Rhyl Lifeboat Station

Rhyl Lifeboat Station
Rhyl Lifeboat Station
Rhyl Lifeboat Station is located in Denbighshire
Rhyl Lifeboat Station
Rhyl, Denbighshire
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationEast Parade,
Town or cityRhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 3YP
CountryWales, UK
Coordinates53°19′30.3″N 3°29′20.0″W / 53.325083°N 3.488889°W / 53.325083; -3.488889
Opened1852
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Rhyl RNLI Lifeboat Station

Rhyl Lifeboat Station can be found at East Parade in Rhyl, a seaside town sitting at the mouth of the River Clwyd, on the coast of Denbighshire, North Wales.

A lifeboat was first placed at Rhyl in 1852, by The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society (SFMRBS). Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854.[1]

The station currently operates 13-34 Anthony Kenneth Heard (ON 1341), a Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat (ALB), on station since 2019, and the smaller D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat (ILB), Geoff Pearce (D-903), on station since 2025.[2]

History

In 1851, the president of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), Duke of Northumberland, offered a prize of 100 guineas for the best design for a self-righting lifeboat. The prize was won by boatbuilder Mr James Beeching of Great Yarmouth.

On the strength of this award, the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society purchased a lifeboat for Rhyl from James Beeching of Great Yarmouth. The boat was a 26-foot x 6-foot 6in self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sails and (8) oars, and was named Gwylan-y-Mor. A boathouse was constructed between the beach and the river, on the west side of the River Clwyd.[3]

On 22 January 1853, the SFMRBS Rhyl lifeboat Gwylan-y-Mor was launched to the aid of a vessel, thought to be the Lord Ashburton, which had been reported 'de-masted' off West Hoyle. Unable to find the vessel, (reports say the boat later put in at Beaumaris), the lifeboat headed home, but capsized on the return trip. The lifeboat didn't self-right, and six of her nine crew were lost.[4][5][6]

Only 3 months earlier, on 1 October 1852, in another Beeching lifeboat, eight SFMRBS lifeboat crew from Lytham had drowned. The lifeboat didn't self-right after capsize. Afterwards it was discovered that doors had been cut into the airtight boxes for storage, and that the water ballast tanks had not been plugged, allowing the water to escape, thus cancelling any self-righting capability.[7][8]

A damning report was published in the "The Lifeboat", dated 1 December 1852, but apparently published after the Rhyl disaster, highlighting the fact that although both boats carried a brass plaque with "Northumberland Prize Boat", neither had been constructed to the same design or standards.[9]

Although modifications were made to the lifeboat, all confidence in the boat had been lost, and although it was officially on service until 1856, the local committee resolved that the boat would not be used again.[10]

On 5 October 1854, under the guidance of the Duke of Northumberland, the RNIPLS became the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Just two months later, on 7 December 1854, the SFMRBS handed over the management of all their stations and lifeboats, including Rhyl and Lytham, to the RNLI. This was to allow the SFMRBS to concentrate of the welfare of those people rescued.[11]

Tubular Lifeboat at New Brighton

On the request of the local committee, and with a view to evaluating its performance, the RNLI commissioned a new design "Tubular" lifeboat, following successful trials of the first boat Challenger, by its inventor H. Richardson, of Bala.[12]

In February 1856, the new 32-foot Tubular lifeboat, constructed by Mr Lees of Manchester, was launched, and towed to Rhyl from Manchester. The lifeboat was constructed using two iron tubes, 32-feet x 2-feet 8in diameter, divided into eight air-tight compartments, and containing 140 cubic feet of air. The tubes were connected together, and supported a deck of 8-feet 4in, sitting approximately 11 inches above the water.[10][13]

It was reported at the meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 3 September 1867, that the sum of £650 had been received from Miss Ellen Hodgson, executor of the will of the late Mrs Elizabeth Morgan of Cheltenham, for the whole cost of the renovation of the Rhyl lifeboat station in her memory. The lifeboat had recently suffered some damage, and after being sent for repairs, returned to be named Morgan. The lifeboat continued to serve at Rhyl until 1893.[14]

Whilst the Tubular lifeboat was away for repairs, unusually, the relief lifeboat supplied was a brand new lifeboat. Henry Nixson No.2 had been built for the new Abergele Lifeboat Station. Before even reaching its new station, it was diverted to cover at Rhyl. When the tubular lifeboat returned, it had been decided to establish the new station a little further along the coast at Llanddulas, and a lifeboat station was never established at Abergele.[15]

1960s onwards

At 01:17 on 17 September 1962, Rhyl Lifeboat Anthony Robert Marshall (ON 869) was launched on service, to the first lifeboat service to a hovercraft. After a season operating between Rhyl and Hoylake, in a north-west gale, the hovercraft had broken adrift, and was in danger of hitting Rhyl promenade. Unable to attach a line, the coxswain manouvered the lifeboat between Hovercraft and shore, rescuing the three crew, and bringing the hovercraft to harbour an hour later when conditions allowed. For this service, Coxswain Harold Campini was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.[16][17]

In 1967, the first D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore Lifeboat (D-141) was also put on service in Rhyl, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies.[18]

The RNLI Bronze Medal was awarded to Helm Don Archer-Jones in 1973, for the courage and seamanship he displayed, when the ILB rescued two boys cut off by the tide. Both were found clinging to a perch marking the sewer outfall between Rhyl and Prestatyn, in a gale force westerly wind and a rough sea on 7 August. Crew member Paul Frost was awarded a medal service certificate.[19]

The Duke of Kent presented the lifeboat station with an anniversary Vellum in 2002, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Rhyl Lifeboat Station.

