Teddington Lifeboat Station
Encyclopedia
Teddington Lifeboat Station is a lifeboat
station in Teddington
, in west London
, on the River Thames. It is one of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
's (RNLI's) newest lifeboat stations and is also one of the first to cover a river rather than estuarial waters or the sea. Teddington Lock
is the highest tidal point on the Thames.
and dredger Bowbelle that resulted in the loss of 51 lives, the "Thames Safety Inquiry" recommended a centrally coordinated search and rescue
presence on the Thames. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency
(MCA) was chosen to coordinate the services that already existed on the Thames. Since they already had operational duties, they approached the RNLI and asked if they could provide a rescue service.
The RNLI recommended the creation of four lifeboat stations on the Thames to cover the tidal area between Teddington and the Channel
. On 1 January 2002 Teddington lifeboat station became fully operational. It was thought that the lifeboat stations on the Thames would have to deal with approximately 50 call outs per year. However, in the first year of operation there were over 800 call outs. In fact the Thames lifeboat stations accounted for 10% of the total number of "shouts" that the RNLI responded to.
Although Teddington is not the busiest Thames station it was quickly realised that their presence should extend further upstream to Molesey Lock
, thereby including Kingston upon Thames
within its operational area. In order to deal with this additional area, and to ensure operational effectiveness above and below Teddington Lock
, Teddington is equipped with two "D Class" Lifeboats and unlike the other Thames stations, is run on a purely voluntary basis.
and Teddington fundraising branch. This boat was the last of the "old" style D class lifeboats to be built, before the introduction of the IB-1. She was officially named in June 2003
In the event of a call-out, every crew member’s pager
is simultaneously activated by the London Coastguard. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days of the year, the crew aim to launch one or both boats depending on the nature of the incident within six minutes of the call to the Coastguard. Their operational target is to be on scene within 15 minutes of the original call. This can be tight if the incident is in Molesey.
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...
station in Teddington
Teddington
Teddington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London, on the north bank of the River Thames, between Hampton Wick and Twickenham. It stretches inland from the River Thames to Bushy Park...
, in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on the River Thames. It is one of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
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....
's (RNLI's) newest lifeboat stations and is also one of the first to cover a river rather than estuarial waters or the sea. Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....
is the highest tidal point on the Thames.
Establishment
Following the collision in 1989 between the MarchionessMarchioness disaster
The Marchioness disaster occurred on the River Thames in London in the early hours of 20 August 1989. The pleasure boat Marchioness sank after being run down by the dredger Bowbelle, near Cannon Street Railway Bridge. There were 131 people on the Marchioness. Some were members of the crew, some...
and dredger Bowbelle that resulted in the loss of 51 lives, the "Thames Safety Inquiry" recommended a centrally coordinated search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
presence on the Thames. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.This involves coordinating search and rescue at sea through Her Majesty's Coastguard , ensuring that...
(MCA) was chosen to coordinate the services that already existed on the Thames. Since they already had operational duties, they approached the RNLI and asked if they could provide a rescue service.
The RNLI recommended the creation of four lifeboat stations on the Thames to cover the tidal area between Teddington and 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...
. On 1 January 2002 Teddington lifeboat station became fully operational. It was thought that the lifeboat stations on the Thames would have to deal with approximately 50 call outs per year. However, in the first year of operation there were over 800 call outs. In fact the Thames lifeboat stations accounted for 10% of the total number of "shouts" that the RNLI responded to.
Although Teddington is not the busiest Thames station it was quickly realised that their presence should extend further upstream to Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey. It is near Hampton Court Palace to the west of London.The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and is the second longest on the river at over 268 ft . Beside the lock there are rollers for the...
, thereby including Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
within its operational area. In order to deal with this additional area, and to ensure operational effectiveness above and below Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....
, Teddington is equipped with two "D Class" Lifeboats and unlike the other Thames stations, is run on a purely voluntary basis.
D-477: Spirit of Nuneaton and Bedworth
Spirit of Nuneaton and Bedworth was Teddington RNLI's first ever lifeboat and was the first operational boat for the station. She entered service at Teddington at the station's inception, having been used as a training craft whilst the station was being set up during 2001. Once the station became operational, she was the station's only boat until the arrival of Spirit of the Thames. She left Teddington after the arrival of Spirit of Mortimer and returned to the reserve fleet.D-576: Spirit of the Thames
This boat entered service at Teddington in June 2002. The boat was purchased from funds raised by TwickenhamTwickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
and Teddington fundraising branch. This boat was the last of the "old" style D class lifeboats to be built, before the introduction of the IB-1. She was officially named in June 2003
D-648: Spirit of Mortimer
Spirit of Mortimer entered service at Teddington in May 2005, having made an appearance on the floor of the Barbican Arts Centre during the RNLI AGM. She was purchased from funds raised the Mortimer fund raising branch and is Teddington's first IB-1. She is now the number two boat at the station, since the arrival of Olwen and Tom.D-743: Olwen and Tom
Olwen and Tom entered service at Teddington in December 2010. She was a legacy gift from Gwladys Olwen Martin and Thomas Frederick Shelton and she is Teddington's latest IB-1. Since joining the station, she has been the main station boat and was formally named on 21st May 2011.Crew
There are approximately 15 voluntary crew members, including engineers, bankers and designers, few members having any professional sea-faring experience. They train every week in order to achieve the high standards of competence and safety expected of the RNLI.In the event of a call-out, every crew member’s pager
Pager
A pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then requested to call...
is simultaneously activated by the London Coastguard. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days of the year, the crew aim to launch one or both boats depending on the nature of the incident within six minutes of the call to the Coastguard. Their operational target is to be on scene within 15 minutes of the original call. This can be tight if the incident is in Molesey.