Lifeboat Enthusiasts

A site for Lifeboat Enthusiasts

Events

Lifeboat Enthusiasts’ Society organised a well supported visit to Norfolk in April 2023

By

ex RNLB Liverpool Class “Lucy Lavers”

The 2023 annual general meeting of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts’ Society was held in Norfolk on Saturday 22 April.
The Society organised visits to various lifeboat stations over the course of the weekend, starting at Hunstanton on Friday 21 April, Wells on 22 April and Cromer on 23 April.

We also offered trips on two old lifeboats out of Wells on 23 April (at 0815 & 0915, £20 per person) and we observed some operational lifeboats in action.

Many thanks to David Wilkinson our Events Co-ordinator who organised this wonderful event for us.

We look forward to meeting as many of the members as possible at our next meeting, which will be held at Chatham Historic Docks in October this year, date and timings tbc.

Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023 is now published

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Members will be receiving your copy soon and we’re pleased to announce the publication of our LIFEBOAT ENTHUSIASTS’ SOCIETY HANDBOOK 2023.

Do you want to know what the lifeboat numbers relate to and the status of the current RNLI Lifeboat fleet and retired lifeboats back to the late C19th? Purchase this superb, information packed handbook and you can quickly find details of each lifeboat on service, and more.

The new 2023 edition is the most complete guide available for anyone interested in lifeboat stations, lifeboats, hovercraft and launching vehicles.
It’s the perfect companion for visits to the coast. It includes an after-service list of retired all-weather lifeboats, showing last-reported locations. The handbook also lists lifeboats both pre and post the RNLI numbering system, plus all the boats that have served at both open and closed stations.

If you are an LBES member yours will be with you shortly. If not you can purchase one for £7 including postage by sending a cheque made payable to ‘RNLI’ to: Tony Denton, Dawn, Upper Battlefield, Shrewsbury. SY4 4AA.

LBES Car window stickers are also available to purchase from Tony at £2 each.

Why not join the society and get the handbook and 3 Lifeboats Past and Present magazines annually. Adults £22 (£30/€37 overseas including airmail delivery). Details of how to become a LBES Member are here in the Join Us page on our website, www.lifeboatenthusiasts.com 

Jeff Morris – ex LBES Archivist

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It is our sad duty to inform LBES members of the death of Jeff Morris 0n 17 November 2022. We understand that he passed away peacefully in the care home where he had been resident for a few years.

Jeff was, of course, the very long-standing Archivist of the Society, and the author of numerous books and articles on lifeboats and the RNLI, and a regular contributor to the Society Newsletter.

A full obituary of Jeff will appear in the spring 2023 edition of Lifeboats Past and Present.

Last Tyne Class in RNLI Service retires after 30 years on station at Wicklow

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There were mixed emotions on display at Wicklow on Sunday 28th April 2019 when a ceremony of celebration was held to mark the retirement of the last magnificent Tyne Class lifeboat in RNLI service.  After some 30 years on station, she was also, coincidentally, the last steel hulled RNLI lifeboat in service too, after an unbroken 55 year run from 44-001 coming into service in 1964, historic times indeed!

Wicklow’s Tyne was ON1153, 47-035, Annie Blaker. She began her service at Wicklow RNLI in 1989 and along with ON1147, 47-032, Sir William Hillary who served at Douglas 1988 to 2018, is one of the two Tyne Class boats to reach a full 30 years on station.

47-035 will now sail to Portishead Marina for decommissioning from the RNLI fleet, the end of a wonderful chapter in the RNLI’s ongoing history.

The first Tyne was ON1074, 47-001, City of London, serving Selsey from 1983 – 2006 and the last built was ON1158, 47-040, Hermione Lady Colwyn that served at Shoreham Harbour from 1990 to 2010). Since retiring from RNLI Service 8 were sold to China and are serving as lifeboats, 5 are serving other lifeboat services in places as diverse as Canada and Sri Lanka, 23 are in private/business use as workboats, pilot boats, fast ferries and pleasure craft in places such as Portishead in England, California in the USA, a number in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and even one in Togo (West Africa).

Three are now allocated for Museums; ON1131, 47-023 City of Sheffield at the National Emergency Services Museum, Sheffield, ON1132, 47-020 Spirit of Lowestoft to the RNLI Museum Chatham and ON1146, 47-031 Voluntary Worker at Glasson Dock).

All the Tynes have an excemplary service record and of course their fabulous Detroit Diesel engine sound will be much missed!

Thanks to the excellent Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2019 for reference material.

(photos c/o Phil Griffiths)