Hayling Island Lifeboat Station


Hayling Island Lifeboat Station is located on the eastern side of Hayling Island, Hampshire, opposite the village of West Wittering, at the entrance to Chichester Harbour, where it joins the major shipping route of the Solent. This major shipping route is busy at all times of the year and there are estimated to be 10,000 boats in the Chichester area alone.
A lifeboat was first stationed at Hayling Island by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1865, operating until 1924. A rescue service was re-established by the Hayling Island Sea Rescue and Research Organisation in 1971, jointly run with the RNLI from 1975. In 1978, management was transferred solely to the RNLI.
The Hayling Island station currently operates a Inshore lifeboat, Derrick Battle, on station since 2009, and a smaller Inshore lifeboat, Jacob, on station since 2015.
WWW rnli.org/find-my-nearest/...

History

1865–1924: original station

In a full gale on 17 October 1862, the sloop Cygnet of Portsmouth ran aground on Woolsiner Sandbank. 3 fishermen in their smack Ferret attempted a rescue, but couldn't get close. Dropping anchor, and launching their small rowing boat, they managed to rescue the three crewmen aboard the Cygnet. For their efforts, William Goldring, James Spraggs and David Farmer were each awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.
On 14 January 1865, Major Francis W. Festing of the Royal Marine Artillery, led a team of 10 fisherman men aboard a Fort Cumberland Cutter, and rescued 3 survivors from the schooner Ocean, on passage from Charlestown, Cornwall to Sunderland. Major Festing was also awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.
As a result of these rescues, Mr. Charles Hardy, vicar of Hayling, wrote to both the Hampshire Telegraph, where his letter was published, and to the RNLI, requesting a lifeboat station be established at Hayling Island, which was agreed. Mr William Leaf, of Leaf and Co. London, a wealthy Silk trader and philanthropist, donated £500 towards the setting up of the station. A 32-foot self-righting 'pulling and sailing' lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was ordered from Forrestt of Limehouse, along with a new carriage, constructed by J. Robinson of Kentish Town and costing £86-8s-8d.
A tender of £259-10s-0d from Mr. H. R. Trigg was accepted, for the construction of a boathouse at the western end of Hayling south-shore. The lifeboat was ready in September 1865, and after trials on the Regent's Canal, the boat was transported to Havant free of charge by the London and South Western Railway. The station was officially opened on 13 September 1865, with the boat being named Olive Leaf, and then blessed by Ashurst Gilbert, the Bishop of Chichester. William Golding, the same recipient of the RNLI silver medal in 1862, was appointed Coxswain.
On 1 February 1869, the Olive Leaf was launched to the aid of the barque Lady Westmorland, on passage from South Shields to Cartagena, Spain, when she was driven ashore at Hayling Island. The lifeboat arrived as the crew were about to abandon ship, but with the assistance of the lifeboat men, the vessel was refloated, and taken to harbour at St Helens, Isle of Wight, thus saving all 18 men and the boat.
In 1888, Hayling received the RNLB Charlie and Adrian (ON 146

1966–1980: private lifeboat station and re-opening

By the 1950s, increased use of pleasure craft along the Hayling coastline had led to a corresponding increase in marine incidents which required lifeboat services. In 1966, Mr. Frank Martin and his two sons started a "Rescue Patrol", using an inflatable boat. The fledgling service was run from a caravan located next to the coastguard station. A Land Rover was used to launch the lifeboat, which was powered with a single 40 hp Evinrude outboard motor. Their tiny organisation became part of the Shore Boat Rescue Scheme, an RNLI-recognised scheme.
Martin established the Hayling Island Sea Rescue and Research Organisation in 1971, which launched for rescue services and undertook patrols along the area's coast and inland estuaries. It also researched rescue procedures and methods for divers.
In 1975, the HISRrO and the RNLI agreed to operate a joint service, and the partnership began operating from a new boathouse on the east side of Hayling Island, at Sandy Point, on a site leased from the Coldeast and Tatchbury Mount Hospital Group. The RNLI placed an Inshore Lifeboat on station. The first call came even before the lifeboat was officially on service. On a training exercise, red flares were seen, fired from the Cabin cruiser Andrew John, having suffered engine failure. The boat was towed to Langstone Harbour.
The two organisations worked alongside each other until 1978, when they agreed to discontinue their joint association. Sole administration for the station and service was taken over by the RNLI. HISRrO continued to operate independently after the split until closing in August 1992.

1980–present: hovercraft and new station

In 1980, launch facilities at the boathouse were improved with the installation of a launch ramp. In November 1980 the station also received a new Atlantic 21 inshore lifeboat, the first to be designed and built for the Hayling Island station.
In June 2004 the RNLI sent a hovercraft, Hurley Spirit, for trials at Hayling island.
Work began on an extensive refurbishment of the station in late 2006 to provide facilities for the lifeboat, with its Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage, and a Talus MB-764 amphibious tractor. They operated out of shipping containers temporarily placed on the station's car park during the rebuild. The new station, which incorporated the old structure, was completed in November 2007 and included a new boat hall with an upper storey. The new station was paid for from legacies of £500,000 from the Lusty family and £300,000 provided by Gwendoline Prince and the Hudson family.
The two current lifeboats are a lifeboat and a lifeboat. The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat, Derrick Battle, arrived on station on 26 February 2009. It is fitted with radar interlaced into the GPS system and VHF direction finding gear. The lifeboat is equipped with two 115-hp Yamaha outboard engines and has the capability of thirty-five knots. The second lifeboat is a smaller inflatable lifeboat, Jacob. It arrived on station in 2015 and is an IB1 type boat powered by a 50-hp outboard engine giving her a top speed of twenty-five knots.

Station honours

The following are awards made at Hayling Island