Description

The lifeboat station is built on the promenade in Rhyl. The building contains the All-weather lifeboat (ALB) with Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS), Inshore lifeboat (ILB), launched with a marinised County Tractor, and a Land-Rover Defender, used for Search and Rescue operations off the coast of Rhyl. The station also has a short concrete slipway that leads down to the beach. Each boat is kept on a carriage attached to a tractor which propels it down to the water and brings it back after use. A fundraising shop is situated on the west side of the boathouse.

Area of operation

The Shannon-class All-Weather lifeboat at Rhyl has a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). The lifeboat can cover an area from Colwyn Bay (west) to Mostyn (east). North of the station the All-Weather lifeboat covers the Oil and Gas platforms of the Douglas and Hamilton fields, and also the windfarms of North Hoyle; Rhyl Flats; and the Gwynt-Y-Mor fields. Rhyl Lifeboat is a part of the contingency plan for any evacuation of the rigs. The area also covers the outer approaches to Liverpool. Adjacent ALBs are at Llandudno to the west, and Hoylake to the east. There is an ILB station at both Flint and West Kirby to the east.

Notable rescues

  • 1962 - ALB, First service ever made by a lifeboat to a hovercraft [20]
  • 1973 - ILB, Rescue to children stuck on sewer outfall [21]
  • 1990 - Towyn and Pensarn floods [22]
  • 2011 - ALB, Rescue kayaker with hypothermia [23]
  • 2011 - ILB, Rescue to mother and son with hypothermia [24]
  • 2012 - ALB, Rescue to cargo ship in Llanddulas [25]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Rhyl.[1][26]

Harold Louis Campini, Coxswain – 1962
Don Archer-Jones, Helm – 1973
  • Medal Service Certificate
Paul Frost, crew member – 1973
  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
Robert Hughes, Honorary Secretary – 1872[27]
Rhyl lifeboat crew – 1962
Donald Jones, Helm – 1974
Richard Perrin, crew member – 1974
James Quinn, crew member – 1974
  • Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
Edward Jones – 1872
Shore Crew – 1962
Martin Jones, Mechanic – 2001
Bruce Arnold Herbert, Coxswain – 1991QBH[28]
Jean Olive Frost, Manageress of the Rhyl Lifeboat Souvenir Shop – 2008NYH[29]
Paul Frost, crew member – 2011QBH[30]
Martin Peter Jones, Coxswain – 2017NYH[31]

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Rhyl lifeboat.[1]

  • Lost when the lifeboat capsized and failed to self-right, on service to the Lord Ashburton, 22 January 1853
John Edwards
John Evans
David George
Phillip Jones
Thomas Jones
William Parry

Rhyl lifeboats

No.1 Station

ON[a] Name Built On Station[32] Class Comments
Pre-244 Gwylan-y-Môr 1852 1852–1856 26-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 1]
70 Unnamed 1856 1856–1868 32-foot Tubular (P&S) [Note 2]
Pre-490 Henry Nixson No.2 1867 1868–1869 33-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]Relief boat whilst ON 70 repaired
70 Morgan 1856 1869–1893 32-foot Tubular (P&S)
287 Caroline Richardson 1891 1893–1897 35-foot 7in Tubular (P&S) [Note 4]
Previously at Pwllheli
398 Caroline Richardson 1896 1897–1939 34-foot Tubular (P&S) [Note 5]
Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

No.2 Station

ON[a] Name Built On Station[33] Class Comments
Pre-457 Jane Dalton 1866 1878–1888 33-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 6]
Previously Robert Raikes at Brighton
166 Jane Martin 1888 1888–1899 34-foot 2in Self-righting (P&S) [Note 7]
No.2 Station closed in 1899

Motor lifeboats

ON[a] Op. No.[b] Name On Station[32] Class Comments
835 – The Gordon Warren 1939–1949 Surf
869 – Anthony Robert Marshall 1949–1968 Liverpool
993 37-22 Har Lil 1968–1990 Oakley
1000 37-29 Mary Gabriel 1990–1992 Rother
1183 12-24 Lil Cunningham 1992–2019 Mersey
1341 13-34 Anthony Kenneth Heard 2019– Shannon [34]

