, in the harbour town and former royal burgh of Montrose, on the North Sea coast, 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Dundee, in Angus, Scotland.
Crail Lifeboat Station was located 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Crail, at Balcomie Links on Fife Ness, a headland at the most easterly point of the Fife peninsula.
Newcastle Lifeboat Station is situated at South Promenade, Newcastle, a seaside town in County Down, located the foot of Slieve Donard, the highest of the Mourne Mountains, overlooking the Irish Sea, in the south east corner of Northern Ireland.
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 
