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Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station

Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Ilfracombe, Devon, England. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1828 and the present station was opened in 1996. For 29 years a second boat was operated from Morte Bay at Woolacombe.

Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station
Flag of the RNLI
Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station is located in Devon
Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station
Ilfracombe
General information
TypeLifeboat station
LocationThe Lifeboat House
Address14 Broad Street
Town or cityIlfracombe, Devon, EX34 9EE
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51°12′36″N 4°06′58″W / 51.2100°N 4.1162°W / 51.2100; -4.1162
OpenedFirst boat 1828
Current building 1996
OwnerRNLI

Two lifeboats operate from the station: a Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat (ALB) 13-09 The Barry and Peggy High Foundation (ON 1316) and a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat (ILB) Deborah Brown III (D-863).

History

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A pilot boat was fitted out as a lifeboat for the town in 1828, and a new lifeboat was bought by local people in 1850 which operated from a boat house in Hiern's Lane near the harbour. The RNLI started its service in Ilfracombe in 1866 when a boat house was built near the pier at the bottom of Lantern Hill with a slipway nearby. Alterations to the pier in 1871 meant that the slipway was lost and the boat then had to be taken along the road to the harbour whenever it needed to be launched. The boat house was demolished in 1893 to allow a larger building be built for the new Co-operator No. 2 (ON 355) which, at 37 feet (11 m) was 3 feet longer than the previous boat. This boat house was used until 1996 when it was replaced by a new facility near the slipway at the harbour.[1]

In 1871 a lifeboat was stationed at Morte Bay near Woolacombe, about 6 miles (10 km) south west of Ilfracombe. When the lifeboat was needed west of Morte Point a crew came out from Ilfracombe on a carriage. It proved difficult to launch into strong winds blowing onto its west-facing beach and so the station was closed in May 1900. The lifeboat was transferred up the coast to Watchet; the boat house has since been incorporated into a café known as the Boat House Café.[2]

The first motor lifeboat at Ilfracombe was placed on station in March 1936. This was a 32 feet (9.8 m) Surf lifeboat, a type that was designed for work close inshore. It was replaced by a more conventional 35 feet (11 m) Liverpool-class boat in 1945, which allowed the Surf boat to be sent to the Netherlands where there was an acute shortage of lifeboats at the end of World War II.[1] The all-weather boat has been supported by an inflatable inshore rescue boat since 1991.[3]

Service awards

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The volunteer crews of the RNLI do not expect reward or recognition for their work, but the records include many rescues that have been recognised by letters, certificates and medals from the RNLI management. This list is just some of the most notable.

On 13 November 1949, the Richard Silver Oliver (ON 794) was launched to assist the SS Monte Gurugu, which was sinking near Morte Point after losing her rudder in a severe storm. After pulling the casualty clear of the shore, the lifeboat took the 23 crew aboard and safely back to Ilfracombe. Coxswain Cecil Irwin was awarded an RNLI silver medal for his work.[1]

In a Force 8 gale on 9 September 1984, the Liberty was dragging her anchor just 50 yards (46 m) from the shore when the Lloyds II reached her. The lifeboat's crew managed to get a line secured to the yacht and towed her into the harbour. An RNLI bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain David Clemence for his courage, leadership and seamanship.[1]

Area of operation

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The Shannon-class lifeboat at Ilfracombe has an operating range of 250 nautical miles (460 km) and a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). Adjacent lifeboats are stationed at Appledore to the West, and The Mumbles to the North, along with an ILB at Minehead to the East.[4]

Ilfracombe lifeboats

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Pulling and sailing lifeboats

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At Ilfracombe Station ON Name Class Comments
1828–? Ilfracombe — — – Pilot boat fitted to work as a lifeboat, probably unnamed.[5]
1850–? Ilfracombe — Lady Franklin — 32 ft (9.8 m) non-self-righting lifeboat.[5]
1866–1886 Ilfracombe — Broadwater Self-righter [5]
1871–1892 Morte Bay 225 Grace Woodbury Self-righter Originally Jack-a-Jack but renamed Grace Woodbury in 1872.[6][7]
1886–1893 Ilfracombe 53 Co-operator No. 2 Self-righter Used as a demonstration lifeboat from 1893 until 1907.[5][8]
1892–1900 Morte Bay 339 Theophilus Sidney Echalaz Self-righter Transferred to Watchet where it was renamed W.H.G. Kingston.[6][9]
1893–1920 Ilfracombe 355 Co-operator No. 2 Self-righter [5][9]
1920–1936 Ilfracombe 596 Richard Crawley Self-righter Built in 1910 and stationed at Southsea until 1918.[10][11]

