Porthcawl Lifeboat Station

Porthcawl Lifeboat Station
Porthcawl Lifeboat Station
Porthcawl, Bridgend
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	The Esplanade, Porthcawl, Bridgend, UK. CF36 3YR
Country	Wales, UK
Coordinates	51°28′26″N 3°42′06″W
Opened	1860
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Porthcawl Lifeboat Station (based in Porthcawl, Bridgend, Wales) opened in 1860 and a boathouse was subsequently built on the promenade to house the lifeboat. This station was closed in 1902 when Porthcawl Dock was closed.

The station reopened in 1965 as an Inshore Lifeboat Station with a D-class (EA16) lifeboat. The current boathouse was built in 1996 to house a new Atlantic 75-class lifeboat, which now houses an Atlantic 85-class lifeboat.

History

The station opened in April 1860, with the boathouse being built on the promenade, at the entrance to Knights Arms Square.

In 1870, a new lifeboat was bought for the station which required the existing boathouse to be enlarged. A harness room was also included to store equipment for the six horses needed to launch and recover the lifeboat.

In 1887 the station received another new lifeboat. This was used very little with only 9 launches until the station closed in 1902.

Porthcawl Lifeboat Station was closed in 1902 due to the cessation of commercial traffic to the Docks. Since the majority of the stations launches were for commercial traffic, it was deemed unnecessary to have a lifeboat station and the boathouse was sold.

In 1965, the RNLI re-opened the station and placed on service an experimental inflatable inshore lifeboat. This lifeboat was the first D class, designed to give a rapid response to recreational water users around the coast.

Due to the RNLI selling the old boathouse, the new lifeboat was housed in a lean-to next to Jennings building and the crew were recruited using adverts in the local press.

In 1995, the stations lifeboat rescued a windsurfer in a force 10 gale which resulted in a silver medal being awarded to the helmsman

Porthcawl Tractor in use on the RNLI Slipway in Porthcawl

In 1996 the RNLI decided that Porthcawl needed a larger boat and a new, purpose built boathouse was constructed to house a brand new Atlantic 75 and a new Talus MB-4H Tractor launch tractor together with a Do-Do carriage.

In 2022, D-class (IB1) lifeboat (D-861) Hugo Missen replaced relief lifeboat (D-776) Super G II, based at Porthcawl since 2020. The lifeboat has been named in memory of Hugo Joseph Missen, son of Helm Joseph Missen and his fiancé Jessica Entwistle, who died of cancer in December 2016 aged 15 months. Hugo was also the grandson of Porthcawl RNLI’s Lifeboat Operations Manager, Philip Missen MBE.

Porthcawl Lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON	Name	In service	Class	Comments
–	The Good Deliverance	1860–1872	30ft Self-Righting (P&S)
–	Chafyn Grove	1872–1887	32ft Self-Righting (P&S)
127	Speedwell	1887–1902	34ft 2in Self-Righting (P&S)	All-Weather boat withdrawn Station Closed 1902

Inshore Lifeboats

D-class

Op. No.	Name	In service	Class	Comments
D-52	Unnamed	1965–1970	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-174	Unnamed	1970–1983	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-291	Donald Rigby Middleton	1983–1989	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-390	Tiger D	1989–1996	D-class (EA16)	D-class Lifeboat withdrawn
D-714	Jean Ryall	2012–2020	D-class (IB1)	D-class lifeboat reinstated
D-776	Super G II	2020–2022	D-class (IB1)
D-861	Hugo Missen	2022–	D-class (IB1)	Our Buoy Hugo's Fund

B-class

Op. No.	Name	In service	Class	Comments
B-549	Blenwatch	1996	Atlantic 21
B-726	Giles	1996–2009	Atlantic 75
B-832	Rose of The Shires	2009–	Atlantic 85

Station Honours

The following are among the RNLI medals and other awards presented for service off Porthcawl:

Silver Medals x 8 – pre 1860

Eight Silver Medals were awarded for rescues off the coast prior to an official RNLI station opening in Porthcawl in 1860.

Bronze Medal – 1929

A Bronze Medal was awarded to William H B Cotton for going to the help of the crew of the steamship Kendy.

Framed Letter of Thanks x 3 – 1968

Three Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to L S Knipe, J Lock and R A Comley for assisting the sand dredger Steepholm in partnership with the Mumbles lifeboat.

Silver Medal – 1995

A Silver Medal was awarded to Stuart Roberts for rescuing a surfer and his board caught in a rip tide in winds gusting to force 9 on 30 December 1994.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum x 2 – 1995

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellums were awarded to Crew Members Carl Evans and Wayne Evans for their actions during a rescue involving a surfer and his board on 30 December 1994.

Framed Letter of Thanks – 1995

A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to the Station Honorary Secretary, Mr John Williams for his actions during a rescue involving a surfer and his board on 30 December 1994.

Framed Letter of Thanks x 2 – 1997

Two Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to Helmsman Philip Missen and Crew Member Steve Jones for assisting two people cut off by the tide.

Framed Letter of Thanks x 2- 1998

Two Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to Helmsman Philip Missen and Crew Member Ross Martin for rescuing a man clinging to his capsized boat.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum – 2002

The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman Timothy Morgan for the rescue of a windsurfer.

Framed Letter of Thanks x 2 – 2002

A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Crew Members Riccardo Rava and Carl Evans for the rescue of a windsurfer.

Bronze Medal – 2002

A Bronze Medal was awarded to Helmsman Nick Beale for rescuing two fisherman washed off the pier in sea conditions exceeding normal operating limits of an Atlantic 75 lifeboat.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum x 2 – 2002

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellums were awarded to crew members Riccardo Rava and Stephen Knipe for rescuing two fisherman washed off the pier in sea conditions exceeding normal operating limits of an Atlantic 75 lifeboat.

Framed Letter of Thanks – 2002

A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Helmsman Stephen Jones for rescuing two fisherman washed off the pier in sea conditions exceeding normal operating limits of an Atlantic 75 lifeboat.

Bronze Medal – 2004

A Bronze Medal was awarded to Helmsman Aileen Jones when two people and the fishing vessel Gower Pride were saved near the Nash sandbank. Aileen was first female lifeboat helmsman in 116 years to be given such an accolade.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum – 2004

Crew Member Simon Emms was awarded the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum for saving two people and the fishing vessel Gower Pride near the Nash Sandbank.

Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) - 2016

Christine Aileen Jones

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

External links

• The RNLI - Porthcawl RNLI page
• Porthcawl RNLI Website