Runswick Bay Lifeboat Station

Runswick Bay Lifeboat Station was a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located in Runswick Bay in North Yorkshire, England. The station was opened in 1866, with a sister station opening at Staithes nine years later. Staithes Lifeboat Station was closed in 1922, and barring another short period of operation at Staithes, Runswick Bay was a mainstay of lifeboat operations on the Yorkshire coast until 1978, when Runswick Bay was closed and Staithes was re-activated.

Runswick Bay Lifeboat Station
Runswick Bay Lifeboat Station; the current independent lifeboat operates from the building with the red door.
Runswick Bay Lifeboat Station is located in North Yorkshire
Runswick Bay Lifeboat Station
Location within North Yorkshire
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationRunswick Bay, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
Coordinates54.5332°N 0.7499°W / 54.5332; -0.7499
Opened1866
Closed1978
OwnerRoyal National Lifeboat Institution

The local population re-started a lifeboat in Runswick Bay in the early 1980s and this now functions as the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat (RBRB), which operates in conjunction with all rescue services on the coast and is part of the HM Coastguards' emergency activation process in the area.

History

The first lifeboat to be stationed at Runswick Bay was The Sheffield in 1866.[1] In April 1901, all the fit and able men were fishing in the bay when a sudden storm erupted over the area. Older men from the village were drafted in to man the boat, but it was pushed into sea by the women of the village.[2]

In 1910, a new station was erected on the site of the previous lifeboathouse. The enlarged station was necessary to accommodate the new 35-foot (11 m) Hester Rothschild.[3]

In 1933, a new motorboat was received on station, and was named The Always Ready. After the coxswain of the lifeboat, Robert Patton, died at sea trying to rescue a crippled seaman, the boat was renamed Robert Patton - The Always Ready in 1934.[4]

In 1978, the lifeboathouse was closed and the RNLI concentrated on their efforts on the lifeboathouse at Staithes.[5] The lifeboat The Royal Thames, was sent to the station at Pwllheli.[6]

Fleet
Dates in service Class ON[lower-alpha 1] Op. No.[lower-alpha 2] Name Comments
1866–1880 The Sheffield
1880–1893 self righting-class 207 Margaret and Edward [7]
1893–1908 self righting-class 341 Cape of Good Hope Transferred to Penzance[8][9]
1910 Rubie-class 612 Hester Rothschild [10]
1933–1953 Liverpool-class 766 The Always Ready (1933–1934),
Robert Patton - The Always Ready (1934–1953)		 The first motorboat at Runswick Bay, the boat was renamed in honour of Robert Patton, who died at sea rescuing a disabled man[11]
1954–1970 Liverpool-class 918 Elliot Gill Transferred to the reserve fleet in 1970 for four years before being disposed of.[12]
1970–1978 Oakley-class 978 37-11 The Royal Thames [3]
  1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

Runswick Bay Rescue Boat
Runswick Bay Lifeboat Station
Runswick Bay Rescue Boat House
General information
TypeLifeboat Station
LocationRunswick Bay, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
Opened1982
OwnerRunswick Bay Rescue Boat
Website
Official website

After the RNLI withdrew their boat at Runswick Bay in favour of nearby Staithes, the local population at Runswick Bay raised the money to have their own rescue boat. It was felt that the popularity of the bay, particularly in the holiday season, would need some sort of rescue cover. The first boat was called Claymoor.[13] The RBRB operates from the tractor storage shed in the lifeboat house that the RNLI did up until 1978.[14][3]

The RBRB works alongside the RNLI to provide a rescue service in Runswick Bay, particularly along the shoreline where the heavier rescue boats have trouble getting to.[15]

Fleet
Dates in service Name Comments
1982–1985 Claymoor [13]
1986–1991 Christine Appleton
1992–2000 Lady Normanby
2000–2006 Enita Margaret
2007–2010 Spirit of Runswick
2011–2014 Spirit II [14]
2015– Freebird Fojt

References
  1. Overton, Holly (15 October 2015). "Runswick Bay, Yorkshire". yachtingmonthly.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  2. "Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Stations: Stronger than the Storm by Grant McKee (RNLI, £8.95)". The Northern Echo. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  3. Leach 2018, p. 113.
  4. "Saviours of the sea". The Yorkshire Post. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2019 – via Newsbank.
  5. Robinson, Chris (July 1984). "The Foresight of Man, and the Birth of the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat". North East Times. Newcastle: Chris Robinson Publishing (14): 10. ISSN 1468-909X.
  6. "Station history Clogher Head". rnli.org. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  7. Leach 2018, p. 23.
  8. "Past lifeboats". rnli-penleelifeboat.org.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  9. "Assets". The Lifeboat. Poole: RNLI. 18 (200): 43. May 1901. ISSN 0024-3086.
  10. "Annual Report (Assets)". The Lifeboat. Poole: RNLI. 21 (240): 354–355. May 1911. ISSN 0024-3086.
  11. "Name The Always Ready | National Historic Ships". www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  12. "Name The Elliot Gill | National Historic Ships". www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  13. McGrath, Peter (20 September 2012). "All in a day's work for rescue boat of Runswick Bay". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  14. Chrystal 2012, p. 40.
  15. Edwards, John (28 November 2018). "Runswick Bay rescue crew receive donation which will make a 'huge difference'". The Whitby Gazette. Retrieved 13 March 2019.

Sources
  • Chrystal, Paul (2012). Lifeboat Stations of North East England; From Sunderland to The Humber, Through Time. Stroud: Amberley. ISBN 978-1-4456-1376-5.
  • Leach, Nicholas (2018). The Lifeboat Service in England; the North East Coast, Station by Station. Stroud: Amberley. ISBN 978-1-4456-6832-1.
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