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Lifeboat station at Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station is a lifeboat station at Southend-on-Sea in the English county of Essex, operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since 1879.[1][2]
| Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station | |
|---|---|
 | |
Lifeboat station at the end of Southend Pier. | |
  Southend-on-Sea, Essex | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station |
| Address | Southend Pier, |
| Town or city | Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1EE |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°31′56.6″N 0°42′59.0″E |
| Opened | 1879 |
| Owner | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Website | |
| Southend-on-sea RNLI Lifeboat Station | |
Because of the large tidal range and extensive drying foreshore at Southend, the lifeboat station uses two boathouses.
The first of these is situated at the head (outer end) of the 1.34 miles (2.16 km) long Southend Pier, and houses a B-class (Atlantic 85) lifeboat and a smaller D-class (IB1) lifeboat, both of which are launched by davit into the deep water adjoining the pier.
The second boathouse is situated adjacent to the inshore end of the pier, and houses a second D-class IB1 lifeboat together with a H class hovercraft, both of which are launched down an adjacent slipway.[3]
The pier head lifeboat station from the sea (the lifeboats are stored behind the red doors, and are launched by the davits)
The pier-head lifeboat house is a modern structure, which incorporates crew accommodation and offices, an RNLI shop, and a viewing gallery from which visitors can view the lifeboats. It is topped by a sun deck to which the public have access. Lifeboat crews use an electric buggy, complete with sirens and blue flashing lights, to access this boathouse along the pier from the shore.[3]
The lifeboat station was first established in 1879, and was launched from davits on the pier in a similar manner to today. Between 1885 and 1891 there was a second station on the mainland, with the boat launched by horse-drawn carriage. The first motor lifeboat arrived in 1928. In 1935, a new lifeboat house and slipway was erected at the pier head. In 1940, the lifeboat Greater London (Civil Service No.3) (ON 704) was one of the 19 lifeboats which assisted in the evacuation of Dunkirk.[3]
In 1955 what would prove to be Southend's final All-weather lifeboat went on station. The newly built Greater London II (Civil Service No.30), a 46ft 9in Watson-class, entered service on 3 April. From then until 1968, the Thames Estuary was covered by three similar slipway launched 46ft 9in Watsons stationed on seaside piers at Clacton-on-Sea, Margate and Southend-on-Sea. Clacton's Watson was replaced by a 37ft Oakley-class lifeboat in 1968.[3]
In 1969, the RNLI placed two extra lifeboats on the Thames Estuary, following a decision by the RAF to withdraw the rescue helicopters from RAF Manston. An extra D-class lifeboat went to Southend-on-Sea, and it was decided to place an All-weather lifeboat at Sheerness on evaluation.[4]
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By the early 1970s, two inflatable inshore lifeboats were in use at Southend to provide assistance to the increasing number of pleasure craft. In 1974, Sheerness was allocated a fast Waveney-class boat and two years later Southend's All-weather Watson-class lifeboat was withdrawn and replaced by the Inshore Atlantic 21-class Percy Garon (B-527). This was initially kept in the 1935 pier head boathouse, but in 1986 the coaster Kings Abbey sliced through the pier and lifeboat slipway, badly damaging the lifeboat house. A temporary station was quickly re-established at the pierhead, and officially opened by HRH Princess Anne in 1991. This temporary station was used until 2002, when today's modern boathouse was opened.[3]
A new 'Dry End' shore boathouse was completed on 16 July 2013, to accommodate the hovercraft, Vera Ravine (H-004), and second Inshore D-class lifeboat.[5]
Two Southend lifeboats have been named in recognition of Percy Garon MC GM (1890-1987), who was Honorary Secretary of Southend-On-Sea Lifeboat Station from 1952-1975.[6][7]
The following are awards made at Southend-on-Sea[8]
| ON[a] | Name | In service[12] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-646 | Boys of England and Edwin J. Brett | 1879-1889 | 24ft Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 33 | Theodore & Herbert (Southend No.2) |
1885-1899 | 34ft Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 259 | Boys of England and Edwin J. Brett (Southend No.1) |
1889-1891 | 25ft Self-righting (P&S) | Previously William James Holt at Weston-super-Mare |
| 430 | James Stevens No.9 | 1899-1923 | Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | |
| 505 | Reserve No.7C | 1923−1924 | Watson (P&S) | Previously William Roberts at Littlehaven |
| 535 | Reserve No.7E | 1924−1928 | Watson (P&S) | Previously Charlie Medland at The Mumbles |
| 704 | Greater London (Civil Service No.3) |
1928−1941 | Ramsgate | |
| 694 | J.B.Proudfoot | 1941−1945 | 45ft Watson | Previously H.F. Bailey at Cromer |
| 704 | Greater London (Civil Service No.3) |
1945−1955 | Ramsgate | |
| 921 | Greater London II (Civil Service No.30) |
1955−1976 | 46ft 9in Watson | |
| Op. No.[b] | Name | In service[13] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-21 | Unnamed | 1965 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-60 | Unnamed | 1965−1966 | D-class (Dunlop) | |
| D-61 | Unnamed | 1966 | D-class (Dunlop) | |
| D-35 | Unnamed | 1966 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-63 | Unnamed | 1967 | D-class (Dunlop) | |
| D-62 | Unnamed | 1967−1969 | D-class (Dunlop) | |
| D-128 | Unnamed | 1969−1970 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-158 | Unnamed | 1969−1975 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-28 | Unnamed | 1970−1972 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-146 | Unnamed | 1970−1975 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-150 | Unnamed | 1975−1976 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-236 | Unnamed | 1975−1987 | D-class (Zodiac III) | |
| D-225 | Unnamed | 1987 | D-class (Zodiac III) | |
| D-349 | Unnamed | 1987−1995 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-341 | Unnamed | 1988 | D-class (Zodiac III) | |
| D-368 | Douglas Cameron | 1988−1997 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-341 | Unnamed | 1989 | D-class (Zodiac III) | |
| D-487 | Foresters London Pride | 1995−2005 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-527 | Ethel Royal | 1997−2007 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-633 | Pride of London Foresters | 2005−2014 | D-class (IB1) | |
| D-682 | The Essex Freemason | 2007−2017 | D-class (IB1) | |
| D-771 | William Henderson | 2014− | D-class (IB1) | |
| D-818 | Len Thorne GM DFC | 2018− | D-class (IB1) | |
| Op. No.[b] | Name | In service[13] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-527 | Percy Garon (Civil Service) |
1976−1986 | Atlantic 21 | [6][7] |
| B-567 | Percy Garon II | 1986−2001 | Atlantic 21 | |
| B-776 | Vic and Billie Whiffen | 2001−2015 | Atlantic 75 | |
| B-755 | London's Anniversary 175 | 2015−2016 | Atlantic 75 | |
| B-885 | Julia & Angus Wright | 2016− | Atlantic 85 | |
| Op. No.[b] | Name | In service [13] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-004 | Vera Ravine | 2004− | Hovercraft | [14] |
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