Poole Lifeboat Station
Encyclopedia
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. Since 2008 it has operated a all weather boat (ALB) and an inshore lifeboat (ILB).
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.
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.
In 1939 a motor lifeboat was placed on station and the last 'pulling and sailing' lifeboat at Poole was withdrawn.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.
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was added to the station in 1964 but withdrawn in 1970, although by this time a Dell Quay Dory was also in use. This was withdrawn in 1985 but ten years later a B Class
ILB was placed on station.
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. The museum was handed back to the council in 1991. It closed in 2004 but reopened in 2006.
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.
at Poole has an operating range of 240 nautical miles (444.5 km) and a top speed of 17 knots (33.3 km/h). Adjacent lifeboats are at Calshot Lifeboat Station to the east, and to the west. There are also ILBs at and between Poole and Calshot.
47-023 City of Sheffield (Official Number 1131, built 1988, on station 2001) B-826 Sgt Bob Martin (On station 2008)
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
(RNLI) search and rescue operations at Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
in England. The first lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
was stationed at Poole Harbour in 1865 and the present station was opened in 1988. Since 2008 it has operated a all weather boat (ALB) and an inshore lifeboat (ILB).
History
The first boathouseBoathouse
A boathouse is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats stored are rowing boats...
was built in 1865 at Sandbanks
Sandbanks
Sandbanks is a small peninsula or spit crossing the mouth of Poole Harbour on the English Channel coast at Poole in Dorset, England. It is well-known for the highly regarded Sandbanks Beach and property value; Sandbanks has, by area, the fourth highest land value in the world...
by the narrow entrance to the large, natural Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
. 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.
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
Slipway
A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers and flying boats on their undercarriage. The...
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
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
. In 1892 this was changed to a signal mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
but this reverted to rockets in 1914 as the mortar being discharged could be mistaken for an explosion at the nearby gas works.
In 1939 a 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
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
, indeed it was the first of 19 lifeboats to arrive there. It was manned by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
but was damaged by enemy fire. After repairs a second trip across the channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
was made on 2 June 1940 before eventually returning to more normal duties at Poole.
An inflatable Inshore Rescue Boat
D class lifeboat
The D class lifeboat EA16 is a class of inflatable boat formally operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It has been replace by the D class lifeboat -Utilization:...
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 class lifeboat
B class Atlantic 21 class lifeboats serve the shores of the UK as a part of the RNLI inshore fleet. The Atlantic 21 is the first generation Rigid Inflatable Boat , first developed at Atlantic College, Wales. The rollbar assembly installed above the engines contains a self righting bag which is...
ILB was placed on station.
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. The museum was handed back to the council in 1991. It closed in 2004 but reopened in 2006.
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.
Description
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.Area of operation
The Tyne class lifeboatTyne class lifeboat
Tyne class lifeboats were designed to serve the shores of the UK and Ireland as a part of the RNLI fleet. They are named after the River Tyne in north-east England....
at Poole has an operating range of 240 nautical miles (444.5 km) and a top speed of 17 knots (33.3 km/h). Adjacent lifeboats are at Calshot Lifeboat Station to the east, and to the west. There are also ILBs at and between Poole and Calshot.
Current fleet
Former lifeboats
'ON' is the RNLI's sequential Official Number; 'Op. No.' is the operational number painted onto the boat.Pulling and sailing lifeboats
This list is incomplete| ON | Name | Built | At Poole | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 608 | Harmar | 1910 | 1910–1939 | ||
Motor lifeboats
| ON | Op. No. | Name | Built | At Poole | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 811 | – | Thomas Kirk Wright | 1939 | 1939–1962 | Preserved at Poole. | |
| 891 | – | Bassett-Green | 1951 | 1962–1969 | ||
| 873 | – | George Elmy | 1950 | 1969–1972 | Liverpool | |
| 872 | – | J B Couper of Glasgow | 1949 | 1972–1974 | Liverpoool | |
| 1029 | 44-011 | Augustine Courtauld | 1974 | 1974–1983 | ||
| 1089 | 33-07 | Inner Wheel | 1983 | 1983–2001 | ||
Inshore lifeboats and boarding boats
| Op. No. | Name | At Poole | Class | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | – | 1964–1970 | IRB | May be different boats in different years | |
| 18-03 | – | 1967–1968 | A | ||
| 17-003 | – | 1969–1985? | A | Dell | |
| B-710 | Friendly Forrester II | 1995–2008 | B | ||
| B-736 | Toshiba Wave Warrior | 2008–2008 | B | Atlantic 21 | |