Weymouth Lifeboat Station

Weymouth Lifeboat Station
Flag of the RNLI
Ernest and Mabel moored by the lifeboat station
Map of Dorset showing Weymouth
General information
Type	Lifeboat station
Location	Nothe Parade, DT4 8TX
Country	England
Coordinates	50°36′26″N2°27′03″W / 50.6071°N 2.4508°W / 50.6071; -2.4508
Opened	1869
Owner	RNLI
Website
RNLI Weymouth Lifeboat Station

Weymouth Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Weymouth in Dorset, England. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1869. It currently operates a Severn-class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) and an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat (ILB).

History

The Royal National Institution for Preserving Life from Shipwreck (as the RNLI was then known) provided a lifeboat at Portland in 1826 but it was withdrawn in 1851. ^[1] The Earl of Strafford asked for a lifeboat to be stationed at Weymouth in 1868 and his request was granted when a new RNLI station opened on 26 January the following year. A boathouse was built along with a slipway into harbour. The boathouse was rebuilt in 1921 to allow it to receive a motor lifeboat, although this was not on station until 1924. In 1930 a new Barnett class lifeboat was stationed at Weymouth. This was too large to fit into the boathouse, so was kept at moorings in the harbour, an arrangement that continues to this day. In 2003 access to the boat was made easier by the construction of a floating pontoon. ^[2]

Since 1995 the all-weather lifeboat has been supported by an ILB. This is housed in a separate boathouse built nearer the entrance to the harbour in 1996. ^[2]

Service awards

The volunteer crews of the RNLI do not expect reward or recognition for their work, but many rescues have been recognised by letters, certificates and medals from the RNLI management. The following are just some of the most notable. ^[2]

In 1948 three people were rescued from the yacht Mite during an operation that lasted eleven hours. For this Coxswain Frederick Palmer was awarded an RNLI Bronze medal. The following year he received a silver medal and Motor Mechanic James McDermott a bronze medal for their rescue of four people from a steam tug.

The rescue of five crew members from the yacht Dehra resulted in the award of a Bronze Medal to lifeboatman Donald Laker in 1965. Another was awarded in 1972 to Coxswain Alfred Pavey following the rescue of an injured crewman from the yacht Nomis.

On 14 October 1976 the lifeboat put to sea in a hurricane to assist the yacht Latifa and her crew of eight. In charge of the rescue was Second Coxswain Victor Pitman. He did not have a full crew of trained lifeboatmen and so two fishermen volunteered to make the crew up to strength. Pitman was awarded a silver medal and all the crew – both regular volunteers and the fishermen – received recognition for their work that day.

A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Derek Sargent for leading the rescue on 16 October 1987 of the crew of five from the catamaran Sunbeam Chaser during a storm off Portland Bill.

The following are awards made at Weymouth ^[2]

• Silver Medal

Owen Lloyd, coastguard – 1825

John Hansford – 1841

Pierre Picard, Master of a fishing smack – 1857

William Flann – 1861

Joseph White – 1861

Frank Perry – 1890

Frederick Carter – 1890

Frederick J Palmer, Coxswain – 1949

Victor James Pitman, Second Coxswain – 1977

• Bronze Medal

Frederick J Palmer, Coxswain – 1948

J McDermott, Motor Mechanic – 1949

Donald Laker, crew member – 1965

Alfred T Pavey, Coxswain – 1972

Derek John Sargent, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1988

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

F J Palmer, Coxswain – 1961

The Coxswain and crew – 1965

Dr E J Gordon Wallace – 1967

Dr E J Gordon Wallace, Chairman and Honorary Medical Adviser – 1969

Bertie Legge, Bowmen – 1972

Dr Jeremy Parkinson, the Honorary Medical Adviser – 1972

Members of the lifeboat crew – 1977

Victor James Pitman, Second Coxswain – 1978

Victor James Pitman, Coxswain – 1985

Christopher William Tett, Second Coxswain – 1986

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Coxswain and crew – 1967

B A C Legge, Bowman – 1968

Coxswain Alfred T Pavey and the other seven members of the lifeboat crew – 1969

• Letters of Appreciation

Mr E A Hall – 1965

Mr D S Southcombe – 1965

Dr E J Gordon Wallace – 1965

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Derek John Sargent, Former Coxswain/Mechanic, Honorary Secretary – 2003 ^[3]

Description

The 1869 lifeboat station is still used for crew facilities. It is built from stone and faces the harbour. Above the boat doors is a bay window lookout. At the top of the gable is a date stone carved '1924' to commemorate when the building was modified for the arrival of its first motor lifeboat, the Samuel Oakes. Opposite the boathouse is a metal bridge leading to the floating pontoon where the ALB is moored.

