As a result the Station is now operational on two sites about 2
miles apart, with the Inshore "D" Class Lifeboat looking
after the badly silted River Ribble from Lytham, and the All Weather
Mersey Class Lifeboat being launched from the Beach Car Park (almost
opposite the Chadwick Hotel) at St Annes.
The latter means that the Talus tractor can have to tow the
lifeboat up to two miles across the beach at low water. Up to now
they have not caused any problems for the Fylde Sand Yacht Club but
there could be an interesting case of who has "right of
way". The Station's former Tyne class boat was re-allocated and
the arrival of the Station's permanent Mersey class LB, after a refit
on the East Coast, was eagerly awaited. O.N.1189, 12-30 "Her
Majesty the Queen" arrived at the Station at the crack of dawn
with a Crane (right) on Wednesday 15th December 1999 by road with
Lytham St. Annes proudly printed on her stern.
The LYTHAM ST ANNES LIFEBOATS have an
indelible place in the history of the RNLI. On the 9th of December in
1886 three Lifeboats from St Annes, Southport and Lytham launched to
the assistance of the Hamburg trading Barque "Mexico". Most
of the Southport Crew and all of the St Annes Crew were drowned when
their boats capsized in horrendous seas. Lytham luckily survived and
rescued the Captain and crew off the "Mexico", only to
launch again later to go and look for the missing St Annes Lifeboat.
This was arguably the worst disaster in the RNLI's history. Lytham
Lifeboat museum
CREW WANTED If you are interested in joining the Inshore
Lifeboat Crew operating from Lytham click ..............
THE MERSEY CLASS LIFEBOAT AT ST. ANNES ON SEA
1999 posed a new challenge for the crew of Lytham St Annes Station
with the decision after a winter of trials to abandon the mooring at
Lytham and launch from St Annes beach.
