St Catherine Lifeboat Station is located on La Route de St. Catherine, on the north east coast of the island of Jersey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency and largest of the Channel Islands.
A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1969.
The station currently operates a Inshore lifeboat, Eric W Wilson (B-841), on station since 2010.
History In 1964, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies.
More stations were opened, and in October 1969, a lifeboat station was established at St Catherine, with the arrival of a Inshore lifeboat, the unnamed (D-167).
On the 14 April 1984, the St Catherine lifeboat (D-274) was replaced with a larger 17-foot 6in twin-engine lifeboat, now known as a . At a ceremony on 2 June 1984, the new lifeboat house was opened by Mrs Dorothy M. Bee, daughter of Mr F. H. Clarkson, founder of the Clarkson Jersey Charitable Trust, which had provided the funds for the boathouse. The lifeboat, named Sebag of Jersey (C-513) in memory of Mr Sebag Cohen, was then handed over to the RNLI, by his son, Mr Frederick E. Cohen. Lady Leeds then handed over a Land Rover, which was used to launch the lifeboat, donated in memory of her husband, Sir George Leeds.
Trials were held in October 1989, using the lifeboat and its Talus Drive-off Drive-on (Do-Do) launching trolley. St Catherine was designated as an station, and relief lifeboat Lions International District 105 SE (B-539) was initially placed on station in 1990. Building work was completed to accommodate the larger lifeboat and Talus MB-764 County launch vehicle.
At 21:36 on 1 January 1994, St Catherine lifeboat Jessie Eliza (B-587) was launched into very poor conditions and 30-knot winds, to reports of a surfer in trouble, away, off Plemont, to the north west of the island. Arriving on scene one hour later at 22:35, the surfer was found clinging to his board after a 15-minute search, the lifeboat being assisted by lights shining from the shore, and he was recovered to the lifeboat. With the rescued man showing signs of hypothermia, he was landed at Bonne Nuit. The man had also reported a second surfer, so the St Catherine boat returned to the scene to continue the search, along with the lifeboat, and the Channel Island Air Search aircraft. Nothing was found, and all were stood down at 01:30, to resume searches at daybreak. At 08:12, the pilot boat Ronez recovered the second missing surfer, over away from the initial position, near St Aubins Bay, on the south of the island.
Senior Helm Nigel Sweeny was awarded 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum', with crew members Paul Richardson and John Heyes receiving 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution'. All three were later awarded 'The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award 1994', for the outstanding Inshore lifeboat rescue of the year.
On the 26 June 2010, lifeboat The Eric Rowse (B-772) was replaced by the new larger lifeboat Eric W Wilson (B-841), funded from the bequest of the late Mrs Winifred Madge Wilson in memory of her husband. The lifeboat naming ceremony in 2011 had to be paused, as the lifeboat was called out to a speedboat in difficulties, north of the station.
Long serving St Catherine lifeboat man Nigel Sweeny was awarded the MBE in the 2014 Queens Birthday Honours. In 2017, he was appointed as St Catherine Lifeboat Operations Manager.
Station honours The following are awards made at St Catherine, Jersey
The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum Nigel Sean Sweeny, Senior Helm - 1994
The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award 1994 Nigel Sweeny, Senior Helm - 1995 Paul Richardson, crew member - 1995 John Heyes, crew member - 1995
A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Paul Richardson, crew member - 1994 John Heyes, crew member - 1994
Paul Richardson, Helm - 2000 Andrew Eeles, crew member - 2000 Lloyd Banks, crew member - 2000
Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Nigel Sean Sweeny, Lifeboat Operations Manager - 2014QBH
St Catherine lifeboats Inshore lifeboats D-class and C-class Op. No. Name Class Comments D-167 1969–1979 1980–1984 C-513 1984–1990 Formerly D-513
B-class Op. No. Name Class Comments 1990–1991 B-587 Jessie Eliza 1991–2000 B-754 Pride of Sherwood 2000–2001 B-772 The Eric Rowse 2001–2010 B-841 Eric W Wilson 2010–
Launch and recovery tractors Op. No. Reg. No. Type Comments TW14 J 15014 Talus MB-764 County 1991–1995 TW12 D508 RUJ Talus MB-764 County 1995–1997 TW13 D948 SAW Talus MB-764 County 1997–2002 TW01 J 72200 Talus MB-764 County 2002–2010 TW09 J 93085 Talus MB-764 County 2010–2019 TW04 J 93085 Talus MB-764 County 2019–
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
Notes
References
External links St Catherine RNLI Lifeboat Station