Llandudno Lifeboat Station

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Coordinates: 53°19′19″N 3°50′2″W / 53.32194°N 3.83389°W / 53.32194; -3.83389
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Llandudno Lifeboat Station
The new Llandudno Lifeboat Station (2017) on the promenade at Craig-y-Don
Llandudno Lifeboat Station is located in Wales
Llandudno Lifeboat Station
Llandudno, Conwy
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationLloyd Street, Llandudno, UK
CountryWales, UK
Coordinates53°19′19″N 3°50′2″W / 53.32194°N 3.83389°W / 53.32194; -3.83389
Opened1861
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Llandudno Lifeboat Station is located in the North Wales town of Llandudno. It was the only lifeboat station in the UK to have its boathouse located in the middle of town.[1] Whereas most lifeboat stations are situated next to the sea for obvious reasons, Llandudno Lifeboat Station was situated in Lloyd Street, almost equidistant from both of Llandudno's shores. The reason for the unique situation of Llandudno Lifeboat goes back to 1861 when the boathouse was positioned so that it could be towed equally quickly to either of Llandudno's main shores. The boathouse was constructed in 1903.[2] In order to accommodate the new Shannon-class lifeboat, a new boathouse was built on the south end of the promenade at Craig-y-Don. The new lifeboat "William F. Yates" (ON1325) arrived at its new home on 24 September 2017.

History[edit]

Originally called 'Ormes Head' lifeboat, the lifeboat was designed to look after the busy shipping area close to the Great Orme used by the many ships to ferry goods to the enormous Mersyside docks and other North Western destinations. The Great Orme with its shallow waters, strong tides, rocky coastline and often strong winds, claimed many ships and lives. Because of the weather and tidal conditions, plus the depths of water, vicious waves can quickly build up around the Orme and Liverpool Bay.

More recently, Llandudno lifeboat has undertaken some famous and unusual rescues. One mammoth 18-hour rescue in gale force winds in 2008 saw the lifeboat, under the command of Coxswain Graham Heritage, going 34 miles offshore to rescue a couple in distress whose boat had become anchored to the sea bed by fishing nets. Crew member Tim James was put aboard and spent an hour and a half, frequently submerged by waves, freeing the boat from the nets. As a result of their service that year The Crew were awarded the North Wales 'Your Champions' 2008 team award and Tim James received the top award 'Champion of Champions'.[3] A couple of years earlier, the inshore boat was launched to the aid of a humpback whale that had become tangled in ropes and a buoy off Rhos-on-Sea. The whale was successfully cut free probably saving its life.[4]

The Llandudno inshore lifeboat serves the immediate coastline of the Great Orme, Little Orme, Rhos-on-Sea, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno West Shore. On the West Shore there are dangerous sands, widely used by families visiting the seaside, that can quickly become flooded trapping people on the sand bars as the tide floods. Sadly these sands have caused tragedy in recent years and it is for this reason that the Llandudno Inshore Lifeboat, along with Conwy Inshore Lifeboat, are on 24-hour call for an immediate launch.

In 2011, Dan Jones, a former Llandudno Lifeboat RNLI coxswain was awarded an MBE for his dedication to the service.[5]

New lifeboat station[edit]

Llandudno's previous Mersey-class lifeboat, while sat on its transport trailer, with sea-tow Talus MB-H tractor

The previous station was located 700 metres (0.43 mi) from the launching point, with its consequential launch taking on average 12–15 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Local residents around the existing lifeboat station complained of shaking every time a launch was undertaken.

Llandudno was scheduled to gain a new Shannon class lifeboat in 2015, but the existing lifeboat station was too small to house it. In previous years, a number of attempts had been made to relocate the lifeboat station without success, due to planning complaints raised by local hoteliers who do not want a lifeboat station interrupting the view in front of their hotel.[6] Construction of a new boathouse finally began in the spring of 2016 and was completed in the summer of 2017. The new Shannon class boat arrived at the new station on September 24, 2017.

Station Honours[edit]

The following are awards made at Llandudno[7]

John Owen, Coxswain - 1919
  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
Robert Jones, Helmsman - 1974
  • A Special Framed Certificate
Llandudo Lifeboat Station - 1990 (Towyn and Pensarn Flooding)
  • A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
Craig Roberts, duty officer at Conwy Marina - 1997
Meurig Glynn Davies, Coxswain - 1993[8]
Ian (Dan) Jones, Head Launcher and former Coxswain - 2011[9]

Llandudno lifeboats[edit]

All-weather lifeboats[edit]

ON[a] Op. No.[b] Name In service Class Comments
– – Sisters Memorial 1861–1867 32-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [10]
– – Sisters Memorial 1867–1887 33-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [10]
124 – Sunlight No. 1 1887–1902 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [11]
486 – Theodore Price 1902–1930 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [11]
465 – Reserve No.4D 1930–1931 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [11]
formerly Sarah Jane Turner at Montrose
512 – Reserve No.4C 1931–1933 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [11]
Formerly Matthew Simpson at Berwick-upon-Tweed
768 – Thomas & Annie Wade Richards 1933–1953 35ft 6in Self-righting motor [11]
851 – Tillie Morrison, Sheffield 1953–1959 35ft 6in Self-righting motor [11]
792 – Annie Ronald & Isabella Forrest 1959–1964 Liverpool [11]
976 37-09 The Lilly Wainwright 1964–1990 Oakley [11]
1164 12-006 Andy Pearce 1990–2017 Mersey [11]
1325 13-18 William F. Yates 2017- Shannon [11]

Inshore lifeboats[edit]

Op. No.[b] Name In service [11] Class Comments
D-54 Unnamed 1965–1966 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-109 Unnamed 1967–1976 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-250 Unnamed 1977–1988 D-class (Zodiac III)
D-359 41 Club I 1988–1996 D-class (EA16)
D-508 John Saunderson 1996–2006 D-class (EA16)
D-656 William Robert Saunderson 2007–2016 D-class (IB1)
D-793 Dr Barbara Saunderson 2016– D-class (IB1)

Launch and recovery tractors[edit]

Op. No.[b] Reg. No. Type In service[11] Comments
T2 AH 5933 Clayton 1922
T14 XW 2075 Clayton 1933–1946
T12 LLY 75 Clayton 1946–1948
T40 JXR 67 Case LA 1948–1956
T31 FGU 821 Case L 1956–1961
T33 FYP 356 Case L 1961–1964
T73 500 GYR Case 1000D 1964–1965
T72 518 GYM Case 1000D 1965–1969
T56 MYR 426 Fowler 1969–1977
T86 SEL 395R Talus MBC Case 1150B 1977–1987
T102 E387 VAW Talus MB-H Crawler 1987–1999
T94 B567 FAW Talus MB-H Crawler 1999–2008
T91 UAW 558Y Talus MB-H Crawler 2008–2017
SC-T14 HF67 CAV SLARS (Clayton) 2017– Roy Barker
  1. ^ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ^ a b c Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Lifeboat plans for home by sea". BBC News. 20 May 2004. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  2. ^ David Powell (10 October 2008). "Big move for Llandudno lifeboat?". Daily Post North Wales. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Couple rescued from the high seas". BBC News. 4 September 2008.
  4. ^ "Whale trapped in mooring rope freed". Wales Online. 4 February 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  5. ^ Llandudno lifeboat’s coxswain gets MBE - North Wales Weekly News
  6. ^ Wena Alun Owen (7 May 2012). "Llandudno town centre boathouse rethink to fit new lifeboat". BBC Wales News. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  7. ^ "Llandudno's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.

External links[edit]

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