Calshot Lifeboat Station

Calshot Lifeboat Station^[1][2] is located on Calshot Spit^[3] near the village of Calshot, Hampshire,^[4] and is on the southern bank of the open end of Southampton Water, on the south coast of England. The station is owned and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and operates two inshore lifeboats: an B-class (Atlantic 85) and a D-class (IB1).

Calshot Lifeboat Station
Calshot Lifeboat Station
Location of Calshot Lifeboat Station
General information
Type	RNLI lifeboat station
Location	Calshot Activity Centre, Calshot, Hampshire, SO45 1BR
Country	England
Coordinates	50°49′12.8″N 1°18′30.1″W
Opened	1970
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Technical details
Material	Masonry, brick, on concrete stanchions

History

Until its closure in 1961, Calshot Spit had been the site of Royal Air Force station RAF Calshot, which was the primary seaplane/flying boat development and training unit in the United Kingdom.^[5] After the departure of the RAF, Hampshire County Council opened an educational activities centre on the site, which was The centre was constantly being asked by HM Coastguard to use its boats to go out and rescue people in trouble off shore. The administrators of the centre decided that they would contact the RNLI with a view to there being a more formalised rescue service for this busy stretch of water. The RNLI spent a year evaluating this proposition and as a result opened a lifeboat station on the site in 1970.

1960–1985: early lifeboats

The first lifeboat to be stationed at Calshot was a 40 ft (12 m) Keith Nelson-type lifeboat made of fibreglass or glass-reinforced plastic. She was called Ernest William and Elizabeth Ellen Hinde (ON 1017) and had the operation number of 40-001.^[6][7] Although lacking in self-righting capability, she was viewed as a successful experiment in the use of fibreglass for lifeboats.^[7] She cost £24,559 (equivalent to £479,832 in 2023).^{[citation needed]}

In the evening of 10 January 1976, during gale force 8 to 9 winds and a choppy sea the lifeboat Ernest Williams was called to help a small motorboat which had been driven ashore on salt marsh in the Ashlett Creek channel.^[8][9] As the water was too shallow for the lifeboat, the crew of the Ernest Williams waded through the marshes, dragging the lifeboat's inflatable boarding boat while they looked for the vessel. Eventually the vessel's three crewmen were located and rescued. The Calshot crew were awarded RNLI Bronze Medals for the difficult rescue.^[8]

The second lifeboat at the station was the Brede-class lifeboat Safeway (ON 1104), which was moored just off Calshot Castle.^[9][10] The crew used a davit-launched boarding boat when called out on service. Safeway, which was funded by and named for the Safeway supermarket chain, was built by Lochin Marine at Newhaven, East Sussex in 1985.^[11] Like the Ernest William she had a fibreglass hull but was self-righting due to her watertight cabin.^{[citation needed]}

1996–2007: new facilities and lifeboats

In 1996, the RNLI funded the construction of new shore facilities for Calshot Station, constructed on concrete stanchions to prevent flooding.^[9] Hampshire County Council provided a new boarding jetty for use jointly by the lifeboat station and the Calsholt Activity Centre.^[9][12]

The Arun-class lifeboat Margaret Russell Fraser (ON 1108)

The Safeway was withdrawn from service in December 2001 and replaced by the former Poole-based Brede Inner Wheel, which was itself replaced after only a few months by the Arun-class lifeboat Margaret Russell Fraser (ON 1108).^[13] Margaret Russell Fraser had come across the Solent from Yarmouth Lifeboat Station on the Isle of Wight, where she had been a part of RNLI's relief fleet.^[13] She arrived in 2002 and was replaced in 2004 by another Arun-class, the Mabel Williams (ON 1159.^[14]

In 2003 the station was given its first D-class (EA16) inshore lifeboat from the relief fleet. She was called Marlborough Club (D-407). 2003 also saw improvements made to the station facilities. At the cost of £266,424 an extension was added to the side of the station.^[15]

The Tyne-class Alexander Coutanche (ON 1157) - service 21 January 2010 to 2012

Arun-class lifeboats were withdrawn from service in 2007. The Mabel Williams was replaced by the Tyne-class Sarah Emily Harrop (ON 1155), which was moved to the relief fleet in January 2010 and replaced by the Tyne-class Alexander Coutanche (ON 1157).

2012–present: reorganisation

In 2012, the Calshot board of trustees decided that Calshot would cease to be an all-weather station; consequently the Tyne-class lifeboat was withdrawn on 4 April. In its place an Atlantic 85-class inshore lifeboat was sent to the station, necessitating improved facilities had been made at the station to accommodate the new lifeboat and its required launch tractor, a new lifeboat arrived and the Alexander Coutanche was withdrawn. On 11 July the new B-class (Atlantic 85) Max Walls (B-860)^[16] was placed on the station along with a new New Holland Launch tractor and the Calsholt was officially re-designated as an inshore lifeboat station.

Station honours

The following are awards made at Calshot^[17]

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Peter King, Emergency Mechanic - 1976

John Street, crew member - 1976

Christopher Smith, crew member - 1976

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Duncan Christie, Helmsman - 2001

• Framed Commendation from the RNLI Medical Director

Andy Headley - 2023

Kelley Leonard - 2023

Damian Lester - 2023

Chris McDonald - 2023^[18]

• British Empire Medal

John Horton - 2020^[19][20]

Calshot lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

At Calshot	ON	Op. No.	Name	Class	Comments
1970–1985	1017	40-001	Ernest William & Elizabeth Ellen Hinde	Keith Nelson	First stationed at Sheerness in 1969.[21]
1985–2001	1104	33-11	Safeway	Brede	Sold for further use as a lifeboat in Durba, South Africa, where it was named Eikos Rescuer II. Retired in 2019 and now a workboat named Bosss Charger.[22]
2001–2002	1089	33-07	Inner Wheel	Brede	First stationed at Poole in 1983. Sold in 2002 for further use as a lifeboat in Hout Bay, South Africa when it was named Spirit of Nadine Gordimer.[23]
2002–2004	1108	52-34	Margaret Russell Fraser	Arun	Initially deployed in the Relief Fleet in 1986. Sold for further use as a lifeboat in Höfn, Iceland and renamed Ingbjörg, number 2629.[22]
2004–2007	1159	52-45	Mabel Williams	Arun	First stationed at Ballyglass in 1990. Sold in 2007 for use in China as lifeboat Huaying 391.[24]
2007–2010	1155	47-037	Sarah Emily Harrop	Tyne	First stationed at Lytham St Annes in 1990. Sold in 202 for use as a ferry/pilot boat for Bere Island in Ireland.[24]
2010–2012	1157	47-039	Alexander Coutanche	Tyne	First stationed at St Helier in 1989, this was the last All-weather lifeboat at Calshot. Sold in 2014 and reported in 2023 to be a work boat in Swansea.[24]

Inshore lifeboats

At Calshot	Op. No.	Name	Class	Model	Comments
2001–2002	D-429	RJM	D	EA16	First stationed at Blackpool in 1992.[25]
2002–2003	D-418	—	D	EA16	Initially deployed as a relief lifeboat in 1991.[25]
2003	D-407	The Marlborough Club, Didcot	D	EA16	Initially deployed as a relief lifeboat in 1990.[25]
2003–2011	D-609	248 Squadron RAF	D	IB1	[26]
2011–2023	D-748	Willett	D	IB1	[27]
2012–	B-860	Max Walls	B	Atlantic 85	[28]
2023–	D-880	David Radcliffe	D	IB1	[29]

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats