Yarmouth Lifeboat Station

Yarmouth Lifeboat station (not to be confused with Great Yarmouth and Gorleston) is an RNLI station located in the town of Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. The station has been based in Yarmouth's harbour since 1924. Previously the station had been in Totland Bay, west of Yarmouth, until it was decided that the station need a motor lifeboat. The current Severn-class lifeboat is moored afloat and shore facilities are on the quayside in Yarmouth. The station covers the western Solent with its all-weather lifeboat 17-25 Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer) (ON-1249) which has been on service at Yarmouth since 2001.

Yarmouth Lifeboat Station
Yarmouth Lifeboat Station
Location of Yarmouth Lifeboat station within Isle of Wight
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	The Boatshed, Quay Street, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, PO41 0PQ
Country	England
Coordinates	50°42′22.1″N 1°30′01.7″W
Opened	1868–1870 and 1924
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Technical details
Material	Masonry, Brick, Concrete

Station history

Totland Bay

The first established station to cover the western Solent dates from 1879 and was located west of Yarmouth in Totland Bay. To fund this service money was raised by the local Isle of Wight Sunday Schools Committee. The first lifeboat was Dove, crewed by local volunteers. In the first five years of the service the lifeboat and her crew proved to be a great success and over that period the lives of 36 people were saved when they were brought ashore. The record of this first lifeboat convinced the RNLI of the need and viability of formalising a service on this part of the Isle of Wight. In 1884 funds were made available to build a lifeboat house and a new lifeboat was sent to the station. This lifeboat was called Charles Luckombe and she was a self-righting pulling lifeboat powered by 12 oars. She was 37 feet (11 m) in length and 8 feet (2.4 m) beam. She began service at Totland bay in 1885 Charles Luckombe was replaced in 1903 by Robert Fleming, funded in part by a memorial bequest of £1,000 made to the RNLI. The lifeboat was launched by Emily Seely, wife of John Edward Bernard Seely, the local Member of Parliament.

Relocation to Yarmouth

In 1924 the RNLI decided that lifeboat cover for the western end of the Solent would be better served by a motor lifeboat. The Totland boathouse was closed and the station was moved to Yarmouth harbour, with service buildings onshore and the boats kept in the harbour.

Motor lifeboat

The first motor lifeboat at the new Yarmouth location was the Watson-class B.A.S.P. (ON-687). The lifeboat, built by J. Samuel White, was also equipped with sails in case of engine failure. The lifeboat was named by His Royal Highness Edward the Prince of Wales. She was named B.A.S.P. after the donors, Blackburn, Armstrong, Smart and Price. During her ten years of service at the station, B.A.S.P. undertook 42 operations which saved 30 lives. After service at several other stations and in the Relief Fleet, she was sold in 1955. B.A.S.P. is now on display at as part of the Historic Lifeboat Collection at the maritime museum in Chatham. B.A.S.P. is entered in the National Historic Ships register and has the Certificate No: 1687.

Inshore lifeboat

In July 1964 the station established an inshore lifeboat service but this was permanently withdrawn in October 1978.

Improvements

In 1988 the Institute made improvements to the onshore facilities for the station. They provided a kitchen, toilets and washrooms within the existing boatstore. In 1994 the RNLI purchased the Yarmouth Customs House on the quayside in Quay Street and began alterations to the building. This work included creating crew changing rooms, workshop, toilet and showers, and an RNLI souvenir and retail outlet on the ground floor. An office, training room, and crew facilities were built on the first floor. In 2000 work was carried out in the harbour to improve the lifeboat berth.

Yarmouth lifeboats

'ON' is the official number used in RNLI records from 1884.
'Op. No.' is the operational number displayed on the boat.

All-weather lifeboats

At Yarmouth	ON	Op. No.	Name	Class	Comments
1885–1903	39	–	Charles Luckombe	Self-Righter	37 ft 2 in (11.33 m) boat stationed at Totland Bay.
1903–1915	503	–	Robert Fleming	Self-Righter	37 ft (11 m) boat stationed at Totland Bay.
1915–1919	420	–	James Stevens No.3	Steam	Stationed at Totland Bay.
1919–1924	503	–	Reserve No.4E	Self-Righter	37 ft 2 in (11.33 m) boat, formerly Robert Fleming, stationed at Totland Bay.
1924–1934	687	–	B.A.S.P.	Watson	On display at the RNLI Collection, Chatham Historic Dockyard
1934–1936	684	–	Hearts of Oak	Watson
1936–1937	787	–	S.G.E.	Watson	Destroyed by fire at Groves & Guttridge 18 June 1937.
1938–1943	804	–	S.G.E.	Watson	Replacement for ON 787
1943–1945	704	–	Greater London (Civil Service No.3)	Ramsgate
1945–1963	804	–	S.G.E.	Watson
1963–1977	968	48-01	The Earl and Countess Howe	Oakley
1977–2001	1053	52-08	Joy and John Wade	Arun
2001–	1249	17-25	Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer)	Severn	Named for Eric and Susan Hiscock.

