Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stations are the bases for the RNLI's fleet of search and rescue lifeboats that cover the coastal waters around the entire British Isles, as well as major inland waterways.
The service was established in 1824 and is operated largely by volunteers. Its headquarters are at Poole, Dorset and it is a registered charity in both the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
Key Lifeboat types
The types of boats provided at each station and the launching methods vary depending on local needs. If more than one boat is provided they are sometimes stationed in separate buildings at different locations in the same town. Current RNLI boats fall into three broad groups: All-weather lifeboats (ALBs): , , , and . Inshore lifeboats (ILBs): , and Hovercraft: H-class
Launch methods
The principal launching methods are:
Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) – tractor/track based mobile slipway Carriage – an ALB or ILB is pushed into the water on a carriage by a tractor Davit – an ALB or ILB is lowered into the water by a crane Launchway – an ILB is pushed into the water on a carriage by hand Moored afloat – an ALB or ILB is kept in the water alongside the lifeboat station or nearby, in which case a small boarding boat is provided so that the crew can reach it Slipway – an ALB slides down a slipway straight into the water Transporter – hovercraft are kept on the rear of trucks that can transport and offload them anywhere Versadock / Aquadock – a floating 'drive-on' pontoon
Regions The following lists do not include the lifeguard patrolled beaches which also have their own equipment including inflatable boats and jetskis. The information is correct with reference to the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2026 unless noted otherwise, and is set out like the RNLI's regional model. As far as possible it follows a clockwise route around the coast.
North and East Region (North East and East England) South East Region (South and South East England) South West Region (South West England and the Channel Islands) Wales and West Region: (Wales, North West England and the Isle of Man) Scotland Region (Scotland) Ireland Region (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland)
List of stations by region North & East Region Station Location Lifeboat type(s) Launch method Name and Op.No. Photo Carriage A85 Carriage Richard Wake Burdon (B-864) A85 Carriage Daddy's Girl (B-935) A85 Carriage Sheila & Dennis Tongue III (B-897) A85 Carriage Forever Yibba (B-959) Carriage Mary Beal (D-837) Moored afloat 17-05 Pride of the Humber 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh(Civil Service No.53)Peter Wilcox (D-797) A85 Carriage The Oddfellows (B-818)Station temp. closed due to structural issues. Carriage Russell Pickering (D-813) Moored afloat 13-05 Patsy Knight Davit Annie Tranmer (B-868) Carriage John Wickens (D-798) (training) Carriage Just George (B-879)
South East Region StationLocationLifeboat type(s)Launch method Name and Op.No.Photo Aquadock Olive Laura Deare II (B-827) A85 Carriage Lewisco (B-877) Relief Severn A85 Carriage Jean McIvor (B-922) SLARS 13-02 The Morrell A85 Carriage Hello Herbie II (B-900) Floating Boathouse Random Harvest (B-852) Slipway Sheena Louise (B-859) Moored afloat 17-25 Eric & Susan Hiscock Carriage David Bradley (B-882) Carriage Henrietta H (B-948)
South West Region StationLocationLifeboat type(s)Launch method Name and Op.No.Photo A85 Carriage Spirit of Loch Fyne (B-857) 14-29 Inner Wheel II A85 Carriage Eric W Wilson (B-841) St Peter Port Slipway 16-20 Rose Moored afloat 17-11 The Whiteheads Carriage XKalibur (D-787) Slipway 16-04 Spirit of Padstow Carriage PJS (D-905) Carriage Carriage Barbara Anne Bennett (D-826) A85 Carriage Toby Rundle (B-872) Atlantic 85 A85 Carriage My Lady Anne (B-884)
