New man at the Helm at RNLI Selsey Lifeboat
Rob Archibald is the new coxswain at Selsey RNLI lifeboat station replacing Martin Rudwick in the full time position which commenced on 1 May 2020
Rob started volunteering for the RNLI at Selsey in March 1994 whilst working at his father's garage. From 1998-2007 Rob worked on three local fishing boats. He passed out as D class helmsman in 1999 and in 2005 he volunteered at Chiswick lifeboat station on the Thames. During 2006 Rob passed out as a Tyne class mechanic and later that year became Deputy 2nd coxswain at Selsey.
In 2007 he became full time helmsman at Chiswick a position he held until 2015 when he became a fleet staff coxswain relieving coxswains at Tyne and Severn class stations and moving lifeboats around the coast, he passed out as a Severn class coxswain in 2013. He is currently passed out to operate all the classes of all-weather and inshore lifeboats in the RNLI fleet. Rob became 2nd coxswain at Selsey in 2016 after Willy Pledger retired from the role.
In 2017 he became a helmsman at Tower station on the Thames the busiest station in the country which he held until 2019 when he was required back as fleet staff coxswain a position held until he was awarded the Selsey coxswain role. During his time as a fleet staff coxswain Rob visited many stations as relief from the northerly in Lerwick in the Shetland Islands to St Helier in Jersey as well as Northern Ireland and ROI. He holds a commercially endorsed yacht master certificate and Port of London local knowledge endorsement.
In 2007 Rob was invited to join the RNLI international flood rescue team and in 2013 went to Carolina USA for a week to train with the Charlotte fire dept. He is a flood team commander now.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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