# Looe Lifeboat Station

Looe Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboats at Looe, Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It was first opened in 1866 but closed 1930. A new lifeboat station was opened in 1992 and the present building dates from 2003.

## History

To the east of Looe is the expanse of Whitsand Bay where many sailing ships became embayed, unable to sail around Rame Head to reach the safety of Plymouth Sound. The RNLI was approached in 1866 by people from Looe who wanted a lifeboat for the town. This was agreed to, a donor to the RNLI providing the lifeboat and the town subscribing the money to build a boathouse. The lifeboat arrived at Liskeard railway station on 28 December 1866 and was taken down the road to Looe, although it was damaged as it was taken through the narrow streets to reach the beach.
A motor lifeboat was stationed at Plymouth from 1926 and another at Fowey from 1928. These two boats could cover the area around Looe and so the lifeboat station here was closed on 31 July 1930.
The RNLI stationed an inshore lifeboat at Looe from 1992, initially only during the summer. A temporary home was provided by the East Looe Town Trust in a building next to the old lifeboat station. A permanent lifeboat station was provided in an old building on East Looe Quay from 11 July 1998. A second, larger inshore lifeboat was stationed at Looe from 2003 and a purpose-built lifeboat station was opened on the quay on 18 October 2003.

## Description

The first boathouse stands close to the beach at East Looe. Because of its prominent position it was built in a decorative Italianate style. The walls are from granite rubble with red brick arches and string courses; the roof is slate. An assembly and reading room for the use of local sailors was provided above the boathouse with a two-storey tower on the east side. It was given listed building status in 1973.
The new building of 2003 also has granite walls and a slate roof to be in keeping with the old lifeboat station and other nearby buildings. The main building has crew facilities and space for the two inshore lifeboats with their tractors. There is a meeting room and office above the boat house, and a fund-raising shop attached on the north side. A new slipway was created at the same time to give a quick launch into the river.

## Service awards

There were many wrecks in the Looe area before the lifeboat station was opened and the Coastguards made many rescues. For example, John Miller led the rescue of 7 people from the Harmonie which was wrecked in Polorn Cove on 23 November 1824. He was awarded a silver medal by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (the RNIPLS, as the RNLI was originally known) which had been formed earlier in the year. 27 November 1838 saw the brig Belissima hit rocks near Looe Island. William Jennings swam out to the ship with a rope to save the crew of 13. He was awarded an RNIPLS silver medal for this. The Fletan ran ashore in Whitsand Bay on 14 February 1851 but the nine people on board were saved by coastguards who waded into the sea with a rope. Another RNIPLS silver medal was awarded, this time to John Anderson.
The lifeboat went out to help the French vessel Gypsy which ran aground at Downderry on 7 December 1901. The lifeboat stood by for more than two hours while the ship's captain tried to pump out water. The crew eventually decided to abandon their ship. 14 were taken aboard the lifeboat and the remaining 5 took to the ship's boat which was towed to Looe. The three kittens on the Gypsy were also brought ashore. The French government awarded medals to the RNLI crew, a gold medal, second class, to coxswain Edwards Toms and silver medals, second class, to Albert Bettison, Ernest Bettison, Stephen Cox, Joseph Fletcher, Ben Menhenick, Percy Pearn, Ben Pengelly, Thomas Pengelly, Francis Taylor, Charles Toms, Thomas Toms, and Robert Whynall.
For his service to Looe Lifeboat Station, David John Haines, Lifeboat Operations Manager, was awarded the British Empire Medal in the King's New Year Honours of 2025.

## Looe lifeboats

The three lifeboats stationed at Looe between 1866 and 1930 were all of the 'pulling and sailing' type. They were equipped with oars but could use sails when conditions allowed. The first was launched at Looe on 28 December 1866, paid for by funds raised in Oxfordshire by Sir John Willoughby. It was replaced by a new boat, one of two paid for by donations made by the readers of The Boy's Own Paper, which was launched on 21 July 1882. Both of these boats were built by Woolfe of Shadwell but Looe's third boat, Ryder, was built at the Thames Ironworks. It was paid from the legacy of William Ryder of London and sent to Looe on 25 May 1902.
From 1992 Looe has been a station for inshore lifeboats. There has always been a 16 ft (4.9 m) D-class inflatable but the second boat provided since 2003 has been a larger and more powerful B-class rigid inflatable.

### Pulling and sailing lifeboats

| At Looe | ON | Name | Built | Class | Comments |
| 1866–1882 | Pre-475 | Oxfordshire | 1866 | Peake | |
| 1882–1902 | 45 | Boys' Own No.1 | 1882 | Peake | |
| 1902–1930 | 489 | Ryder | 1902 | Peake | Sold in 1930 and converted to a houseboat by 1958. It was wrecked in 1987 but rescued for preservation, initially at Weymouth but in Cornwall since 1995. |
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

### Inshore lifeboats

| At Looe | Op. No. | Name | Class | Model | Comments |
| 1992–1993 | D-355 | — | D | EA16 | Initially deployed as a relief lifeboat in 1988. |
| 1994 | D-396 | Starting Point | D | EA16 | Initially deployed as a relief lifeboat in 1989. |
| 1994–2002 | D-461 | Spirit of RAOC | D | EA16 | Later stationed at Workington and Anstruther. |
| 2002–2010 | D-574 | Regina Mary | D | EA16 | |
| 2003–2016 | B-793 | Alan and Margaret | B | Atlantic 85 | |
| 2010–2022 | D-741 | Ollie Naismith | D | IB1 | |
| 2016– | B-894 | Sheila & Dennis Tongue II | B | Atlantic 85 | |
| 2022– | D-872 | Ollie Naismith II | D | IB1 | |