Rye Harbour Lifeboat Station is located at the end of Harbour Road, on the west bank of the River Rother estuary, in the village of Rye Harbour, in the county of East Sussex.
A lifeboat first operated from Martello Tower No.31 at Dogs Hill, Winchelsea, from 1803. Operations of the station, known at the time as Rye Lifeboat Station, were transferred to the management of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1832, the Institution later becoming the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854.
The station currently operates a Inshore lifeboat, Hello Herbie II (B-900), on station since 2017.
History Rye Lifeboat Station dates back to 1803, when a Henry Greathead lifeboat was placed at the coastguard station at Martello Tower No.31, at Dogs Hill, Winchelsea. No further details are available.
In 1832, operations were transferred to the management of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1833. A new 25-foot (6-oared) lifeboat, designed by Palmer, was built by Harton of Limehouse, London, at a cost of £59, was placed at the station.
On 23 January 1834, the brig Conrad, on passage from Batavia to Rotterdam, was wrecked near Rye, East Sussex. Four of the crew drowned. The vessel broke up, and washed ashore, but the Master and seven more crew were rescued by the coastguard. Lt. Richard Morgan and Lt. John Somerville were each awarded the RNIPLS Silver Medal.
A new branch of the RNLI was established at Rye in 1856, and a new boathouse costing £93-8s-5d was constructed by local residents, to the west of Rye Harbour, close to Winchelsea Coastguard Station, midway between the River Rother estuary, and Martello Tower 31. A two-year-old 27-foot x 7-foot 6in (8-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was transferred to Rye from , having been found too heavy for the previous location.
Camber Lifeboat Station, a second station under the management of the Rye branch, was established just to the east at Camber, East Sussex in 1857.
In 1862, a 30-foot self-righting lifeboat was transferred to Rye from . Comparing the RNLI Annual Reports, between 1862 and 1863, it was decided to rename Rye Lifeboat Station as Winchelsea Lifeboat Station, and to confuse matters, Camber Lifeboat Station was renamed Rye Lifeboat Station.
On 13 February 1864, William C. Buck, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal, for the rescue of just one man, the Master, of the five crew of the fishing boat Thetis, but this was at the cost of coastguard man, George Terry, who was lost during the rescue.
The first lifeboat would be replaced after just five years, in 1867, with a larger 33-foot boat, after a request from the station. The cost of the lifeboat was defrayed, via Mr Frederick Ouvry and Mr W. M. Wilkinson, by the gift of £350 from the Solicitors and Proctors Lifeboat Fund. The new lifeboat and carriage were conveyed to their station free of charge, by the South Eastern Railway Company, who also returned the old boat and carriage to London, again free of charge. As per the wishes of the subscribers, the lifeboat was named Storm Sprite.
Soon after 18:45 on 22 December 1877, the Storm Sprite was launched to the aid of the schooner Vier Broders, on passage from Groningen to Portsmouth, when she stranded in low water and later broke up. Four crew were rescued from the rigging.
In 1882, a new lifeboat house was constructed by a local builder, Mr M. Anne, on the shore at Winchelsea, at a cost of £245. Built of pre-cast "no-fines" shingle based concrete, it was funded from RNLI donations.
Both the and Winchelsea lifeboats were launched to the aid of the steamship Medea on 4 November 1882. 16 crew were taken off the Medea by the Rye lifeboat. The Winchelsea lifeboat was capsized twice during her rescue attempts, and lifeboat man Edward Robus was swept away and drowned.
In 1901, Rye Lifeboat Station was closed. Winchelsea lifeboat station was renamed Rye Harbour Lifeboat Station in 1910.
Following his death in 1880, the Institution received the sum of £5000, the bequest of the late John Frederick Stanford of Regent's Park, London, to provide a lifeboat to be named as a permanent memorial, in honour of his late mother. At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 7 July 1881, it was decided that the lifeboat be placed at Rye Lifeboat Station. Mary Stanford (ON 236) was on station from 1881–1893.
The funds would provide a second lifeboat in 1916. The 35-foot lifeboat John William Dudley (ON 453), on station since 1900, was replaced with a 38-foot 14-oared non-self-righting Liverpool-class lifeboat, which was named Mary Stanford (ON 661).
