# Salcombe Lifeboat Station

Salcombe Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Salcombe, Devon in England. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1869. The Salcombe Lifeboat has twice capsized, in 1916 with the loss of 13 lives, and in 1983 with no loss of life. Since 2008 the station has operated a Tamar-class all weather boat (ALB) and an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat (ILB).

## History

Salcombe lies near the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary. A little to the east is Prawle Point where, on 10 December 1868, thirteen people died in the wreck of the Gossamer. The following year saw the opening of a lifeboat station and slipway at South Sands. This is south of the town, but north of The Bar which makes navigation difficult for boats passing in and out of the estuary. In 1922 the lifeboat was moved to moorings nearer the town. The boathouse was later used as a store.
The neighbouring stations at Brixham and Plymouth were equipped with motor lifeboats in 1922 and 1926 respectively. It was thought that this would allow them to cover larger areas and so Salcombe was closed in 1925. The closure proved ill-advised and so a station was reopened at Salcombe in December 1930, itself equipped with a motor lifeboat. Crew facilities were placed in the Unity Building on the quay. This was refurbished in 1992 and now includes a museum and display area.
In 2003, an ILB was stationed at Salcombe. A boathouse for this was built beside the existing crew facilities. A new pontoon for the moored lifeboat was provided in 2004.

### Capsizes

The lifeboat William and Emma was launched on 27 October 1916 to go to the aid of the schooner Western Lass, ashore beyond Prawle Point. By the time the crew of fifteen had rowed to the wreck, the schooner's crew had been rescued to the shore by the coastguard. The lifeboat turned for home but, approaching South Sands, capsized near The Bar. Thirteen of the crew drowned. The station was closed for a short while but reopened with a self-righter lifeboat and a new crew the following year.
The Watson-class were not inherently self-righting but, after the capsize of the Fraserburgh Lifeboat in 1970, they were fitted with air bags that could be used to bring them back upright should they capsize. This was put to the test when Baltic Exchange was aiding a dinghy which had overturned in a force 9 gale on 10 April 1983. The lifeboat capsized too, but the air bag automatically inflated. The crew rescued their one-member who was washed overboard and then put into Brixham, the dinghy crew having been winched off by helicopter.

### Service awards

The volunteer crews of the RNLI do not expect reward or recognition for their work, but the records include many rescues that have been recognised by letters, certificates and medals from the RNLI management. This list is just some of the most notable.
On 7 December 1939, a few months after the start of World War II, the Samuel and Marie Parkhouse went to the aid of the SS Louis Sheid. This had picked up 62 survivors from the SS Tajandoen which had been torpedoed by Günther Prien's U-47 but was now in trouble herself after hitting rocks near Thurlestone. It took the lifeboat crew two journeys to Hope Cove to land the survivors of the tordepoed ship, but the Louis Sheid's own crew eventually got ashore after it ran aground in Bigbury Bay. Coxswain Edwin Distin (a survivor of the 1916 capsize) was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for his seamanship during this rescue. The rest of the crew were awarded bronze medals.
Four years later Distin was himself awarded a bronze medal when, on 4 December 1943, he rescued eleven people from a salvage craft off Start Point.
On 8 January 1992, the Baltic Exchange II went to help the MV Janet C which was adrift without power near Start Point. The crew managed to get a line across and held the 1,200 long tons (1,200 t) coaster off the rocks for three hours until a tug was able to take over the tow. Coxswain/Mechanic Frank Smith was awarded a bronze medal for his courage, seamanship and determination during this service.
The following are awards at Salcombe
* Albert Medal
       Isaac Jarvis, crew member (Hope Cove) – 1907
       Jack Argrat, crew member (Hope Cove) – 1907
* RNLI Silver Medal
       William Wedge, coastguard – 1857
       James Turpin, coastguard – 1857
       David Warder, coastguard – 1857
       Edwin W Distin, Coxswain – 1940
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       Seven crew members – 1940
       Edwin W Distin, Coxswain – 1944
       Frank Yeoman Smith, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1992
* The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
       H W Distin, Coxswain – 1972
       John Griffiths, Coxswain – 1979
* A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       J G Griffiths, Coxswain – 1983
       F Y Smith, Motor Mechanic – 1983
       B Cater, Assistant Mechanic – 1983
       S Turns, crew member – 1983
       R Evans, crew member – 1983
       M Hicks, crew member – 1983
       D Lamble, crew member – 1983
       John Marjoram, Staff Coxswain – 1992
       Frank Smith, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1997
       Sam Viles, Helmsman – 2012
* Certificates of Appreciation
       Iain Dundas, crew member – 2010
       Adam Lilley, crew member – 2010
* Letters of Thanks
       Esther McLarty, crew member – 2012
       Matt Davies, crew member – 2012
* Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
       Frank Yeoman Smith, Former Coxswain/Second Mechanic – 2002

## Description

The main crew facilities are in a three-storey building on the waterfront of Union Street. Next door is a similarly constructed single-storey boathouse for the ILB with its own slipway.

## Area of operation

The RNLI aims to reach any casualty up to 50 miles (80 km) from its stations, and within two hours in good weather. To do this the Tamar class lifeboat at Salcombe has an operating range of 250 nautical miles (460 km) and a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). Adjacent lifeboats are at Plymouth Lifeboat Station to the west, and Torbay to the east; there is also an ILB at Dart Lifeboat Station in Dartmouth between Salcombe and Torbay.

## Salcombe lifeboats

* William and Emma (1904–1916)
* Samuel and Marie Parkhouse (1938–1962)
* The Baltic Exchange II (left, 1987–2008)

### Pulling and sailing lifeboats

| At Salcombe | ON | Name | Built | Class | Comments |
| 1869–1887 | — | Rescue | 1869 | Self-righter | 33 ft (10 m) boat. |
| 1887–1904 | 142 | Lesty | 1887 | Self-righter | 34 ft 1 in (10.39 m) boat. |
| 1904–1916 | 524 | William and Emma | 1904 | Liverpool | Wrecked in service. |
| 1917–1925 | 449 | Sarah Ann Holden | 1900 | Self-righter | First stationed at Johnshaven, Scotland, in 1900. |

### Motor lifeboats

| At Salcombe | ON | Op. No. | Name | Built | Class | Comments |
| 1930–1938 | 672 | — | Alfred and Clara Heath | 1922 | Self-righter | 40 ft (12 m) boat originally at Brixham, later at St Peter Port then sold and used as a yacht until 2009. |
| 1938–1962 | 805 | — | Samuel and Marie Parkhouse | 1938 | Watson | Special design to cope with the shallow conditions on The Bar at Salcombe. Now in use as a pleasure boat named Oniros and based in Salcombe. |
| 1962–1988 | 964 | — | The Baltic Exchange | 1962 | Watson | Reported in use as pleasure boat Baltic Air at Blyth in 2023. |
| 1987–2008 | 1130 | 47-022 | The Baltic Exchange II | 1987 | Tyne | Sold in 2010 to the Seychelles Coastguard. |
| 2008– | 1289 | 16-09 | The Baltic Exchange III | 2008 | Tamar | |

### Inshore lifeboats

| At Salcombe | Op. No. | Name | Class | Model | Comments |
| 2003 | B-755 | London's Anniversary | B | Atlantic 75 | First deployed as a relief lifeboat in 1999. |
| 2003–2018 | B-794 | Joan Bate | B | Atlantic 75 | After leaving Salcombe it was used to evaluate the use of a B-class lifeboat at the neighbouring Dart Lifeboat Station and then transferred to Weston-super-Mare |
| 2018– | B-905 | Gladys Hilda Mustoe | B | Atlantic 85 | |