Portsmouth Lifeboat Station

Portsmouth Lifeboat Station is located on Eastney Point near Southsea, in the English county of Hampshire.[1] The station is owned and operated by the RNLI and is an Inshore lifeboat station.[2] The station is facing Langstone Harbour on one of the tributaries flowing into the Solent. The station was established in May 1965.[3]

Portsmouth Lifeboat Station
Portsmouth Lifeboat Station.
Location of Portsmouth Island Lifeboat station within Hampshire
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationPortsmouth Lifeboat Station, Ferry Road, Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 9LY
CountryEngland
Coordinates50°47′42.7″N 1°01′47.3″W
OwnerRoyal National Lifeboat Institution

History

The first lifeboat station in Portsea opened in 1886[4] and was known as Southsea Lifeboat station and was operated by the RNLI. This station had been opened as it had been realised by the RNLI committees of the neighbouring stations of Hayling island and Bembridge that the Solent’s busy shipping lanes required additional cover upstream towards the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton. The first lifeboat was called Heyland and she was a 10 oared self-righting pulling lifeboat. She was the first of three lifeboats to serve at Southsea.

The Southsea station was closed in 1918 when the RNLI decided that the area would be adequately covered by the stations at Hayling and Bembridge. Increases in traffic and the introduction of inflatable boats that required smaller crews led to the re-establishment of the station in May 1965.[5] A boathouse was constructed at Eastney Point facing Langstone Harbour. The first inshore lifeboat was paid for by funds raised by Hemel Hempstead Round Table. This was a D-class ILB and had the Number 48. By 1967 the station was operating two rigid hull inshore lifeboats with the craft being kept at permanent anchor in the harbour at Eastney.[3]

In 1975 the station was provided with a new boat house to keep the stations newly allocated Atlantic and D-class lifeboats. The previous ILB which had been moored afloat were withdrawn from the service. This boat house was re-developed in 1991 which provided the staff and crews with a changing/drying room, new toilet and shower facilities and a first aid reception room. Also within the building there is a workshop, training and briefing room and a station office.[3]

Station lifeboats

The two current lifeboats on station are an Atlantic 85 B-class lifeboat and a D-class inflatable inshore lifeboat. The Atlantic 85 is called Norma T (B-846) which has been on the station since 23 October 2010 and was funded by a donation from Bob and Norma Thomas.[6] The D-class lifeboat is called Brian’s Pride(D-716) which has been on station since 6 August 2009 and this lifeboat was funded with a donation from Brian Bass.[7]

All weather boats
Dates in service Class Name
1886−1908 Self-Righter, pulling Heyland
1908−1910 Self-Righter, pulling Quiver
1910−1918 Self-Righter, pulling Robert Crawley

Inshore lifeboats

A-class lifeboat
Dates in service Class Op. No. Name
1968−1969 Hatch-class A-500 Ex 17-001

B-class lifeboats
Dates in service Class Op. No. Name
1975−1981 Atlantic 21-class B-530 Guide Friendship II[8]
1981−1996 Atlantic 21-class B-550 City of Portsmouth[8]
1996−2010 Atlantic 75-class B-730 CSMA Frizzell
2010−present Atlantic 85-class B-846 Norma T

D-class lifeboats
Dates in service Class Op. No. Name
1992−2000 D-class (EA16) D-421 Lord Raglan
2000−2009 D-class (EA16) D-554 Heyland II
2009−present D-class (IB1) D-716 Brian’s Pride

Neighbouring station locations
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References
  1. OS Explorer Map – 119 - Meon Valley, Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham, Showing part of the South Downs Way (Folded Map). Published: Ordnance Survey; A2 edition (15 Feb 2010). ISBN 9780319241240
  2. "Portsmouth Lifeboat station". Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  3. For Those In Peril – The Lifeboat Service of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Station by Station. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher: Silver Link Publishing Ltd, First Issue 1999. Work:Part 2, South Coast of England – Eastbourne to Weston-super-Mare, Page 77, Portsmouth Lifeboat Station. ISBN 1857941292
  4. "Home page – Portsmouth Lifeboat station". Portsmouth Lifeboat Station. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  5. "Station History: Portsmouth Lifeboat Station". Portsmouth Lifeboat Station. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  6. "B-class Atlantic 85 Production List". List of the RNLI fleet of B-class Atlantic 85 ILB. All rights reserved © 2014 NavyNuts. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  7. "D/IB1-class Production List (Up to D-599)". List of the RNLI fleet of D-class ILB. All rights reserved © 2014 NavyNuts. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  8. "Lifeboat History – (Southsea), Portsmouth" (PDF). History page – Portsmouth Lifeboat station. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
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