Wales, West & Isle of Man Region StationLocationLifeboat type(s)Launch method Name and Op.No.Photo Carriage Craig Morris (D-848) Carriage Barbara Jane (D-824) Slipway 16-11 Mark Mason Carriage Swaine-Legane (D-899) Carriage Annie Lizzie (D-893) A85 Carriage Hugh Miles (B-896) A85 Carriage Peter and Ann Setten (B-886) Slipway 16-24 John D. Spicer A85 Carriage Annette Mary Liddington (B-838) Carriage Enid and John Hislop (D-898) Carriage The Lady Barbara (D-795) SLARS 13-42 Anne and James Ritchie II – – Station closed (temp) Slipway Neil Crowe (B-951) SLARS 13-35 Frank and Brenda Winter Carriage Leonard Pownall (D-883) A85 Carriage 16-08 Grace Dixon A85 Carriage Joy Morris (B-831) A85 Carriage Elaine and Don Wilkinson (B-828)
Scotland Region StationLocationLifeboat type(s)Launch method Name and Op.No.Photo Carriage Ronnie Sinclair (D-854) A85 Carriage George D Dow (B-952) 13-25 Stella and Humfrey Berkeley Carriage Sheila MacDonald (D-833) Moored afloat 13-23 Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan A85 Carriage R. A. Wilson (B-854) Launchway Angus and Muriel Mackay (B-903) A85 Carriage James and Helen Mason (B-862) A85 Carriage Rachael Hedderwick (B-876) Moored afloat 13-50 The Campbell-Watson Moored afloat 17-39 Elizabeth Fairlie Ramsay Moored afloat 17-08 Helmut Schroder of Dunlossit II Moored afloat 17-26 Henry Alston Hewat Moored afloat 17-12 Edna Windsor Carriage The Spirit of Fred Olsen (B-856) Moored afloat 13-59 Peter and Mary Moored afloat 17-40 Julian and Margaret Leonard Moored afloat 17-18 Tom Sanderson Moored afloat 17-42 The Taylors Moored afloat 16-05 Helen Comrie Moored afloat 17-13 Margaret Foster Moored afloat 17-16 Violet, Dorothy and Kathleen Moored afloat 17-10 Michael and Jane Vernon Moored afloat 17-14 Charles Lidbury Moored afloat 14-20 Roy Barker II Moored afloat 13-37 Agnes A. P. Barr A85 Carriage Robert and Isobel Mowat (B-873) Floating cradle Sheila & Dennis Tongue IV (B-902) Moored afloat 17-37 William Blannin Lorry-mounted davit Skipasund (B-933) Moored afloat 16-21 John Buchanan Barr Moored afloat Carriage Jamie Hunter (B-919) A85 Carriage Tommy Niven (B-836) Carriage Jimmy Cairncross (B-851) Carriage Sunijo (D-891)
Ireland Region StationLocationLifeboat type(s)Launch method Name and Op.No.Photo Carriage Ruby Robinson (B-944) Moored afloat 14-21 MacQuarie Carriage Blue Peter V (B-833) Moored afloat 13-57 Bobby Cameron SLARS 13-31Michael O'Brien A85 Carriage Louis Simson (B-866) Moored afloat 13-53 Roy Holloway Carriage Frank (D-846) Carriage Cill Dara (D-916) Moored afloat 17-43 Donald and Barbara Broadhead Moored afloat 16-18 Killarney Carriage Naomh Dubhan (D-819) Moored afloat 13-41 William and Agnes Wray Carriage Emma Vosper (D-915) Launchway Robert Armstrong (B-874) Youghal,County Cork A85 Carriage Gordon and Phil (B-890) Moored afloat 14-25 Austin Lidbury Davit John and Janet (B-892) Carriage Moored afloat 13-45 Val Adnams Union Hall,County Cork Carriage Moored afloat 17-44 Annette Hutton Moored afloat 17-07John and Margaret Doig A85 Carriage Edith Louise Eastwick (B-844) Versadock Jean Spier (B-911) Moored afloat 17-06 David Kirkaldy Coosan Point,County Westmeath Carriage Tara Scougall (B-920) Davit Binny (B-853) Moored afloat 14-28 Sam and Ada Moody Carriage Sheila & Dennis Tongue (B-888) CarriageDouglas, Euan and Kay Richards (B-904) CarriageJohn and Jean Lewis (B-912) A85 Carriage William Henry Liddington (B-834) Moored afloat 17-22 Myrtle Maud
See also
List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats Independent lifeboats in Britain and Ireland
References
External links
RNLI lifeboat stations