Portishead Lifeboat Station

Portishead Lifeboat Station
Portishead Lifeboat Station
	Portishead Lifeboat Station
	Map of Somerset showing Portishead
Former names	Portishead Lifeboat Trust
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Address	Pier Road
Town or city	Portishead, North Somerset, BS20 7EA
Country	England
Coordinates	51°29′38″N 2°45′25.2″W / 51.49389°N 2.757000°W
Opened	1996 / RNLI 2015
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
	Portishead RNLI Lifeboat Station

Portishead Lifeboat Station is located at Pier Road, in the town of Portishead, located on the Severn Estuary in North Somerset.

A lifeboat was stationed at Portishead in 1996 by the Portishead Lifeboat Trust (PLT), an independent lifeboat, operating from Sugar Loaf Beach.^[1] Management of the station was taken over by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 2015, following construction of a new lifeboat station, opened adjacent to Portishead Pier.^[2]

The station currently operates the B-class (Atlantic 85) lifeboat My Lady Anne (B-884), on station since 2015.^[3]

History

A rescue service in the waters off Portishead was provided from 1967 until 1992 by Portishead Yacht Club. The Portishead Lifeboat Trust was established as a charity in 1995 to provide a replacement service. Their first lifeboat was operational from 6 October 1996, using a base at the Yacht Club's premises at Sugar Loaf Beach, to the south of the town.^[1]^[4]

On 28 August 2008 the lifeboat crew were undertaking a training exercise, when the lifeboat was damaged by heavy seas. Their 'mayday' was answered by the RNLI lifeboat from Weston-super-Mare, and the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) lifeboat.^[5] The Portishead Lifeboat Trust borrowed a lifeboat from SARA while repairs were undertaken by Ribcraft. This lifeboat was later replaced with one leased from the RNLI.^[6]

In 2011 the Portishead Lifeboat Trust approached the RNLI to discuss them being adopted by that organisation so as to give a more secure long-term future. The RNLI agreed to this but subject to building a new lifeboat station with better facilities. This was agreed in 2013 and the following year, construction of the new station was started. The building was completed early in 2015.^[7]^[8] The RNLI asked that the local community should raise £232,000 towards the costs but this was significantly exceeded when an anonymous donor came forward with £500,000.^[9]

The Portishead Lifeboat Trust was called out more than 300 times to assist nearly 500 people, and saving 14 lives. In 2014 they could call upon 34 crew members, all of whom were volunteers.^[4]

On 24 April 2015, Portishead became the RNLI's 238th Lifeboat Station.

Area of operation

Portishead's "My Lady Anne", the Atlantic 85 Inshore lifeboat (ILB) in use since 2015, can go out in Force 7 winds (Force 6 at night) and operate at up to 32 knots (59 km/h) for 2½ hours.^[10] It covers an area of the Bristol Channel around the River Avon, including the Avon itself running up into the city of Bristol. In 2023 they have around 40 volunteer crew members.

Adjacent Inshore lifeboats are provided by the RNLI at Weston-super-Mare to the south, across the Severn estuary at Penarth, and by the independent Severn Area Rescue Association to the north. The nearest All-weather lifeboat, the Shannon-class 13-51 Richard and Caroline Colton II (ON 1358) is based at Barry Dock.