Penarth Lifeboat Station () is located on the Esplanade in Penarth, a town and seaside resort on the north coast of the Bristol Channel, approximately south of Cardiff, in the county of Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
A lifeboat was first stationed at Penarth by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1861. The station was closed in 1905, with services transferred to other local stations until 1980, when the station reopened on Penarth seafront with an Inshore lifeboat.
The station currently operates an Inshore lifeboat, (B-839) Maureen Lilian (B-839), on station since 2010, and a Inshore lifeboat, Spirit of Penarth II (D-822), on station since 2018.
History The Bristol Channel has always been a hazardous stretch of water because of the extreme tidal range. There are very strong currents or rips close inshore, with speeds that exceed 7 knots (13 km/h), for several hours at each tide. The rise and fall of the tides at Penarth are the second highest recorded anywhere in the world.
At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday, 6 September 1860, a letter of 13 August was read, from James B. Bryan, Chief Officer of H.M. Coastguard Penarth, requesting that a lifeboat be placed at Penarth, which would receive good county support. Another letter, of 7 August 1860, had been received from Mr George Gay, an architect and builder, of Cotham Park, Bristol, who wished to present the Institution with £180 for the purchase of a lifeboat, and £20 as a donation. It was agreed that a lifeboat would be provided to Penarth, with the gift appropriated to the station.
A 30-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, was sent to Penarth in January 1861, and named George Gay after the donor.
The lifeboat was housed in a shed, built near to where Penarth Yacht Club now stands, at the southern end of Penarth beach, and controlled by staff located at the Coastguard cottages and Trinity House lookout tower on Tower Hill near Marine Parade.
The manually powered (rowing) or "pulling boats" were 30 feet in length and were powered by 12 oars. They had cork in their hull and shaped air-cases fore and aft. The boats were self-righting and their double-ended designs could operate a rudder from either end, so there was no need to turn.
The Penarth lifeboat was renamed Baroness Windsor in 1865, remaining so named until the lifeboat was found to be completely rotten in 1868, and replaced. The new boat, a 32-foot self-righting lifeboat, was again named George Gay.
In 1883, when the Yacht Club and the raised concrete esplanade were constructed along Penarth seafront, an All-weather lifeboat was relocated to a yard and temporary slipway near the Taff Vale Railway Marine Hotel on the Dock Beach, where it remained until 1905.
The Penarth lifeboat was withdrawn from service in 1905 and all services transferred to the new Barry Dock Lifeboat Station, and the station at . The lifeboat on station at the time of closure, Joseph Denman (ON 295), was transferred to . Penarth would have no lifeboat service for the next 75 years, until a new ILB station opened in 1980.
Some historic rescues by the Penarth lifeboat Date of incident Vessel in distress Penarth Lifeboat Details 18 November 1864 Far West George Gay The Penarth lifeboat was towed by the paddle tug Marquis to the English and Welsh grounds near the mouth of the River Usk, where the full-rigger Far West of Newport was aground with 22 crewmen, having lost her anchors, hawsers and windlass off Lundy. The Penarth lifeboatmen were put aboard, her anchors recovered and she was eventually re-floated, before being towed to Bristol for repairs. 17 November 1867 Marie Baroness Windsor The brig Marie from Griefswald, Prussia lost her anchor and cables and was driven up the Bristol Channel and into shallow waters by high winds, after rescue attempts by three tugs and two pilot skiffs failed. After ten hours of rowing, the Penarth lifeboat managed to manoeuvre under her lee and rescued all 11 sailors. The lifeboat crew were as exhausted as the rescued seamen and suffering from exposure. 1 November 1872 Jernbyrd George Gay (II) The Norwegian barque Jernbyrd and the Magna Charta from Halifax, Nova Scotia, collided during a heavy gale in Penarth Roads. The Canadian ship freed herself but the Norwegian vessel was holed below the water line and the Penarth lifeboat launched to assist. The Norwegian captain asked the lifeboat to stand by while his crew attempted repairs; they stayed alongside all night until dawn when the ship was towed to Cardiff for repairs. 8 December 1872 Eleanor George Gay (II) During a bad storm the brig Wallace rolled over and sank with all hands and a Nova Scotian barque also sank with its full crew. The Penarth lifeboat launched to assist the Eleanor of Quebec that had gone aground on Cardiff Sands. They rescued five crew members but the ship’s mate refused to leave his vessel. The following day the lifeboat rowed out twice with crew members who re-boarded and were able to re-float her and sail to Cardiff. 7 March 1877 Crocodile Joseph Denman The Penarth lifeboat launched to assist the brig Crocodile from Dartmouth, that had gone aground on Cardiff Sands in high winds. The brig was re-floated on the flood tide and continued its journey to Cardiff docks. 14 October 1881 Febo Joseph Denman The barque Febo from Genoa was driven up the Bristol Channel by a stiff gale until she was off Penarth Roads in poor shape, her fore and main masts broken at deck level and her anchors lost. The Penarth lifeboat launched and put several lifeboat men on board to jury-rig temporary sails. The vessel was taken in tow by a tugboat and the lifeboat took 14 crew members to the shore. 27 January 1884 Juan de la Vega Joseph Denman The Spanish brigantine was bound for Cardiff with a heavy cargo of pit-props and found itself in difficulty off Lavernock Head. The lifeboat men from Penarth repaired the rigging and commenced pumping her out while she was towed to Cardiff dock by a tug.
