Skegness Lifeboat Station

Skegness Lifeboat Station is an RNLI operated lifeboat station located in the town of Skegness in the English county of Lincolnshire.[1] The station is located on the south-east coast north of the Wash and south of the Humber Estuary. This area of the British coastline is characterised by many shoals and constantly changing sandbanks, many of which lie between the town and the East Dudgeon Lightship.[2] The current station was built in 1990 and was the first in the British Isles built especially to house a Mersey-class lifeboat. The boathouse also accommodates an Inshore Lifeboat and a souvenir shop.[3]

Skegness Lifeboat Station
Skegness Lifeboat Station
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Tower Esplanade, Skegness, Lincolnshire, PE25 3HH
Country	England
Coordinates	53°08′30.12″N 0°20′48.24″E
Opened	1830 taken over by RNLI in 1864
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution

There are currently two lifeboats stationed at Skegness (2020). They are the Inshore D-class (IB1) Lifeboat RNLB The Holland Family (D-842) and the Shannon-class All-Weather Boat RNLB Joel and April Grunnill (ON 1324).

History

The first lifeboat service in Skegness was organized by the Lincolnshire Coast Shipwreck Association who placed a lifeboat at the Gibraltar Point coastguard station. In 1859 the lifeboat and boathouse was moved from Gibraltar Point to a position in Skegness, among sand dunes to a location now called Lifeboat Avenue.

The station was taken under the control of the RNLI in 1864 who had a new boathouse constructed. The location of this first RNLI station was in Lifeboat Avenue close to the original station. It is now a privately owned dwelling.

The RNLI built yet another new boathouse in 1892. this was located on Skegness South Parade to the south of the clock tower. This boathouse had an access doors for the lifeboat at either end of the building. There was also a watch room constructed on the first floor. This station was still in use until 1990 when it was sold to a private buyer.

The RNLI placed an inshore lifeboat at Skegness in May 1964. The ILB was kept in a small house close to the main beach until it was moved in 1990 to the new lifeboat station on the Tower Esplanade.

In 1990 it was decided that the cover for this area of the Lincolnshire coast would be greatly improved with the placing of a Mersey-class all-weather lifeboat on Skegness. To accommodate the new lifeboat a new purpose made station was constructed for the Mersey-class lifeboat on the Tower Esplanade. The inshore lifeboat was also placed within the same building as well as improved crew and equipment facilities. The building also included a souvenir shop to help with branch fund raising

On 20 May 2016, the Skegness D-class lifeboat, RNLB Peterborough Beer Festival IV (D-739) was taking part in a search for a missing person when a fire started on board. The fire spread rapidly, and after issuing a mayday, abandoned the vessel, swimming 200m to shore while the lifeboat sank. The RNLI started recovery operations, but the damage was severe.[4][5]

Notable rescues and awards

1854, Atlanta

Samual Moody[6][7] had been on the Skegness lifeboat as crew and as Coxswain for a considerable time. Back in 1851 he was sent a recommendation from the Lincoln County Association for having personally assisted in the saving of 53 lives over a period of 21 years. On 18 October 1854[7] Coxswain Moody and his crew launched there lifeboat out to the stricken vessel Atlanta out of Shields. The brig had been driven on to the shore in a north-north-easterly gale three miles north of Skegness. The Skegness lifeboat had to be drawn up to the beach from the town by six horses before her launch.[7] Aboard the vessel was the captain, his wife and child and eight more members of its crew.[8] In pitch black and in heavy seas coxswain Moody took the private lifeboat out to the vessel and rescued all aboard. For his part in the rescue, Moody was awarded a Silver Medal.[7]

1875, the barge Star

On 5 December 1875[9] the lifeboat Herbert Ingram (first) had to be pulled two miles along the beach to rescue the Colchester barge Star, which had been on passage from Hull to Poole when it was driven aground at Winthorne Gap in a fresh easterly gale. At 6 am the lifeboat was launched through heavy breaking surf into a headwind and took twenty minutes to reach the casualty.[9] Two crew men were immediately taken off the stricken vessel, but the master fell into the water between the two boats. Samual Moody and George Chesnutt, at great risk to themselves immediately went into the water with a line and held on to the master whilst the lifeboat was rowed to shore. For their bravery in this rescue both Moody and Chesnutt were awarded RNLI silver medals.[9]

1912, the Norwegian brig Azha

An outstanding rescue occurred on 13 November as she had suffered heavy storm damage off the Humber and drifted south for 4 days, helpless. She was waterlogged and afloat only because she carried pit-props. Her 6 Norwegians and 2 Swedish crew were close to death when she was seen from Skegness. The 8-oared “Samuel Lewis”, the last unpowered lifeboat, was launched with Coxwain Matthew Grunnill and his nephew Montague as Second. The weather was still very severe but the lifeboat managed to get alongside the Azha, aground on the Skegness Middle Sand, and take off her 8 crew. The brig was breaking up and was abandoned. The lifeboat could only get to shore, late in the day, further South. King Haakon VII of Norway awarded the 2 Coxwains with silver medals and written thanks with a £20 award to the crew for their lifesaving work - just in time.

