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Littlehampton Lifeboat Station

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Template:Geobox Littlehampton Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Littlehampton in the English county of West Sussex in the United Kingdom. The station is located on Littlehampton harbour side on the eastern bank of the River Arun, half a mile from the river's mouth and the east and west piers. The current lifeboat house is on Fisherman's Quay and was built in 2002. The lifeboat station currently operates with two inshore lifeboats: an Atlantic 75 class lifeboat, Blue Peter 1 (B-779) and a D Class Lifeboat, Spirit of Jupiter (D-631) The Arun class of lifeboats (in service 1971–2008) take their name from the River Arun, which comes to a head a Littlehampton; however, no Arun-class lifeboats have been stationed at the station.

History

The RNLI opened the first lifeboat station in the town in 1884. It was built on the east bank of the River Arun, near what is now the Harbour Park amusement park. The station's first pulling lifeboat was manned by local sailors and fishermen using oars and sail. During the next 37 years of operation, the lifeboats were launched 26 times before this original station closed in 1921.

Station re-location

In 1903 the boathouse was moved to a new site, which was in close proximity to the lighthouse. This station operated on the site until 1921, when it closed as a result of a lack of suitable crewman to man the boat, along with the placement of a new motor lifeboat further west along the coast at Selsey.

The re-opening as an inshore lifeboat station

The RNLI noted that given the large increase in the use of pleasure craft and leisure activities, the area was seeing a change in the pattern of casualties along the West Sussex coastline and Arun river estuary. An increasing number of services had been required to rescue to bathers washed out to sea, people on lilos, dinghies, and various small water craft and, as a result, faster first response was needed. The station re-opened in 1967 as an inshore lifeboat station operating a D-class lifeboat housed in a garage on the east bank of the river Arun. The cost of this inshore lifeboat was defrayed by a BBC Blue Peter fundraising appeal. The lifeboat was called Blue Peter I (D-115) and with this placement came an association with the children's programme that has carried on since.

1979

In 1979, the station was improved with the construction of a bespoke new boathouse located near Fishermen's Quay in the town, from which lifeboats could be launched quickly down a short ramp into the river Arun.

2002

In 2002, the station underwent a large re-development. The new building is still located on Fishermen's Quay, but is in a slightly different situation to fit in with the recent waterside improvements in the area. The new station has been designed specifically as a two-boat station at a cost of £550,000. The new station also saw the arrival of the current Atlantic 75 class lifeboat, Blue Peter 1 (B-779), at a cost of £100,000.

The current boathouse, which was officially opened on Monday 6 October 2003, is a two-storey building and is large enough to house both lifeboats and their launching cradles and tractors. The ground floor is equipped with showers, a workshop, crew changing rooms and storage for dry suits, thermal clothing, lifejackets, helmets and gloves This latter room is also a dry room with dehumidifiers keeping all the equipment in optimal condition. The first floor contains a crew and training room with meeting facilities as well as a chart table which can be used to plot and plan the progress of the boats whether on exercise or service. Alongside this facility there are the marine radios used to monitor progress and to communicate directly with the boats.

2005

The second lifeboat, a new D-class inshore lifeboat, was donated by the Campaign for Real Gin in 2005 at a cost of £100,000. It was the named the Spirit of Jupiter (D-631) in a ceremony at the boathouse on 21 May 2005.

