St Peter Port Lifeboat Station is located at St Peter Port, capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and main port of the island of Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency and one of the Channel Islands.
A lifeboat was first placed on Guernsey in 1803, stationed at St Sampson. In 1861, management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), with operations moving to St Peter Port in 1881.
The station currently operates a All-weather lifeboat, 17-04 Spirit of Guernsey (ON 1203), on station since 1997, and a Inshore lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), on station since 2024.
History In 1803, the 12 members of the St Peter Port Douzaine decided that a lifeboat was required. An order for a lifeboat costing £170 was placed with Henry Greathead. The lifeboat would be stationed at St Sampson. It is not known for how long the lifeboat operated, but was reported to have 'rotted away'.
Ever since its founding in 1824, the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), later to become the RNLI in 1854, would award medals for deeds of gallantry at sea, even if no lifeboats were involved. In 1851, the RNIPLS Silver Medal was awarded to Pilot John Mitchell for the rescue of three people from the Cutter Adele. Five more RNLI Silver Medals were awarded for the efforts to save the 15 crew of the barque Boadicea, on passage from Alexandria to Antwerp, when she was wrecked on Tautenay rock on 5 January 1857. Just six of the 15 crew were rescued.
As a result of the wreck of the Boadicea, Mr Gustavus Carrington and Capt. Richard Peake arranged a public subscription for the purchase of a new lifeboat. £115-19s-10d was raised in just seven days. Rescue, a new 28-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and oars, arrived on 20 July. Without a carriage, the boat was stored at Stonelake's yard in St Sampson.
On 30 May 1861, a resolution was passed at the public meeting, to request that the RNLI take over the management of St Sampson Lifeboat Station. The request was forwarded by Mr Henri Tupper, on behalf of the Guernsey lifeboat committee, and following the visit and report of the RNLI Inspector, the request was agreed at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 4 July 1861. A new lifeboat carriage was ordered, along with the commissioning of a new lifeboat house, to be built on North Side Street, St Sampson, at a cost of £134.
In 1862, the RNLI supplied a replacement 30-foot (6-oared) lifeboat and carriage. Initially unnamed, the RNLI would receive the bequest of £1000 from the late Miss Louisa Hall in 1868. The funds were appropriated to the station, and the lifeboat named Louisa Hall.
Victor Hugo presented the Harbour Master Capt. Abraham Martin, as a ‘mark of esteem’ with his own design of lifejacket and belt in 1870.
In 1875, a larger 32-feet 10-oared lifeboat, along with its carriage, was sent to Guernsey. In a grand celebration, the lifeboat was drawn by 8 horses through the principle towns of the island, escorted by a band and a large crowd of spectators. At a service and naming ceremony, the lifeboat, funded by a gift to the Institution by Mrs. and the Misses Lockett of Liverpool, in memory of a deceased son and brother, was named John Lockett.
In 1878, the lifeboat house was sold to the States for £143-10s-0d, and the John Lockett was transferred to the new La Lande Lifeboat Station, established in the north-east corner of the Island, near what is now Beaucette Marina. A new boathouse had been constructed, at a cost of £334. However, after problems maintaining a crew in that location, it was decided to relocate the lifeboat once again, this time to a new station at St Peter Port. The lifeboat was returned to St Sampson in 1880 for storage, until the new station was ready.
In 1881, St Peter Port Lifeboat Station was established at Saint Peter Port Harbour castle emplacement, with the Castle slipway being amended to suit lifeboat launches. 1896 saw the introduction of maroons to summon the crew.
In June 1940 the relief lifeboat Alfred and Clara Heath ON 672 was strafed by German aircraft and Harold Hobbs, son of the Coxswain Fred Hobbs, was killed. This lifeboat stayed in Guernsey during the occupation and was used by the Kriegsmarine (Nazi German navy).
Lifeboat house built on St Julians Emplacement in 1946.
In 1952 the Flying Christine, an ex seaplane tender was brought into service by St John Ambulance as an ambulance boat, to work closely with the RNLI.
RNLI Gold Medal and Norwegian Lifeboat Service Gold Medal awarded to Hubert Petit for rescue crew of 9 from Johann Collett in 1963. In 1977 maroons were replaced by ‘bleepers’, which were followed in 1983 with pagers.
In 1978 Coxswain John Petit was awarded a silver medal and the ‘Maud Smith’ award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year following the rescue from the oil rig Orion.
RNLI Gold Medal awarded to Coxwain Michael Scales for the rescue of 29 from Bonita in December 1981 as well as the ‘Maud Smith’ Award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year.
In 1992 Coxswain Peter Bisson received a silver medal for the rescue from the yacht Sena Siorra and the ‘Maud Smith’ Award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year.
From 2015, the Guernsey Joint Emergency Services Control Centre handles all 999 emergency calls including radio Mayday, Pan-pan and Sécurité messages.
2020 saw the RNLI's 1,500th call out from Guernsey, during which time 600 lives have been saved and 2,000 people taken to safety.
In 2024, St Peter Port received a new lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), in memory of the RNLI volunteer who was killed by German forces while serving on a Guernsey lifeboat in 1940.
