Margate RNLI marks six decades of lifesaving by its D class inshore lifeboats

Margate’s first D class lifeboat, (then called Inshore Rescue Boats) entered service on 3 June 1966, since when seven station D class lifeboats and 40 relief lifeboats have served at Margate. Up to and including its actual 60^th birthday, the various D class lifeboats had launched on 1,594 occasions, aided 1,001 persons and saved 365 lives.

Each D class has a consecutive RNLI number, Margate’s first in 1966 was D-99 which served until 1975 (251 launches, 82 lives saved). D-182 served from 1975 to 1983 (95 launches, 40 lives saved), followed by D-294 Bill Mellis between 1983 and 1989 (106 launches, 46 lives saved).

Three D class lifeboats were donated by a family who became special friends to the station. The first, D-400 Tigger served from 1989 to 1999 (212 launches, 62 lives saved), followed by D-545 Tigger Too from 1999 to 2008 (185 launches, 16 lives saved) and finally D-706 Tigger Three between 2009 and 2016 (209 launches, seven lives saved). [see Note 1 below]

The station’s current D class lifeboat, D-841 Alfred Alexander Staden entered service in 2019 and operates alongside the larger B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Colonel Stock (B-930).

The maritime landscape in 1966 was very different from today. The town’s slipway-launched Watson class offshore lifeboat, later known as all-weather lifeboats, was housed on the pier. While it was ideal for offshore rescues, it was less effective for very close inshore tasks, particularly in situations where speed was critical.

Recognising changing patterns and advances in boatbuilding materials, the RNLI introduced the first 5-metre long, 20-knot, D class inflatable inshore rescue boat in 1963, Margate welcoming its first D class in 1966.

The lifeboat, crewed by two volunteers, initially operated only during the summer season and had no night capability. It carried no radio or navigational equipment other than a compass and after receiving tasking details by telephone from HM Coastguard the lifeboat could arrive on scene to find the casualty was no longer there.

One of the crew would typically go ashore and telephone the coastguard or the boathouse from a public phone box or a friendly resident’s home for an update. The coastguard had only become part of the UK’s 999 emergency telephone system in 1964 and a supply of three-penny bit coins was kept on board for making calls. The location of telephone kiosks formed part of the crew’s local knowledge training in those days.

The D class has evolved continuously since its introduction and now provides a year-round, 24/7 service, subject to weather limitations, often working alongside the seasonal RNLI lifeguards. Capable of a speed of up to 25 knots with a crew of three or four, today’s D class lifeboat is equipped with VHF radio and a bespoke electronic chart and GPS navigation system.

The D class revolutionised the way the station’s volunteers carried out their lifesaving work. Ideal for rapid-response incidents, it proved particularly effective for close inshore and beach rescues. It also has limited towing capabilities and from Margate covers an operational area extending from Reculver Towers in the west to North Foreland in the east, and up to approximately five miles offshore.

Derek Amas, Lifeboat Operations Manager, Margate RNLI said: “The D class is known as the workhorse of the RNLI rescue fleet and accounts for most calls here at Margate where the type of incidents we are tasked to requires a rapid response by the lifeboat.

“The D class is the perfect asset for this and we look forward to many more years of this class of lifeboat continuing to keep our local community and visitors safe here in Margate.”

Note 1: The figures do not include the 40 relief D class lifeboats that served while the station’s own lifeboat was absent for maintenance or repair.

Photos:

(1) Margate RNLI's current D class lifeboat 'Alfred Alexander Staden' D-841 (RNLI Margate)

(2) Margate RNLI welcomes it first D class inshore lifeboat in 1966, centre – Cllr Alfred Adams, Mayor of Margate. Right of centre – Dag Pike, RNLI Lifeboat Inspector. (Source unknown)

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The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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