Summary
Poole Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Poole, Dorset in England. The first lifeboat was stationed at Poole Harbour in 1865 and the present station was opened in 1988.
| Poole Lifeboat Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Poole | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | The Quay, Poole, BH15 1HZ |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50°42′46″N 1°59′32″W / 50.712765°N 1.992162°W |
| Opened | 1865 at Sandbanks 1882 at Fisherman's Dock 1974 at Lilliput Marina 1989 at Poole Bridge |
| Owner |  Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Since November 2016 it has operated two inshore lifeboats, an Atlantic 85 and a D class.
History edit
The first boathouse was built in 1865 at Sandbanks by the narrow entrance to the large, natural Poole Harbour. This was remote from the house in Poole which meant that the crew had to be collected by horse-drawn coach from the Antelope Hotel in the High Street and taken to Sandbanks.[1]
In 1882 a new boathouse was built on land leased from Poole Corporation on the Fisherman's Dock at the east end of Poole Quay. A dedicated slipway was built in front of the boathouse in 1897 as the public slipway was often blocked by other boats. In 1887 a flagstaff had been erected so that messages could be exchanged with Sandbanks. At this time the crew was summoned to launches by a signal rocket. In 1892 this was changed to a signal mortar but this reverted to rockets in 1914 as the mortar being discharged could be mistaken for an explosion at the nearby gas works.[1]
In 1939 a Surf motor lifeboat was placed on station and the last 'pulling and sailing' lifeboat at Poole was withdrawn. This was the Thomas Kirk Wright, which on 30 May 1940 sailed to Dunkirk as one of boats summoned to Operation Dynamo, indeed it was the first of 19 lifeboats to arrive there. It was manned by the Royal Navy but was damaged by enemy fire. After repairs a second trip across the channel was made on 2 June 1940 before eventually returning to more normal duties at Poole.[1]
An inflatable Inshore Rescue Boat was added to the station in 1964 but withdrawn in 1970, although by this time a Dell Quay Dory was also in use. This was withdrawn in 1985 but ten years later a B-class (Atlantic 21) ILB was placed on station.[1]
The boathouse at Fisherman's Dock was closed in 1974 and a new station opened with the Poole Harbour Yacht Club at Lilliput Marina. The following year the old boathouse became a museum with the Thomas Kirk Wright as the main exhibit.[1] The museum was handed back to the council in 1991. It closed in 2004 but reopened in 2006.[1]
Another move came in 1989 when the lifeboat was moved back to Poole Quay, but this time at the west end beneath Poole Bridge. The following year new crew facilities and storerooms were constructed by adding a two-storey extension to the police office on Poole Quay.
In 1994 a floating boathouse was placed next to the lifeboat mooring for the new ILB that took up service at Poole the following year.[1]
In November 2016, with the advent of 25 knot boats at flanking stations, the RNLI decided to withdraw the all-weather lifeboat from Poole and stationed a D-class inflatable to work alongside the existing Atlantic 85.[2]
Description edit
The crew facilities and storeroom occupies one part of a larger brick-built building facing the water on Poole Quay. The upper floor is set into the roof with a large window overlooking the lifeboat's pontoon. The boathouse for the ILB is moored alongside this pontoon and is constructed of corrugated metal.
Poole lifeboats edit
'ON' is the Offical Number used in RNLI records from 1884.
'Op. No.' is the Operational number displayed on the boat.
Pulling and sailing lifeboats edit
| At Poole[3] | ON | Name | Built | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1865–1880 | – | Manley Wood | 1864 | Peake | 32 ft (9.8 m) boat. Later renamed Joseph & Mary[4] |
| 1880–1897 | 188 | Boy's Own No. 2 | 1880 | Self-Righter | 34 ft (10 m) boat. |
| 1897–1910 | 316 | City Masonic Club | 1892 | Watson | 37 ft (11 m) boat. |
| 1910–1939 | 608 | Harmar | 1910 | Self-Righter | 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m) boat. |
Motor lifeboats edit
| At Poole[3] | ON | Op. No. | Name | Built | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939–1962 | 811 | – | Thomas Kirk Wright | 1939 | Surf | Sold 1964. Now on display in the Old Lifeboat House at Poole.[5] |
| 1962–1969 | 891 | – | Bassett-Green | 1951 | Liverpool | Sold in 1969. Reported in May 2018 to be in private ownership at Campbeltown. |
| 1969–1971 | 873 | – | George Elmy | 1950 | Liverpool | Capsized on service at Seaham 17 November 1962 with nine lives lost.
