Fleetwood Lifeboat

Fleetwood Lifeboat Station – Established in 1859

The Esplanade, Fleetwood, Lancashire, FY7 6DN. telephone 01253 874000

Completed in November 2005, the new station building incorporates ILB house, changing rooms / toilets, mechanics workshop, classroom, L.O.M. office, kitchen / lounge with balcony, retail shop and Fleetwood Coastguard H.Q.

Built by Higgi of Roger Eaves Building, Fleetwood, and designed by local architect Eric Forster, it is now an impressive and significant feature on Fleetwood sea front.

Fleetwood Lifeboat Station

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The Boats

Tyne Class ALB – The William Street
The William Street 47- 038 was built by FBM Ltd of Cowes at a cost of £560,000. She arrived at Fleetwood at 6pm on Wednesday October 4th 1989. She is powered by two 500 horse power diesels giving a top speed of 18 knots in any sea state. After a period of intensive crew training she was placed on service at 2pm on October 15th. She has a steel hull 47feet long and although primarily designed to be launched from a slipway, the William Street is moored afloat in the pen at Fleetwood.

She has a crew of 6. The superstructure is made of aluminium, which reduces weight and gives a low centre of gravity – which helps her self-righting capability.

Fleetwood Lifeboat - William Street

D Class Inshore Lifeboat – Mary Elizabeth Barnes
She was generously funded by Mrs Mary Preston in memory of her family “Barnes” and named after her late grandmother.

She is small and highly manoeuvrable, making her ideal for rescues close to shore in fair to moderate conditions. She has a single 50 hp outboard engine with electric start, giving her a top speed of 25 knots and can be righted manually by the crew following a capsize.

D Class Inshore Lifeboat - Mary Elizabeth Barnes

Fleetwood Lifeboat Station Timeline

1859: The RNLI established a lifeboat station and a boathouse was built on the beach.

1860: Silver Medals were awarded to Captain Edward Wasey RN, Coastguard, and Coxswain John Fox for rescuing one man from the wrecked schooner Ann Mitchell.

A Silver Medal was awarded to Captain Wasey RN for rescuing four men from the schooner Catherine.

A third Silver Medal was awarded to Captain Wasey RN for rescuing 16 people from the barque Vermont.

1863: Silver Medals were awarded to Tug Master W Swarbrick and Pilot Robert Gerrard, for rescuing 17 people from the barque Pudyona.

A storm damaged the foundations of the boathouse and a new boathouse was built near High Lighthouse.

1887: A second lifeboat arrived at the station.

1879: A new wooden boathouse and slipway were built on piles close to the Low Light.

1890: A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Robert Wright for his services over 30 years.

Silver Medals were awarded to fishermen James Fogg and George Wilkinson for attempting to save the crew of the schooner Jean Campbell.

1892: The pulling lifeboat was withdrawn from the station leaving one lifeboat.

1893: A new boathouse was built as the railway needed the previous site.

1894: A Silver Medal was awarded to Robert Wright on his retirement for his long and valuable service.

1901: A new slipway was built east of the Low Light due to a build up of sand and shingle. The railway company moved the boathouse to the new slipway.

1933: The station’s first motor lifeboat was placed on service.

1941: Silver Medals were awarded to Coxswain Jeffrey Wright and Mechanic Sydney Hill for rescuing eight crew from the schooner Stella Marie.

1945: Head Launcher Wright died as a result of an injury received on service.

1949: A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain James Leadbetter for rescuing eight crew from the ketch Alpha. Six of the crew were rescued a second time after they returned to the vessel in spite of warnings.

1959: A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.

1966: An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat. This was kept in a small house and launched across the beach.

1975: A new mooring pen was built for the all weather lifeboat.

1977: Gales washed away the ILB house; a new one was placed on the end of the mooring pen jetty and the ILB was launched by a davit.

1980: A new ILB boathouse was built.

1984: The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Second Coxswain Stephen James Musgrave for rescuing a windsurfer three and a half miles off Fleetwood.

1985: The Ralph Glister Award for the most meritorious service carried out in 1984 was awarded to Helmsman Stephen Musgrave and Crew Members Barrie Farmer and David Owen for the above service.

1986: Improved crew facilities were provided.

1987: The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain William Fairclough for the rescue of two crew from the sinking fishing vessel Galilean.

1989: The Tyne class lifeboat, ON-1156 William Street, was placed on service.

2000: The D class lifeboat, D-556 Saddleworth was placed on service on 13 September.

2005: RSPCA Bronze Medal awarded to Mechanic Steve Carroll for rescuing a dog.

November 2005: New building completed.

Links

Official Fleetwood RNLI Webpage
The official Fleetwood page on the RNLI website with information on call outs, crew, history, boats and more.

www.fleetwood-lifeboat.org
A site created and run by one of the Fleetwood Crew. Lots of information on this site such as events run by the Fleetwood RNLI crew.