Much closer to the harbour entrance is the boathouse built in 1996. This is a long, low building that opens immediately onto a wide slipway down which the ILB is pushed on its carriage to reach the water.

Area of operation

Phyl Clare III and the boarding boat, with Ernest and Mabel behind

The RNLI aims to reach any casualty up to 50 miles (80 km) from its stations, and within two hours in good weather. To do this the Severn-class lifeboat at Weymouth has an operating range of 250 nautical miles (460 km) and a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). ^[4] Adjacent lifeboats are stationed at Swanage to the east, and Exmouth to the west. There is also an ILB at Lyme Regis between Weymouth and Exmouth. ^[5]

Current fleet

• Severn-class 17-32 Ernest and Mabel (ON 1261), on station since 2002 which is kept moored afloat alongside.
• Atlantic 85 Jack & Phyl Cleare (B-917), on station since 2021, which is launched by hand on a slipway.

Weymouth lifeboats

Pulling and sailing lifeboats

At Weymouth	ON	Name	Built	Class	Comments
1869–1887	—	Agnes Harriet	1869	Self-Righter	33 ft (10 m) boat.
1887–1903	141	Friern Watch	1887	Self-Righter	34 ft 1 in (10.39 m) boat. [6]
1903–1924	513	Friern Watch	1903	Watson	38 ft (12 m) boat. Sold in 1925 and converted to a yacht but sank in 1965. [7]

Motor lifeboats

At Weymouth	ON	Op. No.	Name	Built	Class	Comments
1924–1929	651	—	Samuel Oakes	1918	Watson	Sold in 1933, destroyed in 1980. [8]
1929–1930	721	—	Lady Kylsant	1929	Watson	Sold in 1956, broken up in 2003. [9]
1930–1957	735	—	William and Clara Ryland	1930	Barnett	Modified for use as a house boat at Hoo. [9]
1957–1976	939	—	Frank Spiller Locke	1957	Barnett	Sold in 1986, now in use as a pleasure boat at Dartmouth, Devon. [10]
1976–1999	1049	54-04	Tony Vandervell	1975	Arun	Sold for further use as lifeboat MacElliott at Porkkala, Helsinki, Finland, now reported to be in Russia. [11]
1999	1160	52-46	Duke of Atholl	1990	Arun	Sold in 2007 for further use as a lifeboat in Iceland. [12]
1999–2002	1073	52-18	Robert Edgar	1981	Arun	Reported working in New Zealand in 2023. [11]
2002–	1261	17-32	Ernest and Mabel	2002	Severn	[13]

B-class inshore lifeboats

At Weymouth	Op. No.	Name	Model	Comments
1995–1996	B-541	Elizabeth Bestwick	Atlantic 21	[14]
1996	B-544	Catherine Plumbley	Atlantic 21	[14]
1996–1997	B-543	Round Table	Atlantic 21	[14]
1997–1998	B-512	U.S. Navy League	Atlantic 21	[14]
1998	B-525	Spix's Macaw	Atlantic 21	[14]
1998–2015	B-746	Phyl Clare 3	Atlantic 75	[15]
2015–2021	B-774	Braemar	Atlantic 75	[15]
2021–	B-917	Jack & Phyl Cleare	Atlantic 85	[16]

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

References

1. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 105.
2. "Weymouth's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
3. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
4. Wake-Walker, Edward (2008). The Lifeboats Story. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 69–70. ISBN   978-0-7509-4858-6.
5. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 114–115.
6. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 8–9.
7. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 22–23.
8. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 28–29.
9. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 32–33.
10. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 42–43.
11. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 48–49.
12. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 52–53.
13. Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 56.
14. Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 66.
15. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 68–69.
16. Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 71.

External links

• RNLI: Weymouth Lifeboat Station