Selsey Lifeboat Station

On 5 June 1861, a self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sails and oars, was dispatched to Chichester, where the Chichester and West Sussex branch of the RNLI had been established. The following day, the boat was transported to the new station at Selsey on her own carriage, where a boathouse had been constructed at a cost of £194.^[4][5]

The lifeboat, built to a design by Peake, was formerly stationed at Skerries, but had been returned to the manufacturer Forrestt of Limehouse, London, and extended from 29 ft (8.8 m) to 36 ft (11 m). Now funded by a donation of £180 from the Society of Friends, the lifeboat was duly named Friend.^[4]

In 1886, on his retirement, and in recognition of his 25 years service since the station opened, Coxswain James Lawrence was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.^[6]
Services included:

• Brig Governor Maclean of London, 5 September 1864, Rescued 7.^[7]
• Brig Sarah Ann of Jersey, 1867, saved 4.
• Schooner Excel 1872
• Schooner Henrietta of Truro, 14 November 1875, saved vessel and crew.^[8]
• Barque Sueine Meinde of Pillau, 27 February 1878, rescued 10.^[9]
• Schooner Kyanite of Guernsey, 8 February 1881^[10]
• Barque Tranmere of Liverpool, 2 September 1883, rescued 13.^[11]

A second lifeboat was placed on station in 1894. A larger 40-foot self-righting lifeboat Lucy Newbon (ON 360) was placed on service, whilst the smaller 34-foot lifeboat John and Henry Skynner (ON 37) was retained for close shore work. It was soon realised that the larger boat was suitable for both environments, and the John and Henry Skynner was withdrawn.^[12]

In 1925 work began on the construction of a new boathouse, built on a piled platform with a gangway from the shore, which had a trolley track. In 1927 the boathouse was re-built again, to house the station's new motor-powered lifeboat Canadian Pacific (ON 714). Canadian Pacific (ON 714) would be lost in a fire on 18 June 1937, whilst being refurbished at the Groves and Guttridge boatyard.^[13][14]

During the Second World War, the station's crew and lifeboats were involved in many rescues. Watson-class lifeboat Canadian Pacific (ON 803) launched approximately 50 times, often to rescue pilots from fallen aeroplanes.^[15][16] On 11 July 1940, the lifeboat rescued John Peel, the commanding officer of RAF 145 Squadron, minutes after he abandoned his damaged Hurricane (P3400) off Selsey Bill.^[17][18]

Between 1952 and 1953, the boathouse's substructure was strengthened and the slipway was lengthened. The boathouse was rebuilt in 1958 with reinforced concrete as the old structure had become unsafe due to years of coastal erosion. The deep water roller slipway was re-configured to have a gradient of 1:5, and the station was given a newly fabricated steel approach gangway from the shore.^[19]

In 1964, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies.^[20]

More Inshore lifeboats were introduced, and in 1968, the D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboat D-164 was assigned to the station at Selsey, to operate alongside the existing All-weather lifeboat. The new Inshore lifeboat was launched on a newly constructed launchway, to the eastern side of the main slipway.^[21][22][23]

The 46-foot Watson lifeboat Canadian Pacific (ON 803) was withdrawn to the Relief fleet in 1969, and finally sold from service in 1977.^[24]

A new boathouse was constructed for the Inshore lifeboat in 1987.^[13]

In 2011, the RNLI celebrated Selsey's 150th anniversary as a continuously active lifeboat station.^[25]

In the summer of 2017, a new boathouse was built on shore at the Kingsway, which allowed all elements of the RNLI at Selsey to come together on a single site for the first time. The old station was demolished and removed between June and July 2017. In July 2017, after almost 34 years of service by Tyne-class lifeboats RNLB City of London (ON 1074) and RNLB Voluntary Worker (ON 1146), the longest of any RNLI station, Selsey received a new 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) Shannon-class lifeboat, 13-20 Denise and Eric (ON 1327).

The following are among the RNLI medals and other awards presented to crew members from Selsey Lifeboat Station:^[26]