At 06:45 on 15 November 1928, Rye Harbour lifeboat Mary Stanford (ON 661) was launched into a south-west gale, to the aid of the Alice of Riga, Latvia, which had collided with another vessel, the Smyrna of Germany. Only five minutes after launching, news was received that the crew of the Alice had been rescued by the Smyrna, and the recall signal was fired three times - but it was never heard. Entering the harbour on its return nearly four hours later at 10:30, the lifeboat capsized. All 17 lifeboat men were lost.
A memorial stained glass window was placed in Winchelsea Church. It depicts a lifeboat putting out to a ship in distress while figures on the shore watch it as it goes. A memorial tablet made of Manx stone was presented to Rye Harbour, by the people of the Isle of Man.
A lifeboat was never replaced, and Rye Harbour lifeboat station (at Winchelsea) officially closed soon afterwards.
The lifeboat Mary Stanford (ON 661) was withdrawn from service, and broken up in 1929.
1960s onwards 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 June 1966, Rye Harbour Lifeboat Station was re-established, with the arrival of a Inshore lifeboat, the unnamed (D-105).
In 1996, in preparation for the arrival of a new Inshore lifeboat, a new boathouse to be shared with the National Rivers Authority, was constructed. In addition to housing the Atlantic 85 'Drive-Off - Drive On' (DO-DO) launch carriage, and Talus MB-4H amphibious tractor, new crew facilities were provided, with a kit room, workshop and toilets, and a retail outlet. A new timber slipway and an elevated walkway leading to the boathouse was also constructed. At a double ceremony on 19 October 1996, the boathouse was officially opened, along with the naming of the new lifeboat Commander and Mrs Rodney Wells (B-727).
Station honours The following are awards made at Rye Harbour.
RNIPLS Silver Medal Lt. Richard Morgan, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Rye – 1834 Lt. John Somerville, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Rye – 1834
Lt. William Southey, RN, H.M. Coastguard – 1835
RNLI Silver Medal William Cumming Buck, RN, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, Winchelsea – 1864
A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Keith W. Downey, Helm – 1981
Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving Rye Harbour lifeboat.
Swept out of the lifeboat and lost, on service to the fishing boat Thetis, 13 February 1864 George Terry, H.M. Coastguard
Lost when the lifeboat Storm Sprite capsized twice, on service to the steamship Medea of Sunderland, 4 November 1882 Edward Robus (38)
Lost when the lifeboat Mary Stanford (ON 661) capsized returning to harbour, on service to the vessel Alice, 15 November 1928
Rye Harbour lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments – 1803 1803–1833 Greathead-class lifeboat of unknown dimensions, built by Henry Greathead of South Shields. 1832 1833–1856 25-foot Palmer 25-foot x 5-foot 9in (6-oared) Palmer-class lifeboat, built by Harton of Limehouse, London, costing £59. Pre-278 1854 1856–1861 Pre-323 1858 1862–1867 Pre-482 Storm Sprite 1867 1867–1883 33-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S) 33-foot x 8-foot 2in (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Solcitors & Proctors of England, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £280.Capsized 1882. 228 Frances Harris 1882 1883–1899 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) 34-foot x 8-foot 3in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs F. Harris of Streatham, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £363. 331 Willie Rogers 1892 1899–1900 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Dr J. Rogers of Saltash, built by McAllister of Dumbarton, costing £383 when new.Previously at 453 1900 1900–1916 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) 35-foot x 8-foot 6in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. W. Dudley of Woodford, Essex, built by Thames Ironworks, of Blackwall, London, costing £831. 661 Mary Stanford 1916 1916–1928 38-foot Liverpool (P&S) 38-foot x 10-foot 4in (14-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr. J. F. Sandford of Regent's Park, built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, costing £2173.Capsized 15 November 1928. Station Closed, 1928
Inshore lifeboats D-class and C-class Op.No. Name Class Comments 1966–1975 D-241 1976–1986 C-517 1986–1996
B-class Op.No. Name Class Comments B-548 Aldershot 1996 B-727 1996–2010 B-842 Hello Herbie 2010–2015 B-875 Alexander 2015–2017 Hello Herbie II 2017–
Launch and recovery tractors Op. No. Reg. No. Type Comments TW03 RLJ 367R Talus MB-764 County 1991–1992 TA19 Q243 YNT County Tractor 1991–1996 TW28H N671 UAW Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk3) 1996–2006 TW19Hc J120 VNT Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 2006–2010 TW62Hb DX59 LHZ 2010–2013 TW46Hb V938 EAW Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk1.5) 2013–2014 TW54Hc Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 2014–2020 TW56Hc DY52 EFR Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) 2020–
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
Notes
References
External links Rye Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Station