Port Erin Lifeboat Station

Port Erin Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Port Erin in the Isle of Man. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution opened a station here in 1883 following requests from local residents.

The station currently operates an B-class inshore lifeboat, Muriel and Leslie (B-813), funded from the bequest of Mr Leslie Hartle.

History
At a meeting of the RNLI Management Committee on 7 September 1882, it was agreed to form a Lifeboat Station at Port Erin.

The first lifeboat arrived at Douglas, Isle of Man on the 8 August 1883, before being transported over the Island to Port Erin. She was named Ann and Mary of Manchester, a 32-foot 10-oared self-righting boat. A boathouse was constructed in 1884, opposite the Raglan Pier.

The Old Lifeboat House Port Erin

Ann and Mary of Manchester saw her first service in 1888 to the Lyra, wrecked in Port St Mary bay.

A new larger 37-foot 12-oared boat arrived in 1892, the William Sugden (ON 321) and to make launching easier, a slipway was constructed in 1900. The boat served Port Erin for 20 years, and saved 12 lives.

10 August 1925 saw the arrival of a 40-foot self-righting motor powered lifeboat on station, Ethel Day Cardwell (ON 647), previously on service at Tynemouth. This was the same year that a new boathouse was constructed along the breakwater road, a building still in use today. It is notable by its very steep 1:4 slipway, still regarded as the steepest incline of any RNLI lifeboat station.

The naming ceremony of the sixth lifeboat for Port Erin, a 37-foot Rother-class named Osman Gabriel after her donor, Major Osman Gabriel, was held on 4 August 1973. Between 1973 and 1992, she was launched 70 times, and saved 55 lives.

In 1990, a coastal review determined that a Mersey-class All-weather lifeboat would be placed at Peel, replacing their B-class, whilst Port Erin would receive an Atlantic 21 Inshore boat to replace their Rother-class All-weather lifeboat.

Port Erin now have the fastest lifeboat on the Isle of Man, an B-class, capable of nearly 40 mph.

Notable rescues
Just after 6 am on the 9 September 1970, the Port Erin lifeboat Matthew Simpson (ON 823) was launched into a very rough sea in a SSW gale, to reports of the coaster Moonlight in difficulties, 5 mi north of Chicken Rock. A life-raft located by aircraft was found to be empty. At 11 am, a second life-raft was spotted, and found to contain just two survivors from the Moonlight. The lifeboat returned to Port Erin at 1 pm. For this service, Coxswain Alfred Dennis Maddrell BEM was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal.

Station honours
The following are awards made at Port Erin


 * RNLI Bronze Medal
 * Alfred Dennis Maddrell BEM, Coxswain – 1970


 * The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
 * Peter Woodworth, Coxswain – 1978


 * British Empire Medal
 * Alfred Dennis Maddrell, Coxswain – 1969

All-weather lifeboats

 * All-weather lifeboat withdrawn 1992