St Helier Lifeboat Station

St Helier Lifeboat Station is located at St Helier, capital of the Bailiwick of Jersey, and main port of the island of Jersey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency and largest of the Channel Islands.

A lifeboat was first stationed here by the States of Jersey in 1830. Management of the station was taken over by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1884.

The station currently operates an Tamar-class All-weather lifeboat, 16-12 George Sullivan (ON 1292), and a B-class Inshore lifeboat, The Spirit of St Helier (B-934).

History
In January 1825, just after the founding of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), the cutter Fanny, on passage to Jersey from St Malo, ran aground and was wrecked near Elizabeth Castle. Rescuers managed to save 13 of the 18 passengers and crew, and three Gold Medals, and a Silver Medal were awarded to their rescuers.

Three years later, a second boat named Fanny, of St Malo, with the same Master, Captain Destouches, ran aground on rocks 1 mi from St Helier, and 13 lost their lives. This would finally prompt John Le Couteur to raise the matter of a Lifeboat with the States of Jersey, suggesting that two boats be provided. For his efforts, £150 was granted by the States that would provide just one lifeboat, carriage and boathouse. A lifeboat was constructed at Rozel of Trinity by a Mr Lillington of Weymouth, and a boathouse was built at Havre des Pas. Jersey would have a lifeboat station in 1830.

No service records have been found for the 1830 lifeboat. But it is known that by 1861, the boat was unfit for purpose. A letter was sent to the RNLI by Philip De St Croix requesting that a new lifeboat and carriage be supplied, which was funded by the States of Jersey. The lifeboat was constructed by Forrestt of Limehouse, and tested on the Regent's Canal. The boat, equipment and carriage, constructed by Robinson of Camden Town, were then transported to Jersey free of charge by the Cheesewright and Miskin Steam Packet Company, arriving in November 1861.

On 2 November 1872, the Isabella Northcote was wrecked on the Écréhous rock. Two farmers and a labourer set out in a small boat, and saved 18 people. They were each awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.

By 1884, the Jersey lifeboat was once again unfit for service. The station management was passed to the RNLI, with a local management committee formed, the chairman being Philip Bordains, Constable of St Helier. At that time, it had been decided to close the Alderney lifeboat station, and the lifeboat, a 33-foot Self-righting boat Mary and Victoria, was transferred to St Helier. A new boathouse was constructed near the Picket House, at West Park, at a cost of £385.

The Mary and Victoria would never be launched on service. She was replaced in 1888 by one of three lifeboats funded from the bequest of the late Col. E. A. D. Brooshoft, of Kirk Ella, near Kingston upon Hull, the 34-foot lifeboat Sarah Brooshoft, Kirk Ella (ON 153).



Improvements to the Jersey promenade in 1896 required the West Park lifeboat house to be relocated. It was reconstructed on St Helier harbour, near South Pier, with a door at both ends, allowing the carriage and lifeboat to be accessed for transportation elsewhere should it be required. In 1912, the slipway was extended. The boathouse is used today by the Jersey Rowing Club.

In 1906, Jersey RNLI lifeboat would finally perform its first service, recovering by Breeches buoy three workmen, stranded overnight on Demie de Pas lighthouse when the weather turned.

In 1929, a motor-powered lifeboat was placed at St Peter Port, Guernsey. At a meeting of the RNLI and the local Jersey branch, it was agreed that there was no longer a need for a lifeboat in Jersey, and that the lifeboat would be withdrawn. This was never actioned. St Helier would get their first motor-powered lifeboat, the Howard D (ON 797), a single engine Liverpool-class lifeboat, in 1937.

Just a few days before the German invasion of Jersey in 1940, a last minute attempt was made to remove the lifeboat to England. The Guernsey relief lifeboat Alfred and Clara Heath (ON 672) was dispatched to collect the Jersey lifeboat, and tow it to the Isle of Wight, but on passage to Jersey, it was strafed by German aircraft and Harold Hobbs, son of the Coxswain Fred Hobbs, was killed. The attempt was ultimately abandoned, and the Guernsey lifeboat was allowed to return to Guernsey. Under German control for the next 5 years, it was later found that the St Helier lifeboat had been launched a number of times during the war, with the crew under German guard, and had saved 35 lives.



On 13 September 1949. the 45ft Watson-class relief lifeboat Hearts of Oak (ON 684) was launched to find a French aircraft. After 8 hours in rough seas, and with nothing found, the lifeboat was redirected to the aid of the yacht Maurice George. Th yacht and four lives were saved. Coxswain Thomas James King was awarded the RNLI Gold Medal, with the rest of the crew being awarded bronze medals.

The Tyne-class lifeboat 47-039 Alexander Countanche (ON 1157) was placed on service in 1989. Coxswain Robert Vezier received the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum for his role when the lifeboat was involved in Jersey's biggest maritime disaster, a multi-agency rescue of 307 people from the French passenger catamaran Saint Malo, which holed and starting to sink after hitting an object off the Corbiere lighthouse.

On 17 November 2017, a breakdown in relations between the RNLI and the Jersey Lifeboat Crew prompted the temporary removal from the island, of the Tamar-class lifeboat 16-12 (ON 1292). All Jersey lifeboat crew were stood down or resigned. Former crew members went on to form the independent lifeboat service Jersey Lifeboat Association, and currently operate a former RNLI lifeboat 47-018 Max Aitken III (ON 1126), now renamed Sir Max Aitken III. The George Sullivan was returned to the Island on 5 December 2017, with full service resumed in March 2018, after further training of new crew.

Station honours
The following are awards made at St Helier, Jersey


 * RNLI Gold Medal
 * Francis De St Croix - 1825
 * Jean De St Croix - 1825
 * Philip De St Croix - 1825


 * Thomas James King, Coxswain - 1949


 * RNLI Silver Medal
 * Philip Nicholle - 1825


 * Charles Blampied, Farmer - 1872
 * John Bouchard, Labourer - 1872
 * Elias Whitley, Farmer - 1872


 * Edward Larbelestier, Coxswain - 1951


 * Michael Edward Berry, Coxswain - 1974


 * Michael Edward Berry, Coxswain - 1983 (Second-Service Clasp)


 * RNLI Bronze Medal
 * Philip Boutell, crew member - 1949
 * Kenneth S. Gubbey, crew member - 1949
 * David Robert Talbot, crew member - 1949
 * Charles George King, crew member - 1949
 * Reginald John Nicholle, crew member - 1949
 * George Stapely, crew member - 1949
 * Lionel Percival Stevens (Hon Sec), crew member - 1949


 * Silver Harry Le Riche, Acting Coxswain - 1950


 * Michael Edward Berry, Coxswain - 1983


 * The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
 * Edward Larbalestier, Coxswain - 1953


 * Eric Grandin, Coxswain - 1967


 * St Helier Lifeboat Crew - 1974


 * St Helier Lifeboat Crew - 1983


 * Robert Vezier, Coxswain - 1995


 * Letters of commendation signed by the Chairman of the Institution
 * Coxswain and Crew - 1964

All-weather lifeboats

 * Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society, to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.