Motor lifeboats

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  •  
    Spirit of Derbyshire (1990–2015)
  •  
    The Barry and Peggy High Foundation (From 2015)
At Ilfracombe ON Op. No. Name Class Comments
1936–1945 779 — Rosabella Surf Sold for further service at Terschelling in the Netherlands and is now preserved at Aalsmeer.[10][12]
1945–1952 794 — Richard Silver Oliver Liverpool Built in 1937 for Cullercoats then moved to Newquay. After serving at Ilfracombe it went to Cricceth then sold in 1963 for further service in Chile until 1978.[10][12]
1952–1966 904 — Robert and Phemia Brown Liverpool Sold in 1967 and subsequently used as a yacht.[10][13]
1966–1990 986 37-19 Lloyds II Oakley Stationed at Sheringham until 1993 but then broken up.[10][14]
1990–2015 1165 12-007 Spirit of Derbyshire Mersey December 2023, In use as a harbour boat, Valletta, Malta[15]
2015– 1316 13-09 The Barry and Peggy High Foundation Shannon [16]

Inshore lifeboats

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At Ilfracombe Op. No. Name Class Type Comments
1991–1991 D-334 — D EA16 Entered service in the relief fleet in 1987.[17]
1992–2000 D-422 Alec Dykes D EA16 Saw further service at Bude and in the RNLI relief fleet but was withdrawn from service in 2009.[17]
2000–2009 D-555 Deborah Brown D EA16 Transferred to the RNLI relief fleet in 2009.[18]
2009–2022 D-717 Deborah Brown II D IB1 [19]
2022- D-863 Deborah Brown III D IB1 [20]

Launch and recovery tractors

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At Ilfracombe Op. No. Reg. No. Type Comments
1939–1956 T34 FYR 552 Case L [21]
1956–1961 T28 EYT 780 Case L [21]
1961–1963 T49 KGP 854 Case LA [21]
1963–1973 T69 970 FGP Case 1000D [21]
1973–1974 T73 500 GYR Case 1000D [21]
1974–1975 T69 970 FGP Case 1000D [21]
1975–1977 T74 136 HLC Case 1000D [21]
1977–1981 T69 970 FGP Case 1000D [21]
1981–1987 T62 PLA 698 Fowler Challenger III [21]
1987–1998 T101 D335 SUJ Talus MB-H Crawler [22]
1998–1999 T97 C282 LNT Talus MB-H Crawler [22]
1999–2008 T100 D466 RAW Talus MB-H Crawler [22]
2008–2015 T92 A462 AUX Talus MB-H Crawler [22]
2015–2021 SC-T07 HF64 CVG SLARS (Clayton) June and Gordon Hadfield[23]
2021– SC-T23 HF70 EBZ SLARS (SC Innovation) [23]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Leach, Nicholas (2009). Devon's Lifeboat Heritage. Chacewater: Twelveheads Press. pp. 46–48. ISBN 978- 0-906294-72-7.
  2. ^ Leach N. (2009) p. 45
  3. ^ "Ilfracombe's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  4. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 115–116.
  5. ^ a b c d e Leach 2009, p. 46.
  6. ^ a b Leach 2009, p. 45.
  7. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 10–11.
  8. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 4–5.
  9. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 16–17.
  10. ^ a b c d e Leach 2009, p. 47.
  11. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 26–27.
  12. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 34–35.
  13. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 40–41.
  14. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 44–45.
  15. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 52–53.
  16. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 57.
  17. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 78–79.
  18. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 82.
  19. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 84.
  20. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 86.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 89–91.
  22. ^ a b c d Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 92.
  23. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 98.

Further reading

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  • Thompson, Robert (2018) For those in Peril: a History of Ilfracombe Lifeboats. Memories in Print ISBN 978-0993143212
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