History of Tenby's Lifeboat Houses

 Early Days
For over 150yrs there has been a lifeboat of some sort stationed at Tenby. The first was a lifeboat which was bought by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Benevolent Society and sent to Tenby in 1852. The boat was a 28ft by 7ft 10-oared self-righting boat which cost the grand total of £125 !!! A boathouse was then built for the new boat in the corner of the harbour known as Peniless Cove.

In 1854 the the Society handed over its nine lifeboats, including its Tenby one to the Institution who spent £104.18.9d upgrading the boat to bring it inline with their own self-righting boats. The boats performed numerous rescues and saved many lives before the boat was replaced in 1862.

In 1862, the boat was replaced with a brand new boat the R.N.L.B Florence. She was a 33ft, 10-oared self-righting boat and she was to be housed in a new boathouse on the Castle Beach. (see pic top right)

In the following 42yrs, Tenby received a further 3 new lifeboats including R.N.L.B Carolina Morris' Divine Rescue, R.N.L.B Annie Collin and R.N.L.B William and Mary Devey. The latter boat required that the boathouse on Castle Beach be altered as she was bigger than the previous boats.

In 1904, it was decided that a new boathouse was needed to accommodate the up and coming bigger, motor lifeboats. The new boathouse was to be built near the site of the now demolished Victoria Pier (the site the new boathouse is due to be built on). Work on the new boathouse completed in 1905 and the boat was moved from the Castle Beach to the new slipway.

The first of the Tenby's motor lifeboats arrived in August 1923. She was a 45ft by 12ft 6 inch Watson class lifeboat named R.N.L.B John R. Webb. The boathouse needed to be upgraded (at a cost of £10,000) to house this new boat but the boat itself was revolutionary. No longer were oars or sails needed as the boat had a six cylinder, 80 h.p petrol engine which pushed the boat along at 8.6 knts.

After numerous successful rescues and 7 years later, the boat was replaced by the R.N.L.B John R. Webb II and then in 1955 by the Henry Comber Brown and then finally in 1986 by the present Tyne Class lifeboat R.N.L.B R.F.A Sir Galahad.


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One of the first Boathouses on Castle Beach
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The current boathouse during building in 1904
R.N.L.B Annie Collin - click to enlarge
R.N.L.B Annie Collin 1885-1902
R.N.L.B William & Mary Devey - click to enlarge
R.N.L.B William & Mary Devey 1902-1923
R.N.L.B John R. Webb - click to enlarge
R.N.L.B John R. Webb 1923-1930
R.N.L.B John R. Webb II - click to enlarge
R.N.L.B John R. Webb II 1930-1955
R.N.L.B Henry Comber Brown - click to enlarge
R.N.L.B Henry Comber Brown 1955-1986
R.N.L.B R.F.A Sir Galahad - click to enlarge
R.N.L.B R.F.A Sir Galahad 1986-present
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© Tenby Lifeboat Website 1999 - 2003
Site designed by Ben James

 

 

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