Porthcawl Lifeboat Station

Porthcawl Lifeboat Station is located at The Esplanade, in the town of Porthcawl, on the South Wales coast, in Bridgend, Wales.

Porthcawl Lifeboat Station
Porthcawl Lifeboat Station
Porthcawl, Bridgend
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Address	The Esplanade
Town or city	Porthcawl, Bridgend, CF36 3YR
Country	Wales, UK
Coordinates	51°28′26″N 3°42′06″W
Opened	1860 & 1965
Closed	1902
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Porthcawl RNLI Lifeboat Station

A lifeboat station was established here in 1860 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), but was closed in 1902, when Porthcawl Dock closed.^[1]

The station was reopened in 1965 as an Inshore Lifeboat Station, with a D-class (EA16) Inshore lifeboat. It currently operates a B-class (Atlantic 85), Rose of The Shires (B-832), on station since 2009, and the smaller D-class (IB1) Hugo Missen (D-861), on station since 2022.^[2]

History

The station opened in April 1860, when the 30-foot self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, The Good Deliverance, was placed here. A boathouse was constructed on the promenade, at the entrance to Knights Arms Square.^[3]

In 1872, a new 32-foot lifeboat Chafyn Grove was placed at the station. The existing boathouse to be enlarged, and a harness room was also included, to store equipment for the six horses needed to launch and recover the lifeboat.^[2]

In 1887 the station received another new lifeboat, Speedwell (ON 127). This 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 inflatable Inshore D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat . This lifeboat was one of the first D-class lifeboats, 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.

On 30 December 1994, the station was alerted to a windsurfer in difficulty, caught in a riptide. Even thought the conditions were well beyond the operational limits of the D-class (EA16), Tiger D (D-390) was launched with experience helm Stuart Roberts, along with Carl Evans and Wayne Evans. When the surfer was finally pulled aboard, he was still attached to his board by an elastic cord, which shot into the lifeboat, hitting Roberts on his 'bump cap', which was dented. Stuart Ian Roberts, helmsman, was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.^[4]

Porthcawl Tractor in use on the RNLI Slipway in Porthcawl

In 1996 the RNLI decided that Porthcawl needed a larger boat and a new, purpose built boathouse was constructed to house a brand new B-class (Atlantic 75) lifeboat, along with a new Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic launch tractor and Talus Atlantic Drive Off / Drive On launch carriage.^[5]

In 2022, D-class (IB1) lifeboat (D-861) Hugo Missen replaced relief lifeboat (D-776) Super G II, based at Porthcawl since 2020. The lifeboat has been named in memory of Hugo Joseph Missen, son of Helm Joseph Missen and his fiancé Jessica Entwistle, who died of cancer in December 2016 aged 15 months. Hugo was also the grandson of Porthcawl RNLI’s Lifeboat Operations Manager, Philip Missen MBE. ^[6]

Station honours

The following are among the RNLI medals and other awards presented for service off Porthcawl:^[1][4]

Silver Medals x 8 – pre 1860

Eight Silver Medals were awarded for rescues off the coast prior to an official RNLI station opening in Porthcawl in 1860.

Bronze Medal – 1929

A Bronze Medal was awarded to William H B Cotton for going to the help of the crew of the steamship Kendy.

Framed Letter of Thanks x 3 – 1968

Three Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to L S Knipe, J Lock and R A Comley for assisting the sand dredger Steepholm in partnership with the Mumbles lifeboat.

Silver Medal – 1995

A Silver Medal was awarded to Stuart Roberts for rescuing a surfer and his board caught in a rip tide in winds gusting to force 9 on 30 December 1994.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum x 2 – 1995

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellums were awarded to Crew Members Carl Evans and Wayne Evans for their actions during a rescue involving a surfer and his board on 30 December 1994.

Framed Letter of Thanks – 1995

A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to the Station Honorary Secretary, Mr John Williams for his actions during a rescue involving a surfer and his board on 30 December 1994.