The Blue Peter relationship

The children's television programme Blue Peter held and annual appeal for good causes every year. In 1966 the programmes producers decided to aim the appeal at raising funds for the RNLI with a view to providing a lifeboat. The programme asked its views to send in paperback books. The response was so great that the RNLI's warehouse at Borehamwood was overwhelmed with the second hand books. The proceeds of the appeal raised enough money to buy four inshore lifeboats for the institution, of which one was sent to Littlehampton with the other three going to Beaumaris, North Berwick and St Agnes. The stations first ILB was an Atlantic 21-class lifeboat called Blue Peter I (D-115) and was a trial prototype of the Rigid-hulled inflatable boat, which is now a common sight all around the coast, confirming the success of the concept not only for rescue purposes, but also as an all-round leisure and working boat. The lifeboat remained on the station until May 1972 when the boat was moved into the relief fleet before being sold out of service in 1975. Following the departure of this boat the appeal was used to supply another ILB which inherited the name of Blue Peter 1 with the hull number '(B-504). In July 1973 yet another Atlantic 21 arrived on station and once again it was given the name Blue Peter 1 (B-517). This lifeboat was on station for a year until it was replaced by a more powerful version, and once again it was named Blue Peter 1 (B-523). This boat remained on the station until 1985, when it moved into the relief fleet before serving at Kirkudbright in 1988. Between 1985 and 2001 the station was given another new Atlantic 21 lifeboat (B-564) which also served as Blue Peter I. That lifeboat joining the relief fleet and then was sold out of service in 2003. The stations current lifeboat follows in the naming tradition and is called Blue Peter I (B-779). This lifeboat is an Atlantic 75 which arrived at Littlehampton in 2002, and, to date, (2014) is still on service at Littlehampton lifeboat station to this day.

Gallery

  • The Littlehampton Atlantic 75-class lifeboat Blue Peter 1 (B-779) being retrieved by the stations TC45 tractor in its launch cradle on the slipway outside the lifeboat station at Fishermen’s Quay on the banks of the River Arun. The Littlehampton Atlantic 75-class lifeboat Blue Peter 1 (B-779) being retrieved by the stations TC45 tractor in its launch cradle on the slipway outside the lifeboat station at Fishermen’s Quay on the banks of the River Arun.
  • The Littlehampton D-class inshore is called Spirit of Juniper (D-631) and has been on station since 2003. here she is inside the boathouse at Fishermen’s Quay, Littlehampton. The Littlehampton D-class inshore is called Spirit of Juniper (D-631) and has been on station since 2003. here she is inside the boathouse at Fishermen’s Quay, Littlehampton.

Neighbouring Station Locations

Neighbouring Stations to Littlehamton
West Sussex West Sussex West Sussex
Selsey Lifeboat Station
 Littlehampton Lifeboat Station
 		Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat Station
English Channel English Channel English Channel

References

  1. "The RNLI Littlehampton Lifeboat Station website". Home page of station website – RNLI. ©2014 RNLI. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  2. OS Explorer Map 120 - Chichester South Harting and Selsey (OS Explorer Map Active) Folded Map.Publisher: Ordnance Survey. ISBN 978 0319467626
  3. "The lifeboats". RNLI Littlehampton. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  4. Denton, Tony (2009). Handbook 2009. Shrewsbury: Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 26–33.
  5. ^ For Those In Peril – The Lifeboat Service of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Station by Station. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher: Silver Link Publishing Ltd, First Issue 1999. Work:Part 2, South Coast of England – Eastbourne to Weston-super-Mare, Page 74, Littlehampton. ISBN 1 85794 129 2
  6. ^ "A Brief History of Littlehampton". Reference to the early work of the RNLI at Littlehampton. Arun District Council. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  7. Strong to Save – Dramatic first-hand accounts of the RNLI lifeboat rescues around the British Iles. Author: Kipling, Ray and Susannah. Publisher:Patrick Stephens Ltd, re-printed addition – 1998. Work: Blue Peter to the Rescue – references to the Blue Peter appeals and involvement with the RNLI, Page 104. ISBN 1 85260 495 6
  8. ^ "Shorething! - Blue Peter lifeboats and rescue". Description of the relationship of Blue Peter 1 to Littlehampton. RNLI. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Station History – Littlehampton Lifeboat Station". Littlehampton History – reference to new station and Lifeboat. Copyright © 2014 RNLI Littlehampton. All Rights Reserved. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  10. ^ Never Turn Back – The RNLI since the Second World War. Author:Kipling, Ray and Susannah. Publisher:Sutton Publishing, 2006. Work: Chapter 7, page 154, From Whitehall to White City – Blue Peter book appeal, ISBN 0 7509 4307 6
  11. "Connie carries on Blue Peter tradition!". Littlehampton Gazette – 9 October 2003 – Report on new station and Lifeboat. Littlehampton Gazette. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
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