D-class inshore lifeboats

At Yarmouth	Op. No.	Model	Comments
1964	D-20	RFD PB16
1965	D-22	RFD PB16
1966	D-37	RFD PB16
1966–1967	D-22	RFD PB16
1967–1968	D-133	RFD PB16
1968–1969	D-172	RFD PB16
1969–1975	D-161	RFD PB16
1976–1978	D-248	Zodiac III	Inshore lifeboats withdrawn from Yarmouth in 1978.

Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer)

Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer) has a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h) and a range of 250 nmi (460 km). She is operated by a crew of six and is fitted with the latest in navigation, location and communication equipment including electronic chart plotter, VHF radio with direction finder, radar and global positioning systems (GPS). The lifeboat has a displacement of 41 t (40 long tons) and carries a daughter Y-class which is launched and recovered by crane. Having the Y-class enables the crew to make rescues close to shore.

Notable rescues

Al Kwather 1

On 28 October 1989 the Arun-class Margaret Russell Fraser (ON-1108) relief lifeboat was launched to service from Yarmouth with Coxswain David Kennett at the helm. The weather in the Solent was poor with a south westerly severe gale force 9 blowing. The roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel Al Kwather 1 was reported to be in difficulties three and a half miles east of Peveril Point near Swanage. Some of the ship's cargo of cars had broken loose on the deck. The Swanage Rother-class lifeboat Horace Clarkson (ON-1047) had been on the scene since 11.30 am and in hurricane-force winds was standing by the vessel. At 3.10 pm the Margaret Russell Fraser arrived on the scene and took up a position astern of the Al Kwather 1 whilst the Swanage lifeboat returned to its station. The Al Kwather 1 appeared to be in no danger and so after an hour the Yarmouth boat also made for Swanage to allow the crew to get some rest and do initiate some minor repairs to the boat. Just after midnight the captain of the Al Kwather 1 reported that his vessel had problems with its engines and requested help. Both lifeboats left Swanage with the Margaret Russell Fraser arriving first to find the ship in complete darkness and listing to port and rolling violently, broadside to the seas. The lifeboat used her searchlights on approaching the ship from the stern and with great skill, and a great deal of danger, manoeuvred alongside the ship and rescued two of the crew who were hanging on to a cargo net they had clambered down. This proved to be very dangerous and one of the crew men rescued had fallen from the net. His foot had caught in the net and hanging below the deck of the lifeboat, the crew had managed to haul him to safety. News arrived that a helicopter was en route and it was used to rescue the remaining crewman from the ship. The lifeboats then returned to their stations. Coxswain Kennett was awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal for his part in the service. Assistant Mechanic Brian Miskin and crewman Joseph Lester were presented with framed letters. The Coxswain of the Swanage lifeboat, Christopher Haw was accorded the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum.

Station honours

The following are awards made at Yarmouth

• RNLI Gold Medal

Lt. Henry Alfred Sydney Symmes, RN - 1839

• RNLI Silver Medal

John Pepper, Chief Boatman, Coastguard, Hurst Castle - 1849

David Kennett, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1976

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Walter Oliver Cotton, Coxswain - 1939

David Kennett, Coxswain - 1990

• The Maud Smith Award 1975
  for the bravest act of life-saving carried out by a member of a lifeboat crew in 1975

David Kennett, Coxswain/Mechanic

• Awarded the Gold Pendant

to each of four boys - 1920

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

The Lifeboat Crew - 1976

John C Cook, Acting Coxswain - 1976

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

Dr Harrison Broadbent - 1966

Christopher Cook, inshore lifeboat crew - 1966

John Cook, inshore lifeboat crew - 1966

Stuart Pimm, crew member - 1978

Richard Downes, crew member - 1978

Brian Miskin, Assistant Mechanic -1990

Joseph Lester, crew member - 1990

• Letters of Appreciation signed by the Director of the Institution

David Kennett, Coxswain/Mechanic and the other members of the crew - 1978

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Captain Arnold Graham Cole RNR, Honorary Secretary - 1953

David George Kennett, Coxswain - 1995

Gallery

• 
  The old Boathouse at Totland Bay was demolished; this is actually H Simmonds' boatyard which was alongside the Lifeboat Station.
• 
  RNLB B.A.S.P. (ON-687) on display at the Historic Lifeboat Collection at Maritime museum in Chatham Dockyard
• 
  The current Yarmouth Severn-class lifeboat RNLI Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer) (ON-1249) which has been in service at Yarmouth since 2001 to date (March 2014).
• 
  RNLI Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer) (ON-1249)

See also

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