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No.[b] Name On Station[35] Class Comments
D-141 Unnamed 1967–1975 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-243 Unnamed 1976–1987 D-class (Zodiac III)
D-348 Banks' Staff I 1987–1995 D-class (EA16)
D-485 Stafford with Rugeley 1995–2004 D-class (EA16)
D-632 Godfrey and Desmond Nall 2004–2014 D-class (IB1)
D-770 Mary Maxwell 2014–2025 D-class (IB1)
D-903 Geoff Pearce 2025– D-class (IB1)

Launch and recovery tractors (ALB)

Op. No.[b] Reg. No. Type On Station[36] Comments
T6 DM 3318 Clayton 1921–1938
T12 LLY 75 Clayton 1938–1940
T37 GGF 497 Case L 1940–1954
T53 KXT 421 Case LA 1954–1955
T63 PXF 163 Fowler Challenger III 1955–1963
T60 OXO 323 Fowler Challenger III 1963–1972
T67 YLD 792 Fowler Challenger III 1972–1974
T58 OJJ 312 Fowler Challenger III 1974–1975
T68 YUV 742 Fowler Challenger III 1975–1978
T60 OXO 323 Fowler Challenger III 1978–1983
T67 YLD 792 Fowler Challenger III 1983–1984
T92 A462 AUX Talus MB-H Crawler 1984–1997
T91 UAW 558Y Talus MB-H Crawler 1997–2007
T93 A496 CUX Talus MB-H Crawler 2007–2019
SC-T20 HF19 EHH SLARS (Clayton) 2019– Violet Rose Saw

Launch and recovery tractors (ILB)

Op. No.[b] Reg. No. Type On Station[37] Comments
TA09 KLG 681Y Ford 4000 1993–1995
TA25 PHS 545V County 1184 1995–1998
TA35 Q678 BRM County 1184 1998–2003
TW33 M562 OUX Talus MB-764 County 2002–2006
TW31 L526 JUJ Talus MB-764 County 2006–2008
TW44 S193 RUJ Talus MB-764 County 2008–2010
ST02 WA54 HRP Softrak Loglogic 2010–2012
TW05 UJT 151S Talus MB-764 County 2012–
  1. ^ a b c ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ^ a b c d Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 26-foot x 6-foot 6in (8-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Beeching of Great Yarmouth, costing £116.
  2. ^ 32-foot x 8-foot 4in (12-oared) Tubular (P&S) lifeboat, built by Lees of Manchester, costing £200.
  3. ^ 33-foot x 8-foot 6in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £292-8s.
  4. ^ 35-foot 7in x 10-foot (14-oared) Tubular (P&S) lifeboat.
  5. ^ 34-foot 7in x 8-foot 10in (12-oared) Tubular (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London.
  6. ^ 32-foot x 8-foot 6in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
  7. ^ 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Rhyl's station history". Rhyl Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  2. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 130.
  3. ^ "Additional Life-Boat Stations". The Lifeboat. I (I): 13. 1 March 1852. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  4. ^ A Melancholy Catastrophe 1853
  5. ^ John Roberts (23 January 1853). "Loss of Another Life Boat". The Times. No. 21334. London. col C, p. 8.
  6. ^ "Shipping". The Morning Chronicle. No. 26860. London. 25 January 1853.
  7. ^ "Eight Lives Lost by the Upsetting of a Lifeboat". The Times. No. 21237. London. 4 October 1852. col E, p. 5.
  8. ^ "Distressing Accident at Lytham. Eight Lives Lost". Daily News. No. 1987. London. 4 October 1852.
  9. ^ "Lytham and Rhyl Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. I (7): 124. 1 December 1852. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Additional Stations, and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. II (21): 169–170. 1 July 1856. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  11. ^ "A Hundred Years Ago". The Lifeboat. 33 (370). December 1954. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Annual Report". The Lifeboat. II (16): 27. May 1855. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  13. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 20.
  14. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. VI (67): 514. 1 January 1868. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  15. ^ Morris, Jeff (May 2006). The Closed Lifeboat Stations of North Wales. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 30–34.
  16. ^ "First Rescue Ever from a Hovercraft". The Lifeboat. XXXVII (402): 343–344. December 1962. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  17. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. p. 327. ISBN 0907605893.
  18. ^ "Inshore Rescue Boats". The Lifeboat. XXXVIII (407): 3. March 1964. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  19. ^ Cox 1998, p. 348.
  20. ^ Rhyl History
  21. ^ 1973 - Rhyl - Don Archer-Jones
  22. ^ Towyn floods remembered: 20 years on
  23. ^ Kayaker rescued five hours after paddling out to windfarm
  24. ^ Rhyl RNLI volunteers rescue mother and son with hypothermia
  25. ^ Oil leaks from Carrier off Llanddulas after crew saved
  26. ^ Cox 1998, pp. 327, 348.
  27. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. VIII (67): 399. 1 February 1873. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  28. ^ "British Empire Medal (Civil Division)". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  30. ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  31. ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  32. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 4–71.
  33. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 10–22.
  34. ^ Rush, Danielle (7 October 2019). "Historic day planned at Rhyl RNLI to welcome home new £2.5M Shannon". RNLI. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  35. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 88–98.
  36. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 103–106, 113.
  37. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 109–110, 107–108, 114.
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