Dart Lifeboat Station

{{Short description|Lifeboat station in Devon, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}

{{Infobox building

| name = Dart Lifeboat Station

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| image = Dart Lifeboat Station (2024).JPG

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| map_type = Devon

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| map_caption = Map of Devon showing Dartmouth

| location = Coronation Park, North Embankment, TQ6 9NL

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| location_country = United Kingdom

| coordinates = {{coord|50.354724|-3.577995|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

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| building_type = RNLI Lifeboat Station

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| opened_date = 1867-1896 first station
2007 new station

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| owner = File:Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg RNLI

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Dart Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) inshore lifeboat operations at Dartmouth, Devon in England. The present station was opened in 2007 although an earlier lifeboat was stationed in the town from 1878 to 1896. It operates a {{Lbc|D|IB1}} inshore lifeboat, and a {{Lbc|B|Atlantic 85}} inshore lifeboat.

History

Dartmouth is a small port on the west side of the natural harbour formed by the River Dart. In the 1860s the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway established more quays on the opposite bank at Kingswear.{{cite book| last = Potts| first = C R| title = The Newton Abbot to Kingswear Railway (1844 - 1988)| publisher = Oakwood Press| year = 1998| location = Oxford| isbn = 0-85361-387-7}} The RNLI approved that Dartmouth Lifeboat Station be established at Dartmouth in July 1876 but it was 1878 before a lifeboat arrived. During the summer the lifeboat was kept in a boat house at Sand Quay, but during the winter it was kept afloat in Warfleet Creek where it was quicker to respond to any ships in distress. It would prove difficult for the rowing lifeboat to leave the estuary of the Dart if the wind was blowing from the sea unless a tug was able to help. The station was closed in 1896 and during all that time just one effective service was provided. That was on 20 September 1887 when the crew attended a trawler near Kingswear Castle. The boat house is now used by the Dartmouth Amateur Rowing Club.{{cite book |last= Leach |first= Nicholas |title= Devon's Lifeboat Heritage |year= 2009 |publisher= Twelveheads Press |location= Chacewater |isbn= 978-0-906294-72-7 |pages=19-20}}

In 2007 a new lifeboat was sent to Dartmouth, although the new station was to be named the Dart Lifeboat Station after the river, rather than the town. A temporary building with five years planning agreement was erected in Coronation Park. The D-class lifeboat is kept on a carriage and is towed to the river for launching by a tractor; the B-class lifeboat is moored in a Drive-on Aquadock moored in the river.{{cite book |last1=Leonard |first1=Richie |last2=Denton |first2=Tony |title=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024 |date=2024 |publisher=Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society |page=115}}

Station honours

The following are awards made at Dartmouth:{{cite web |title=Dartmouth station history |url=https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/dart-lifeboat-station/station-history-dart |publisher=RNLI |access-date=6 February 2024}}

Albert Medal awarded by Queen Victoria

  • Mr Popplestone – 1866 (the first recipient of the award)

RNLI Silver Medal

  • Lt. William Lane, coastguard – 1838
  • Lt. James Clayton, coastguard – 1842
  • Mr William Kelland – 1893

Area of operation

The Dart ILB has a maximum speed of {{Convert|25|kn|km/h}} and can operate for three hours.{{cite book |last= Wake-Walker |first= Edward |title= The Lifeboats Story |year= 2008 |publisher= Sutton Publishing |location= Stroud |isbn= 978-0-7509-4858-6 |page=114}} It covers the River Dart and the nearby south Devon coast. Adjacent lifeboats – both ILBs and All Weather Boats – are at Torbay Lifeboat Station to the East, and Salcombe Lifeboat Station to the West.

Dartmouth and Dart lifeboats

=Dartmouth (1878–1896)=

class="wikitable"

! {{Nowrap|At Dartmouth}}

! {{Abbr|ON|Official Number}}

! Name

! Built

! Class

! Comments

1878–1887

| —

| Maud Hargreaves

| 1878

| Self-righter

| {{cvt|30|ft|m}} boat.{{cite book |last1=Leonard |first1=Richie |last2=Denton |first2=Tony |title=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021 |date=2021 |publisher=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society |pages=2–18 |edition=2021}}

1887–1896

| 129

| {{nowrap|Henry and Amanda Shaw}}

| 1887

| Self-righter

| {{cvt|34|ft|m}} lifeboat.{{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2024|pp=8–9}}

=Dart (from 2007)=

{{clear}}

class="wikitable sortable"

! {{Nowrap|At Dart

}

! {{Abbr|Op. No.|Operational Number}}

! Name

! Class

! Model

!class=unsortable| Comments

|-

| {{nowrap|2007–2008}}

| D-520

| Bob Savage

| D

| EA16

|

|-

| 2008

| {{nowrap|D-523}}

| {{nowrap|Peterborough Beer Festival 1}}

| D

| EA16

| First stationed at {{lbs|Redcar}} in 1997.{{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2024|p=81}}

|-

| 2008–2019

| D-702

| Spirit of the Dart

| D

| IB1

| {{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2024|pp=84}}

|-

| 2018–2020

| B-794

| Joan Bate

| B

| {{nowrap|{{Lbb|Atlantic 75}}}}

| First stationed at {{lbs|Salcombe}}, after 2020 it was at {{lbs|Weston-super-Mare}}.{{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2024|p=69}}

|-

| 2019–

| D-838

| Dudley Jane

| D

| IB1

| {{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2024|p=86}}

|-

| 2020–2022

| B-825

| Norma Ethel Vinall

| B

| {{Lbb|Atlantic 85}}

| Initially deployed in the relief fleet in 2008.{{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2024|pp=70–71}}

|-

| 2022–

| B-931

| Frank C Samworth

| B

| {{Lbb|Atlantic 85}}

| {{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2024|pp=70–71}}

|-

|}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}