Lifeboats and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution RNLI

Lifeboats and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways

The RNLI operates 444 lifeboats (332 are on station, 112 are in the relief fleet), from 236 lifeboat stations around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The RNLI's lifeboats rescued an average of 22 people a day in 2011. RNLI lifeboats launched 8, 905 times in 2011, rescuing 7, 976 people. The RNLI's lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 139, 000 lives since 1824

RNLI lifeguards are paid by the appropriate town or city council, while the RNLI provides their equipment and training. In contrast, most lifeboat crew members are unpaid volunteers. The RNLI is funded by voluntary donations and legacies (together with tax reclaims). In 2011, the RNLI's income was £ 162. 9 M, while its expenditure was £ 140. 6 M

The largest type of lifeboat at 17 m long this is the SEVERN class

The start of the Lifeboat Service Sir William Hillary came to live on the Isle of Man in 1808. Being aware of the treacherous nature of the Irish Sea, with many ships being wrecked around the Manx coast, he drew up plans for a national lifeboat service manned by trained crews. However, on appealing to the rich and powerful members of London society, the plans were adopted and, with the help of two Members of Parliament the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was founded in 1824.

Thirty years later the title changed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the first of the new lifeboats to be built was stationed at Douglas in recognition of the work of Sir William. At the age of 60, Sir William took part in the rescue, in 1830, of the packet St George, which had foundered on Conister Rock at the entrance to Douglas Harbour. Tower of refuge built by Sir William Hillary on Conister Rock in Douglas Harbour still standing today.

Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboats and lifeguards have saved over 139, 000 lives The RNLI operates two classes of inshore lifeboats, inflatable boats and RIBs of 25 – 40 knots, and five classes of all-weather motor life boats, with another (Shannon Class) currently in development, with speeds ranging from 17 to 25 knots.

It maintains 330 lifeboats based at 236 lifeboat stations. It also has four hovercraft that were introduced in 2002, allowing rescue on mud flats and in river estuaries inaccessible to conventional boats. The crews of the lifeboats are almost entirely volunteers. The 4, 600 boat crew members, including over 300 women, are alerted by pagers and distress rockets called maroons and attend the lifeboat station when alerted.

The public can call out a lifeboat in an emergency by calling 999 or 112. They can also call the coastguard on 999 who will usually co-ordinate the rescue and assist the lifeboat. This is the RNLI Sunderland Rib in action

This is the lifeboat crew in Sunderland at their base in the North Dock

The crew of the Peterhead lifeboat in Scotland

The biggest rescue in the RNLI's history was on 17 March 1907 when the 12, 000 tonne liner SS Suevic hit the Maenheere Reef near Lizard Point in Cornwall. In a strong gale and dense fog, RNLI lifeboat volunteers rescued 456 passengers, including 70 babies. Crews from The Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack and Porthleven rowed out repeatedly for 16 hours to rescue all of the people on board. Six silver RNLI medals were later awarded, two to Suevic crew members. The White Star liner Suevic

Over the years there have been many losses of lifeboat crew when their lifeboat was lost during a rescue. A local example of this was at Seaham Harbour in 1962 - After rescuing the five crew members of the Coble (small fishing boat) Economy on 17 November, the Seaham lifeboat capsized on its way back to the shore. All five lifeboat crewmen died, only one crewman from the Economy survived.

Photographs of a storm at Seaham Harbour in 2008

Lifeboat crew members have been awarded medals for their bravery. The RNLI awards three classes of medal; Gold, Silver and Bronze. To date the number of medals awarded are: Gold: 150 Silver: 1564 Bronze: 793 (only issued since 1917). One of the most notable recipients is Henry Blogg, of the Cromer lifeboat crew, who was awarded the RNLI gold medal three times (and the silver four times). He also received the George Cross and the British Empire Medal. He is known as "The Greatest of all Lifeboatmen". The youngest recipient of an RNLI medal was eleven-year-old Frederick Carter who, along with sixteen-year-old Frank Perry, was awarded a Silver Medal for a rescue at Weymouth in 1890.

One lifeboat received an award for the Daunt lightship rescue in 1936, the RNLB Mary Stanford and her entire crew were decorated. Grace Darling was 22 years old when she risked her life in an open boat to help the survivors of the wrecked SS Forfarshire on 7 September 1838. With her father, she rowed for over a mile through raging seas to reach them. The painting shows the rescue at the Daunt lightship in 1936. The picture was made into a postage stamp in 1974

The RNLI maintains a number of museums recording the history and activity of the Institution along with preserved lifeboats. The official RNLI Historic Lifeboat Collection forms the "Lifeboat" display within Chatham Historic Dockyard and includes 17 historic vessels. [15] The Grace Darling Museum, opened in 1938 at Bamburgh in Northumberland commemorates Grace Darling's rescue of the SS Forfarshire in 1838

The North-east coast has always been in the forefront of providing lifeboats. Over 200 years ago, 7 th October 1802 marked a very important event in the history of maritime rescue. On that date, the Zetland lifeboat arrived at Redcar on the North East coast of England began an illustrious service to the seafarers who risked their lives to ply their trade round the shores of Britain

William Wouldhave (1751– 1821) of South Shields was one of the first inventors of the lifeboat. He did not succeed with the practical application of his invention until 1789. In this year a competition was launched to reward any inventor who could provide a craft for the purpose of saving lives from a shipwreck. Wouldhave's boat was to be built of copper, made buoyant by the use of cork, and incapable of being capsized. Henry Francis Greathead (1757– 1818) also was a pioneering rescue lifeboat builder from South Shields. He build 31 boats during his lifetime, which saved very many lives, and succeeded in making the concept of a shore-based rescue lifeboat widely accepted. He received £ 1200 from Parliament for his trouble. A replica of one of Greathead’s boats, “Original” , named ‘Tyne’ can be seen near the park in South Shields.

An early steam lifeboat the “Duke of Northumberland” on sea trials

Coxswain James Cable of Aldeburgh, Suffolk was awarded three silver medals for bravery in 1891, 1893 and 1900.

A modern ship’s unsinkable lifeboat A self-righting lifeboat will turn over within 35 seconds

Three types of Lifeboat

Sunderland RNLI Lifeboat Station - Call Outs - 2013 All Weather Type lifeboat Sunderland is the oldest lifeboat station, celebrating over 200 years as a station. The first experimental motor lifeboat in the RNLI’s fleet operated from here and today the station has two inshore lifeboats – an Atlantic 85 and a D class

The two inshore boats at Sunderland off Marsden at South Shields with Souter Point Lighthouse in the background

RNLI College at Poole Dorset The End