"Skegness Lifeboats - An illustrated history" by Nicholas Leach 2008

December 1965, the Sea Gem

Oakley-class lifeboat Charles Fred Grantham (ON 977) was one of several rescue boats launched following the sinking the previous day of an Oil rig called Sea Gem 47 miles north-west of the Norfolk town of Cromer.[3] Also involved in the search were the Wells-next-the-Sea Oakley-class lifeboat Ernest Tom Neatherercoat (ON 982), the relief Sheringham Oakley-class lifeboat James and Catherine Macfarlane (ON 989), Cromer lifeboat Henry Blogg (ON 840) and the Humber Watson-class lifeboat City of Bradford III (ON 911).[10] All the lifeboats were involved in this extensive search for survivors in heavy seas and a gale-force wind. On board the Sea Gem when she sank were thirty two crew.[10] Nineteen of the crew were taken aboard the steamship Baltrova and five were known to have perished.[10] Eight other of her crew were missing. The Skegness boat searched for 14 hours in freezing conditions.[3] The eight missing men were never recovered. For the lifeboats part in this long and arduous search the RNLI sent the station a letter of appreciation for their determination and high standard of seamanship during the service.

Fleet

All weather Boats[11]

Dates in service	Class	ON	Op. no	Name	Photo
1825−1864	Plenty, 8 oars			Unnamed lifeboats of the Lincolnshire Coast Shipwreck Association
1864−1874	Self-Righter, 8 oars			Herbert Ingram
1874−1888	Self-Righter, 10 oars			Herbert Ingram II
1888−1906	Self-Righter, 12 oars	203		Ann, John and Mary
1906−1932	Liverpool-class, 12 oars	554		Samuel Lewis
1932−1953	Liverpool-class, motor	760		Anne Allen
1953−1964	Liverpool-class, motor	833		The Cuttle
1964−1990	Oakley-class	977	37-10	Charles Fred Grantham
1990−2017	Mersey-class	1166	12-008	Lincolnshire Poacher
2017–present	Shannon-class	1324	13-17	Joel and April Grunnill

Inshore Lifeboats[11]

Dates in service	Class	Op. No.	Name	Comments
1964	D-class (RFD PB16)	D-15	unnamed
1965−1972	D-class (RFD PB16)	D-58	unnamed
1973−1987	D-class (Zodiac III)	D-212	unnamed
1987−1994	D-class (EA16)	D-326	Michel Phillipe
1994−2002	D-class (EA16)	D-460	Leicester Fox
2002−2009	D-class (EA16)	D-573	Leicester Fox II
2009−2010	D-class (EA16)	D-538	Tom Broom
2010−2016	D-class (IB1)	D-739	Peterborough Beer Festival IV	Destroyed in fire 20/05/16
2016–	D-class (IB1)	D-792	Marie Theresa Bertha
2019-present	D-class (IB1)	D-842	The Holland Family

Talus MB-H launch tractor

Dates in service	Class	ON	Reg. No.	Photo
1990	Continuous track launch tractor	T-93	A496 CUX
????–2006	Continuous track launch tractor	T-117	L784 JNT
2006–2017	Continuous track launch tractor	T-114	JI26 WUJ
2017–present	Shannon launch and recovery system	SC-t11	HJ16JVU

Shannon Class Lifeboat (AWB) Joel and April Grunnill ON1324 (13-17)

Joel and April Grunnill ON1324 (13-17) replaced the Mersey-class lifeboat Lincolnshire Poacher.[12] The new lifeboat is a Shannon-class lifeboat and cost £2.2 million. She was launched at ALC Poole on 20/09/16, delivered to Skegness on 28/01/17 and Officially Named on 27/05/17. Funding for the new lifeboat came from the legacy of Mr Joel Merrien Grunnill MBE (1924-2011), and a significant donation from April Grunnill. Joel Grunnill served as a volunteer crew member on the Skegness lifeboat and at the time of his retirement from the crew in 1984 he had served 45 years, including 33 years as 2nd Coxswain. Following his retirement he served as Station Honorary Secretary, and Station Chairman. The lifeboat is named after him and his cousin April who was also a keen volunteer.

D Class Lifeboat (ILB) The Holland Family D-842)

The Holland Family (D-842) was donated by Grantham Funeral Director and long-term supporter of the RNLI Mr Robert Holland, in honour of his parents and wider family which includes past and present volunteers at the Station.

Neighbouring stations

References

1. OS Explorer map: Skegness, Alford & Spilsby: (1:25 000): ISBN 0319238229
2. Skegness Lifeboats – An illustrated History. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher:Landmark Publishing Ltd. Year Published:2008. ISBN 978-1-84306-423-7
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 1, East Coast of England – Berwick to Hastings, Page 42, Skegness. ISBN 1 85794 129 2
4. "Skegness lifeboat crew forced to swim after boat sinks". BBC News. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
5. "Crew flee Skegness Inshore Lifeboat after fire starts onboard". Skegness Standard. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
6. "Skegness People - Samual Moody - lifeboat coxswain". Skegness Magazine. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
7. Lifeboat Gallantry – RNLI Medals and how they were won. Author:Cox, barry. Publisher:Spink & Son Ltd and the RNLI. Work: Page 109, MOODY, Samuel. ISBN 0 907605 89 3
8. "Skegness First Lifeboat Rescues – 1833 to 1860 – List of rescues including the Atalanta and the 11 lives saved". Skegness Magazine. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
9. Lifeboat Gallantry – RNLI Medals and how they were won. Author:Cox, barry. Publisher:Spink & Son Ltd and the RNLI. Work: Page 160, MOODY, Samuel. CHESNUTT, George. ISBN 0 907605 89 3
10. Lifeboats of the Humber – Two centuries of gallantry. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher:Amberley Publishing, first edition 2010. Work: Chapter 8, The last Watson Lifeboat, page72. ISBN 978 1 84868 875 9
11. "RNLI Skegness Lifeboats and Lifeguards". Skegness RNLI Lifeboat Station. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
12. "New Lifeboat For Skegness". ITV news. 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.