:Penarth Lifeboat Station

The Bristol Channel has always been a hazardous stretch of water because of the extreme tidal range. There are very strong currents or rips close inshore, with speeds that exceed 7 knots (13 km/h), for several hours at each tide. The rise and fall of the tides at Penarth are the second highest recorded anywhere in the world [http://www.whitewatercharters.co.uk/bristol-channel-tides.htm Tide information]

At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday, 6 September 1860, a letter of 13 August was read, from James B. Bryan, Chief Officer of H.M. Coastguard Penarth, requesting that a lifeboat be placed at Penarth, which would receive good county support. Another letter, of 7 August 1860, had been received from Mr George Gay, an architect and builder, of Cothem Park, Bristol, who wished to present the Institution with £180 for the purchase of a lifeboat, and £20 as a donation. It was agreed that a lifeboat would be provided to Penarth, with the gift appropriated to the station.{{cite journal |title=Summary of the Meetings of the Committee |journal=The Lifeboat |date=1 January 1861 |volume=IV |issue=39 |page=372 |url=https://lifeboatmagazinearchive.rnli.org/volume/04/39/summary-of-the-meetings-of-the-committee |access-date=30 April 2025}}{{cite web |title=George Gay |url=https://www.parksandgardens.org/people/george-gay |website=Parks and Gardens |publisher=The Hestercombe Gardens Trust |access-date=30 April 2025}}

A 30-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, was sent to Penarth in January 1861, and named George Gay after the donor.{{cite journal |title=Additional Stations and New Life-Boats |journal=The Lifeboat |date=1 July 1861 |volume=IV |issue=41 |page=474 |url=https://lifeboatmagazinearchive.rnli.org/volume/04/41/additional-stations-and-new-life-boats |access-date=30 April 2025}}

The lifeboat was housed in a shed, built near to where Penarth Yacht Club now stands, at the southern end of Penarth beach, and controlled by staff located at the Coastguard cottages and Trinity House lookout tower on Tower Hill near Marine Parade.

The manually powered (rowing) or "pulling boats" were 30 feet in length and were powered by 12 oars. They had cork in their hull and shaped air-cases fore and aft.{{cite web|title='Report of the committee appointed to examine the lifeboats submitted to compete for the premium offered by his Grace the Duke of Northumberland'|url=http://collection.river-and-rowing-museum.co.uk/collection/results.do?id=9106&db=object&view=detail|date=|work=|publisher=River & Rowing Museum|accessdate=15 July 2009}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The boats were self-righting and their double-ended designs could operate a rudder from either end, so there was no need to turn.

The Penarth lifeboat was renamed Baroness Windsor in 1865, remaining so named until the lifeboat was found to be completely rotten in 1868, and replaced. The new boat, a 32-foot self-righting lifeboat, was again named George Gay.{{cite journal |title=Additional Stations and New Life-Boats |journal=The Lifeboat |date=1 July 1869 |volume=VII |issue=73 |page=237 |url=https://lifeboatmagazinearchive.rnli.org/volume/07/73/additional-stations-and-new-life-boats |access-date=30 April 2025}}

In 1883, when the Yacht Club and the raised concrete esplanade were constructed along Penarth seafront, an All-weather lifeboat was relocated to a yard and temporary slipway near the Taff Vale Railway Marine Hotel on the Dock Beach, where it remained until 1905.{{cite web |title=Glamorgan Sheet XLVII |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/102342664 |website=Maps |publisher=National Library of Scotland |access-date=30 April 2025}}

The Penarth lifeboat was withdrawn from service in 1905 and all services transferred to the new Barry Dock Lifeboat Station, and the station at {{Lbs|Weston-super-Mare}}. Penarth would have no lifeboat service for the next 75 years, until a new station opened in 1980.{{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2025 |p=120}}

With the regular daily hovercraft service between Penarth to Weston-super-Mare, coupled with an increase in leisure boating generated by a new water skiing club, it was decided in 1980 to re-establish lifeboat services at Penarth, with the provision of an inflatable {{Lbc|D}} Inshore lifeboat. The new boat was located at the original site next to Penarth Yacht Club, housed in an unused storehouse and launched down the yacht club’s jetty.{{cite journal |title=The re-opening of Penarth lifeboat station |journal=The Lifeboat |date=Autumn 1981 |volume=XLVII |issue=477 |page=235 |url=https://rnliarchive.blob.core.windows.net/media/1467/0477.pdf |access-date=30 April 2025}}

The current boathouse was built in 1995 to house a {{Lbc|B}} lifeboat. Also provided were a Talus MB-4H amphibious tractor, a workshop, an RNLI souvenir shop, a fuel store and improved crew facilities. The following year a {{Lbc|B|Atlantic 21}} lifeboat arrived, for a temporary duty at the station. That boat was replaced four months later by the {{Lbc|Atlantic 75}} Spirit of Penarth (B-725) and the {{Lbc|D|EA16}} Severn Rescuer (D-534). The D-class lifeboat is launched using a TC45 tractor and carriage.{{cite web|title=Talus MB-4H Tractor|url=http://www.claytonengineering.co.uk/equipmentitem/4d78e22f702ba/Talus-MB4H|work=Details of the MB-4H production|publisher=Clayton Engineering Ltd|accessdate=26 March 2014}}

In 2010 Spirit of Penarth (B-725) was withdrawn from service, and replaced with the {{Lbc|Atlantic 85}} Maureen Lilian (B-839).{{sfn|Leonard |Denton |2025 |p=84}}

The following are awards made to the crew of Penarth Lifeboat Station{{cite web |title=Penarth's station history |url=https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/penarth-lifeboat-station/station-history-penarth |publisher=RNLI |access-date=9 January 2024}}

• Thanks of the Institute inscribed on Vellum

:For the rescue of a yacht close to Lavernock point on 2 May 2011.

::Jason Dunlop, Helm – 2012

::Aran Pitter, Crew member – 2012

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

:For rescuing a man cut off by the tide on 25 May 2002.

::Simeon Rabaiotti, Helm – 2002

In memory of those lost whilst serving Penarth lifeboat.

• Lost whilst attempting to rescue a man, who had gone overboard from his own boat, in high winds and rough seas, 11 November 1891

::John Frederick Jackson, lifeboat man

::Mr Redmond

:Station Closed in 1905

:{{Small|Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.}}

{{notelist}}

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

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

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• [https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/penarth-lifeboat-station Penarth RNLI Lifeboat Station]

{{Lifeboat Stations in Wales}}

Category:Lifeboat stations in Wales

Category:Transport in the Vale of Glamorgan

Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1861

Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1980

Lifeboat station

Category:1861 establishments in Wales