Royal National Lifeboat Institution

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The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity dedicated to saving lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. It is largely a volunteer organisation founded on March 4, 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, adopting the present name in 1854. The organisation is funded entirely by membership fees, voluntary donations and legacies from members of the public. Its headquarters are based in Poole, Dorset, along with its new training college which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004.

Since the RNLI was founded, its lifeboats have saved over 137,000 lives.

The RNLI operates 5 classes of inshore lifeboats, both inflatable boats and RIBs, of 20-40 knots (37-74 km/h), and 6 classes of all-weather motor life boats with maximum speeds of 16-25 knots (30-46 km/h). It maintains an active fleet of 332 lifeboats based at 233 lifeboat stations. It also has an active fleet of 4 hovercraft introduced in 2002 allowing rescue in mud flats and river estuaries inaccessible to conventional boats. The crews of the lifeboats are almost entirely volunteers, the 4,600 sea-going crew members, including over 300 women are alerted by pagers backed up by maroons and attend the lifeboat station when alerted.

The RNLI also operates 59 Beach Lifeguard Units in the South West of England employing over 300 lifeguards.

In the United Kingdom, ships in distress or the public reporting an accident must call HM Coastguard on MF radio, VHF radio or dialling 999 on a telephone. In the Republic of Ireland they must call the Irish Coast Guard, or dial 112 or 999. The Coastguard co-ordinates rescue at sea and may call on the RNLI or their own land-based rescue personnel or rescue helicopters to take part. Air-Sea rescue helicopters are provided by the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the Irish Air Corps.

1 Classes of lifeboats in service
2 Roll of honour
3 See also
4 External links

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Classes of lifeboats in service

Image:Beaumaris Lifeboat Station.jpg Main category: Classes of RNLI lifeboats.

The RNLI has two main categories of lifeboat:

All weather boats - Large boats that are capable of high speed in extreme weather conditions and have a large range.
Inshore lifeboats - Smaller boats that operate closer to the shore than all weather boats and are able to operate in shallower waters and closer to cliffs.

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Roll of honour

1880 - The Wells-next-the-Sea lifeboat Eliza Adams goes to the aid of the stricken brig Ocean Queen in heavy seas. The lifeboat capsizes and 11 of its 13 crew are drowned. (See Wells lifeboat disaster).

1886 - St Anne's, Lytham and Southport lifeboats go to the assistance of a German barque, the Mexico in trouble in heavy seas. The St Anne's and Southport boats are lost with 27 lifeboatmen. (See Southport and St Anne's lifeboats disaster).

1899 - In one of the RNLI's most legendary feats, the Lynmouth lifeboat Louisa is hauled overland for over 10 hours to Porlock go to the aid of a ship. On arrival it launched immediately and stood by the stricken ship until daybreak, when a tug arrived.

1928 - The Rye Harbour lifeboat disaster, in which the Mary Stanford was capsized and 17 men lost their lives.

1941 - Henry Blogg, in the Cromer lifeboat crew since 1894, won his third RNLI Gold Medal. He also received the George Cross and the British Empire Medal. He is known as "The Greatest of all Lifeboatmen".

1981 - The Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne is lost going to the aid of the freighter Union Star. 16 lives are lost. (See Penlee lifeboat disaster).

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