Burry Port Lifeboat Station

Burry Port Lifeboat Station
RNLI Lifeboat station
Country	Wales, UK
Unitary authority	Carmarthenshire
Town	Burry Port
Location	The Harbour, Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, UK
- coordinates	51°40′47″N 4°14′54″W / 51.67972°N 4.24833°WCoordinates: 51°40′47″N 4°14′54″W / 51.67972°N 4.24833°W
Founded	1887
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Visitation	By Appointment Only
Burry Port, Carmarthenshire

Burry Port Lifeboat Station (near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales) first opened in 1887, with all funds coming from a legacy left by Mr and Mrs Barclay.^[1] The station was moved to Burry Port, due to the original lifeboat based at Llanelli being deemed too far away to be helpful; and the previous station based in Pembrey put at risk due to storms.

The station was closed for over half a century between 1914 and 1973 as it was deemed un-needed by the RNLI.

The station currently operates a D-class (IB1) named Diane Hilary and a B-class (Atlantic 75) named Dorothy Selina

History

Burry Port Lifeboat Station opened in 1887 after moving twice in the previous 30 years. The station was allocated a 32-foot-long (9.8 m), 10-oar lifeboat named Stanton Meyrick of Pimlico which operated until 1886, when the boathouse was also abandoned due to operational issues in launching and recovering at that site.

The current boathouse was built on the eastern side of Burry Port Harbour in 1887 to replace it, and up until the station closed in 1914 operated three different lifeboats, all named David Barclay of Tottenham, and saved a total of 34 lives.^[2]

In 1973, due to an increase in drowning incidents in Carmarthen Bay, the RNLI decided to reopen the station and allocate it a D-class (EA16) lifeboat.

In 2002 there was a Coast review, in which it was agreed that a hovercraft may be stationed at this station, and also that a B-class (Atlantic 75) lifeboat would be stationed here as well.

Fleet

All Weather Boats

Dates in service	Name	Comments
1887–1886	Stanton Meyrick of Pimlico
1886–1914	David Barclay of Tottenham	(Three different boats, all named the same)

Inshore Lifeboats

D-class

Dates in service	Class	Op. No.	Name	Comments
1973–1987	D-class (Zodiac III)	D-220	Unnamed	Donated by Tiverton Swimming Club
1987–1995	D-class (Zodiac III)	D-331	Dorothy Way
1995–2003	D-class (EA16)	D-472	Kip & Kath
2003–2011	D-class (EA16)	D-611	The Young Watsons
2011–present	D-class (IB1)	D-749	Diane Hilary

B-class

Dates in service	Class	Op. No.	Name
2010–2011	Atlantic 75-class	B-768	Blue Peter 2
2011–2014	Atlantic 75-class	B-731	Dorothy Selina
2014–present	Atlantic 75-class	B-777	Leicester Challenge 2

See also

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• List of RNLI stations

References

1. "RNLI - Tenby Lifeboat Station". Retrieved 11 May 2014.
2. "Burry Port Lifeboat". Retrieved 11 May 2014.

External links

• The official website of Burry Port lifeboat
• The station page on the RNLI website