St Mary's Lifeboat Station Explained

St Mary's Lifeboat Station
Map Type:Cornwall
Pushpin Relief:1
Location:St Mary's Lifeboat Station, Harbour Bay, Hugh Town, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, UK
Location Country:UK
Coordinates:49.919°N -6.307°W
Building Type:RNLI Lifeboat Station
Opened Date:1837
Owner: Royal National Lifeboat Institution

St Mary's Lifeboat Station is situated in St Mary's Harbour, Isles of Scilly and has been an important station for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution since the service began in 1837, however without a service between 1855 and 1874.

History

A lifeboat station was provided in 1874 at a cost of £280 . In 1899 this was replaced by a new station at Carn Thomas with a slipway, at a cost of £1,500 . In 1902 the slipway was extended by 40feet[1] by Robert Hicks[2] to enable the lifeboat to be launched at any state of the tide.

The lifeboat house was adapted in 1914 to receive a new motor lifeboat, but this didn't arrive on the station until 1919.

Since the arrival of the Robert Edgar in 1981, the lifeboat has been moored in the harbour, rather than the lifeboat house.

St Mary's lifeboats

ON is the Official Number of the boat use din RNLI records from 1884.Op. No. is the Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

[3] ONNameClassclass=unsortableComments
1837–1839(no name) 'pulling and sailing' lifeboat.
1840–1855(no name) lifeboat.
1874–1890Henry Dundas[4] Standard Self-Righting37feet long, 9feet wide with rows of 12 oars, double-banked. Paid for by Mrs. S.J. Dundas.
1890–1991271Henry DundasStandard Self-Righting lifeboat. Later renamed Tom & Jenny.
[5]
1891–1899313Henry DundasStandard Self-Righting38feet long and 8feet wide.[6]
1899–1919434Henry Dundas non-self-righting lifeboat.
1919–1930648Elsie[7] WatsonFirst motor lifeboat at station. long and wide with a 60 BHP Tylor motor and Gardner reverse gear, giving a speed of 8kn.
1930–1953728CunardWatson motor lifeboat. Given by the Cunard Steamship Company. Two 40 hp engines giving a speed of 8.25kn. Cost £8,500[8] [9] .
1955–1981926Guy and Clare HunterWatsonLast slipway launched boat. long, speed 8kn. Cost £32,000[10] .
1981–19971073Robert EdgarMoored afloat. Speed 18.5kn.
1997–122917-11Moored afloat. Speed 25kn.

Awards

St Mary's Lifeboat has received fifty-six awards for gallantry, including 26 RNLI medals for bravery, comprising one gold, nine silver and 16 bronze. The most recent was in 2004 when bronze medals were awarded to Coxswain Andrew Howells and Crew Members Mark Bromham and Philip Roberts for the rescue of an injured man from a yacht on 29 October 2003.[11]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Station history . RNLI . 6 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170706180340/https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/st-marys-lifeboat-station/station-history-st-marys . 6 July 2017 . live.
  2. News: . Islands of Scilly . Cornishman . England . 25 September 1902 . 9 October 2017 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  3. Book: Leonard . Richie . Denton . Tony . Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023 . 2023 . Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society . 2–128.
  4. News: . Scilly Islands Lifeboat . The Cornish Telegraph . England . 5 August 1874 . 9 October 2017 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  5. News: . Royal National Life-Boat Institution . Shields Daily Gazette . England . 10 May 1890 . 9 October 2017 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  6. News: . The Lifeboat Service . The Cornish Telegraph . England . 8 October 1891 . 9 October 2017 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  7. News: . New Life-Boat for the Scilly Islands . Cornishman . England . 22 October 1919 . 9 October 2017 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  8. News: . New Lifeboat for Scilly . Cornishman . England . 14 August 1930 . 9 October 2017 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  9. News: . New Lifeboat. Naming of the Cunard at St. Mary's . Western Morning News . England . 12 August 1930 . 9 October 2017 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  10. News: . £32,000 Lifeboat . Portsmouth Evening News . England . 13 December 1955 . 9 October 2017 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  11. Web site: St Mary's Lifeboat Station: history . RNLI . 6 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170706180009/https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/st-marys-lifeboat-station/station-history-st-marys. 6 July 2017 . live.