Framed Letter of Thanks x 2 – 1997

Two Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to Helmsman Philip Missen and Crew Member Steve Jones for assisting two people cut off by the tide.

Framed Letter of Thanks x 2- 1998

Two Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to Helmsman Philip Missen and Crew Member Ross Martin for rescuing a man clinging to his capsized boat.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum – 2002

The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman Timothy Morgan for the rescue of a windsurfer.

Framed Letter of Thanks x 2 – 2002

A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Crew Members Riccardo Rava and Carl Evans for the rescue of a windsurfer.

Bronze Medal – 2002

A Bronze Medal was awarded to Helmsman Nick Beale for rescuing two fisherman washed off the pier in sea conditions exceeding normal operating limits of an Atlantic 75 lifeboat.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum x 2 – 2002

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellums were awarded to crew members Riccardo Rava and Stephen Knipe for rescuing two fisherman washed off the pier in sea conditions exceeding normal operating limits of an Atlantic 75 lifeboat.

Framed Letter of Thanks – 2002

A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Helmsman Stephen Jones for rescuing two fisherman washed off the pier in sea conditions exceeding normal operating limits of an Atlantic 75 lifeboat.

Bronze Medal – 2004

A Bronze Medal was awarded to Helmsman Aileen Jones when two people and the fishing vessel Gower Pride were saved near the Nash sandbank. Aileen was first female lifeboat helmsman in 116 years to be given such an accolade.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum – 2004

Crew Member Simon Emms was awarded the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum for saving two people and the fishing vessel Gower Pride near the Nash Sandbank.

Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) – 2016

Christine Aileen Jones ^[7]

Porthcawl lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON[a]	Name	In service[8]	Class	Comments
Pre-361	The Good Deliverance	1860–1872	30-foot Self-Righting (P&S)	[Note 1]
Pre-567–	Chafyn Grove	1872–1887	32-foot Self-Righting (P&S)	[Note 2]
127	Speedwell	1887–1902	34-foot 2in Self-Righting (P&S)	[Note 3]

Lifeboat withdrawn, and station closed in 1902

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Inshore lifeboats

D-class

Op. No.[b]	Name	In service[2]	Class	Comments
D-52	Unnamed	1965–1970	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-174	Unnamed	1970–1983	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-291	Donald Rigby Middleton	1983–1989	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-390	Tiger D	1989–1996	D-class (EA16)
D-class lifeboat withdrawn 1996, reinstated 2012
D-714	Jean Ryall	2012–2020	D-class (IB1)
D-776	Super G II	2020–2022	D-class (IB1)
D-861	Hugo Missen	2022–	D-class (IB1)	[6] Our Buoy Hugo's Fund[9]

B-class

Op. No.[b]	Name	In service[2]	Class	Comments
B-549	Blenwatch	1996	Atlantic 21
B-726	Giles	1996–2009	Atlantic 75
B-832	Rose of The Shires	2009–	Atlantic 85	[10]

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No.[b]	Reg. No.	Type	In service[2]	Comments
TW29Hc	N144 WUJ	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	1996–2008
TW27Hc	M741 RUX	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2008–2015
TW29Hc	N144 WUJ	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2015–

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

1. 30-foot Self-Righting (P&S) lifeboat.
2. 32-foot Self-Righting (P&S) lifeboat.
3. 34-foot 2in Self-Righting (P&S) lifeboat.

References

1. "Porthcawl's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
2. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
3. "Glamorgan Sheet XXXIX". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
4. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0-907605-89-3.
5. "Talus MB-4H Tractor". Details of the MB-4H production. Clayton Engineering Ltd. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
6. "New inshore lifeboat Hugo Missen goes on service at Porthcawl RNLI". RNLI. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
7. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
8. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021 (2021 ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
9. "Our Buoy Hugo's Fund". Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
10. "Lifeboat will get crews to the rescue faster". Wales online. Retrieved 14 September 2009.

External links

• The RNLI - Porthcawl RNLI page
• Porthcawl RNLI Website