Sold September 1972. Restored to original condition and on display at Seaham Harbour from July 2013.[6] |
| 1971 | 869 | – | Anthony Robert Marshall | 1949 | Liverpool | Sold in 1980. Reported in December 2022 to be under restoration at Stiffkey. |
| 1972 | 918 | – | The Elliott Gill | 1953 | Liverpool | Sold August 1974. Reported in September 2022 to be fully restored at Watchet Harbour Marina. |
| 1971–1974 | 872 | – | J B Couper of Glasgow | 1949 | Liverpool | Sold February 1976 and renamed Etoile Du Nord (GU5045). By December 2022 it was on display at the Peninsular Hotel, Vale, Guernsey. |
| 1974–1983 | 1029 | 44-011 | Augustine Courtauld | 1974 | Waveney | Sold 1999 as a lifeboat with RVCP Australia. Resold in 2011 and renamed Augustine Courtauld as a work boat for Melbourne Charter Services, Melbourne. Restored to RNLI Livery. |
| 1983–2001 | 1089 | 33-07 | Inner Wheel | 1983 | Brede | Sold 2002 as a lifeboat for South Africa and still in service in December 2023 at Hout Bay as Nadine Gordimer (Rescue 8). |
| 2001–2016 | 1131 | 47-023 | City of Sheffield | 1988 | Tyne | Now preserved at the Emergency Services Museum, Sheffield. |
Inshore lifeboats edit
| At Poole[3] | Op. No. | Name | Class | Model | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965–1967 | D-69 | (no name) | D | RFD PB16 | |
| 1967–1970 | D-46 | (no name) | D | RFD PB16 | |
| 1967–1969 | 18-03 | (no name) | A | Hatch | Later renumbered A-2 |
| 1969–1972 | 17-003 | (no name) | A | Hatch | Later renumbered A-502 |
| 1971 | 18-02 | (no name) | A | McLachlan | Later renumbered A-503 |
| 1972–1973 | 17-001 | (no name) | A | Hatch | Later renumbered A-500 |
| 1974–1975 | A-501 | Bob Abbot | A | Hatch | Was unnamed when first built and numbered 17-002. |
| 1975 | B-8 | (no name) | B | Trial boat | |
| 1975–1985 | A-502 | (no name) | A | Hatch | Previously Op. No. 17-003. |
| 1977 | B-8 | (no name) | B | Trial boat | |
| 1985–1995 | A-513 | Sam & Iris Coles | A | Boston Whaler | |
| 1995–2008 | B-710 | Friendly Forrester II | B | Atlantic 75 | |
| 2008 | B-736 | Toshiba Wave Warrior | B | Atlantic 75 | |
| 2008– | B-826 | Sgt Bob Martin (Civil Service No.50) |
B | Atlantic 85 | |
| 2016–2017 | D-798 | John Wickens | D | IB1 | |
| 2017– | D-804 | Gladys Maud Burton | D | IB1 |
Station honours edit
The following are awards made at Poole[1][7]
- Captain Charles Howe Fremantle, RN - 1824
- George Barnes - 1824
- Stephen Curtis - 1824
- Lt. Joseph Elwin, RN -1825
- Lt. Thomas Parsons, RN - 1853
- The Right Hon The Viscount Bury, MP - 1868
- Mr Charles Pride - 1868
- Richard Stokes, Coxswain - 1882
- The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
- Richard Wills, Coxswain - 1906
- Thomas Wills - 1906
- John Wills - 1906
- Richard Cartridge - 1906
- Henry Russell - 1906
- David Coles, crew member - 1986
- Steven Vince, crew member - 1986
- Raymond Collin, crew member - 1986
- A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
- Steve Vince, Coxswain - 1995
- Robert Doak, crew member - 1995
- Geoffrey Langley, crew member - 1995
- Gavin McGuiness, Helmsman - 2001
- Anne Millman, crew member - 2001
- Paul Savage, crew member - 2001
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h "History of Poole Lifeboat Station". Poole Lifeboat Station. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ "Poole's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ^ a b c Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021 (2021 ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
- ^ "Thomas Kirk Wright". The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Vessels - George Elmy". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0 907605 89 3.
External links edit
- Official station website
- RNLI station information
- Poole Old Lifeboat Museum and Shop