Porthcawl Lifeboat Station
Encyclopedia
Porthcawl Lifeboat Station (based in Porthcawl
, Bridgend
, Wales
) opened in 1860 and a boathouse was subsequently built on the promenade to house the lifeboat.. This station was closed in 1902 when Porthcawl Dock was closed.
The station reopened in 1965 as an Inshore Lifeboat Station with a D class lifeboat
. The current boathouse was built in 1996 to house a new Atlantic 75 class lifeboat
which is still in service.
In 1870, a new lifeboat was bought for the station which required the existing boathouse to be enlarged. A harness room was also included to store equipment for the six horses needed to launch and recover the lifeboat.
In 1887 the station received yet another new lifeboat, however this lifeboat was used very little with only 9 launches until the station closed in 1902.
Porthcawl Lifeboat Station was closed in 1902 due to the cessation of commercial traffic to the Docks. Since the majority of the stations launches were for commercial traffic, it was deemed unnecessary to have a lifeboat station and the boathouse was sold.
In 1965, the RNLI re-opened the station and placed on service an experimental inflatable inshore lifeboat. This lifeboat was the first D class lifeboat
and it was designed to give a rapid response to recreational water users around the coast.
Due to the RNLI selling the old boathouse, the new lifeboat was housed in a lean-to next to Jennings building and the crew were recruited using adverts in the local press.
In 1995, the stations lifeboat rescued a windsurfer in a force 10 gale which resulted in a silver medal being awarded to the helmsman
In 1996 the RNLI decided that Porthcawl needed a larger boat and a new, purpose built boathouse was constructed to house a brand new Atlantic 75
Porthcawl
Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
, Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
) opened in 1860 and a boathouse was subsequently built on the promenade to house the lifeboat.. This station was closed in 1902 when Porthcawl Dock was closed.
The station reopened in 1965 as an Inshore Lifeboat Station with a D class lifeboat
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:...
. The current boathouse was built in 1996 to house a new Atlantic 75 class lifeboat
Atlantic 75 class lifeboat
B-Class lifeboats serve the shores of the UK as a part of the RNLI inshore fleet.The Atlantic 75 is the second generation Rigid Inflatable Boat in the B-Class series, developed from the Atlantic 21...
which is still in service.
History of the station
Porthcawl Lifeboat station opened in April 1860, with the boathouse being built on the promenade , at the entrance to Knights Arms Square.In 1870, a new lifeboat was bought for the station which required the existing boathouse to be enlarged. A harness room was also included to store equipment for the six horses needed to launch and recover the lifeboat.
In 1887 the station received yet another new lifeboat, however this lifeboat was used very little with only 9 launches until the station closed in 1902.
Porthcawl Lifeboat Station was closed in 1902 due to the cessation of commercial traffic to the Docks. Since the majority of the stations launches were for commercial traffic, it was deemed unnecessary to have a lifeboat station and the boathouse was sold.
In 1965, the RNLI re-opened the station and placed on service an experimental inflatable inshore lifeboat. This lifeboat was the first D class lifeboat
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:...
and it was designed to give a rapid response to recreational water users around the coast.
Due to the RNLI selling the old boathouse, the new lifeboat was housed in a lean-to next to Jennings building and the crew were recruited using adverts in the local press.
In 1995, the stations lifeboat rescued a windsurfer in a force 10 gale which resulted in a silver medal being awarded to the helmsman
In 1996 the RNLI decided that Porthcawl needed a larger boat and a new, purpose built boathouse was constructed to house a brand new Atlantic 75
Atlantic 75 class lifeboat
B-Class lifeboats serve the shores of the UK as a part of the RNLI inshore fleet.The Atlantic 75 is the second generation Rigid Inflatable Boat in the B-Class series, developed from the Atlantic 21...
The Lifeboats
All Weather Lifeboats
- 1860 - 1870 - The Good Deliverance
- 1870 - 1887 - Chafyn Grove
- 1887 - 1902 - Speedwell