1980s onwards With the regular daily hovercraft service between Penarth to Weston-super-Mare, coupled with an increase in leisure boating generated by a new water skiing club, it was decided in 1980 to re-establish lifeboat services at Penarth, with the provision of an inflatable Inshore lifeboat. The new boat was located at the original site next to Penarth Yacht Club, housed in an unused storehouse and launched down the yacht club’s jetty.
The current boathouse was built in 1995 to house a lifeboat. Also provided were a Talus MB-4H amphibious tractor, a workshop, an RNLI souvenir shop, a fuel store and improved crew facilities. The following year a lifeboat arrived, for a temporary duty at the station. That boat was replaced four months later by the Spirit of Penarth (B-725) and the Severn Rescuer (D-534). The D-class lifeboat is launched using a TC45 tractor and carriage.
In 2010 Spirit of Penarth (B-725) was withdrawn from service, and replaced with the Maureen Lilian (B-839).
Station honours The following are awards made at Penarth:
RNLI Gold Medal For the rescue of three men from the Mosquito-class yacht Firefly, 16 June 1907 Daniel Rees, Solicitor – 1907 RNLI Silver Medal For the rescue of three men from the Mosquito-class yacht Firefly, 16 June 1907 Ivor Rees, Engineer – 1907 'The Thanks of the Institute inscribed on Vellum' For the rescue of a yacht close to Lavernock Point on 2 May 2011. Jason Dunlop, Helm – 2012 Aran Pitter, crew member – 2012 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' For rescuing a man cut off by the tide on 25 May 2002. Simeon Rabaiotti, Helm – 2002
Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving Penarth lifeboat. Lost whilst attempting to rescue a man, who had gone overboard from his own boat, in high winds and rough seas, 11 November 1891 John Charles Frederick Jackson, lifeboat man (53) Mr Redmond
Penarth lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments George Gay1860 1861–186530-foot Peake self-righting (P&S) x (6-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mr George Gay of Bristol, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £157.Renamed Baroness Windsor in 1865. 1865–1868 Sold in 1868 (decayed). Pre-516 George Gay 1868 1868–1875 32-foot Prowse self-righting (P&S) x (10-oared) Prowse-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mr George Gay of Bristol, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £247.Transferred to Pre-601 Joseph Denman 1875 1875–1881 x (8-oared) Montrose-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Hon. Mrs Denman of London, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £275.Returned to London in 1881. 239 Joseph Denman 1881 1881–1897 37-foot self-righting (P&S) x (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Hon. Mrs Denman of London, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £392.Broken up in 1897. 295 Joseph Denman 1890 1897–1905 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) x (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Hon. Mrs Denman of London, built by Watkins of Blackwall, London, costing £545 when new.Previously T. P. Hearne at . Transferred to . Station closed in 1905
Inshore lifeboats D class Op.No. Name Class Comments D-120 1980–1981 D-279 1981–1989 D-384 John Cresswell 1989–1998 D-534 Severn Rescuer 1998–2008 D-692 Connie Dains 2018–
B class Op.No. Name Class Comments B-515 Vee Webber 1996 Previously Blue Peter II at 1996–2010 B-839 Maureen Lilian 2010–
Launch and recovery tractors Op. No. Reg. No. Type Comments TW27Hc Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) TW26Hc M423 OAW Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 2006–2021 TA87 WA58 LHG New Holland B3045 2009–2023 TW60Hc DX54 UYM Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 2021– TA140 WJ72 TFX New Holland Boomer 50 2023–
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage
Notes
References
External links Penarth RNLI Lifeboat Station