On 2 October 2025, the RNLI announced that following a strategic review of resources, the three lifeboat stations in the Channel Islands, in Jersey, , and St Peter Port, would each be assigned a All-weather lifeboat over the following three years, replacing the , and lifeboats on station.
Operations Search and rescue operations are conducted and co-ordinated using the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESCC) with some or all of:
Lifeboat stations in Alderney, Jersey and France Jersey Coastguard Channel Islands Air Search spotter plane Guernsey Fire and Rescue Service Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service
UK Maritime and Her Majesty's Coastguard French Maritime Authorities and Maritime Gendarmerie Royal Navy French Navy
Records and awards
RNLI Medals awarded: 2 Gold medals 14 Silver medals 15 Bronze medals Over 1,500 launches Over 600 lives saved
Foreign gallantry awards received from: France Norway Greece Liberia Marshall Islands
Station honours The following are awards made at St Peter Port, Guernsey
RNLI Gold Medal Hubert Ernest Petit, Coxswain – 1963
Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1982
Gold Medal, awarded by the Norwegian Lifeboat Institution Hubert Ernest Petit, Coxswain – 1963
Gold medal, awarded by the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1984 (awarded for service in 1979)
RNIPLS Silver Medal John Mitchell, Pilot – 1851
RNLI Silver Medal Henry Bougourd, Pilot of Cutter Blonde – 1857 Peter Corbet, Pilot of Cutter Blonde – 1857 George Hughes, Pilot of Cutter Blonde – 1857 William Pillar, Gunner, H.M. Revenue Cutter Eagle – 1857 William Cockrom, Steward, H.M. Revenue Cutter Eagle – 1857 (each man also awarded £2)
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1978
Peter Bisson, Coxswain – 1992
Silver Cup with diploma, awarded by the Norwegian Lifeboat Institution Eric Clifford Pattimore, Motor Mechanic – 1963 John Hubert Petit, crew member – 1963
Silver medal, awarded by the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine Robert Hamon, crew member – 1984 Eric Pattimore, crew member – 1984 Robert Vowles, crew member – 1984 John Robilliard, crew member – 1984 Graham Eker, crew member – 1984 (awarded for service in 1979)
RNLI Bronze Medal Eric Clifford Pattimore, Motor Mechanic – 1963 John Hubert Petit, crew member – 1963
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1975 (Second-Service Clasp)
John Harry Robilliard, Emergency Mechanic – 1975
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1978 (Third-Service Clasp)
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1979 (Fourth-Service Clasp)
Peter Nicholas Bougourd, Second Coxswain – 1982 Robert Lewis Vowles, Mechanic – 1982 Alan Frederick Martel, Assistant Mechanic – 1982 Peter John Bisson, crew member – 1982 John Philip Bougourd, crew member – 1982 Richard James Hamon, crew member – 1982 John Webster, crew member – 1982
Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1984
Peter John Bisson, Second Coxswain – 1985 (Second-Service Clasp)
The Maud Smith Award John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1978
Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1981
Peter John Bisson, Coxswain – 1992
Medal Service Certificate Robert Hamon, crew member – 1979 Eric Pattimore, crew member – 1979 Robert Vowles, crew member – 1979 John Robilliard, crew member – 1979 Graham Eker, crew member – 1979
The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1963
John H. Petit, Coxswain – 1971
Peter Bougourd, Deputy Coxswain – 1978 Robert Hamon, crew member – 1978
Lloyd De Mouilpied, Deputy Coxswain – 1978 Eric C Pattimore, Motor Mechanic – 1978 Robert Vowles, Assistant Mechanic – 1978 Michael Scales, crew member – 1978 Robert Hamon, crew member – 1978 John Webster, crew member – 1978 John Robilliard, crew member – 1978
Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1983
Peter Nicholas Bougourd, Second Coxswain – 1983 Alan Martel, Assistant Mechanic – 1983
Robert Vowles, Motor Mechanic – 1984
Alan Martel, Assistant Mechanic – 1985 Michael Guille, crew member – 1985
John Bougourd, Second Coxswain – 1992 James Youlton, Mechanic – 1992 Keith Martel, Assistant Mechanic – 1992 Philip Martel, crew member – 1992 Gary Cook, crew member – 1992 Andrew Le Provost, crew member – 1992 Vincent Helmot, crew member – 1992
James Youlton, Mechanic – 1995 Robert Harmon, crew member – 1995
A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1971
The Master of the tug Abeille Languedoc – 1982
Peter Bisson, Coxswain – 1995
Anthony White, Coxswain – 2009
A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chief Executive of the Institution St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 2009
Wristwatches, awarded by the owners of the ship Johann Collett St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1963
Letter of Thanks, from French Government St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1931
1981 Silver Plate Coxswain Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1981
Special Certificate of Commendation, St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1985
Letter of Thanks, from the Government of the Marshall Islands St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 2006
Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) John Hubert Petit, Former Coxswain, Harbourmaster – 1988NYH
Peter Bisson, Coxswain – 1996QBH
Robert Ramsay Hamon – 2005QBH
Anthony Charles White, Coxswain – 2011QBH
Celia Lois Allen, Chairman, Ladies Lifeboat Guild – 2016QBH
British Empire Medal John Philip Bougourd, Former Coxswain – 2012QBH
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service St Peter Port RNLI Lifeboat Station – 2021
St Samson lifeboats