Atlantic College Lifeboat Station

Former lifeboat station in South Wales, UK

Atlantic College Lifeboat Station

Atlantic College Lifeboat Station

Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan

General information
Status| Closed
Type| RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location| St Donat's Castle
Address| St Donats
Town or city| Llantwit Major, CF61 1WF
Country| Wales, UK
Coordinates| 51°24′5″N 3°31′57″W﻿ / ﻿51.40139°N 3.53250°W﻿ / 51.40139; -3.53250
Opened| 1963
Closed| 2013

Atlantic College Lifeboat Station was an Inshore lifeboat station based at 'UWC Atlantic' (formerly the United World College of the Atlantic, more commonly known as Atlantic College), which is located on the Bristol Channel coast of South Wales, at St Donats, near Llantwit Major.

The station opened in 1963, shortly after the school had been launched the previous autumn, as one of the first experimental inshore lifeboat stations established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).[1] The station pioneered innovative boatbuilding techniques, including inventing the Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) and creating the prototype for the Atlantic 21-class lifeboat in the early 1970s.

The RNLI withdrew the lifeboat from Atlantic College in June 2013, and the college now concentrates on training beach lifeguards.

## History

[edit]

### B-class development

[edit]

Atlantic College was instrumental in the design and development of the RNLI's first fast rescue boats under the supervision of the headmaster, Rear Admiral Desmond Hoare. He was the pioneer of the revolutionary Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) and of the prototype for the eventual B-class (Atlantic 21) lifeboat, which was named after the college and entered service in the early 1970s.

In the early 1960s the college began designing, building and experimenting with the operation of a series of rigid inflatable boat, one of which eventually became the basis for the B-class. The chief innovation was the design, construction and testing of a rigid hull attached to inflatable tubes, for previously the inflatable boat bottoms were made of flexible, rubberized fabric that was kept taught under load through the use of collapsible inboard floorboards that formed the boat’s deck. This notable and novel innovation was in response to the rough seas, breaking surf and rocky shore conditions at the college’s St Donats Bay seafront access, in which school rescue craft had to be launched, operated and recovered.

The college sold the RIB patent to the RNLI for £1 in 1973.[2][3] An early example was discovered in Barry in 2012 and restored in 2014.[4]

### First female crewmember

[edit]

On 20 May 1971, the station recorded the first service at any station involving a female crew member taking part. Penelope M. Sutton was a member of the crew when the ILB was launched to investigate a Swedish motor cruiser, reported to be at anchor and flying a distress signal. The incident was a false alarm, as the courtesy Red Ensign flown on the cruiser had been misinterpreted.

### RNLI lifeboat station

[edit]

An Atlantic 75 Lifeboat, of the same type that was deployed at the college from 2000-2013.

In 1973, the station received its first standardized RNLI Atlantic 21 lifeboat. Previous lifeboats operated by the station were owned by the college with the RNLI paying for the operating expenses.

In 2000, the station received a slightly longer and larger Atlantic 75-class lifeboat at roughly 24 feet in length. The RNLI withdrew their standardized lifeboat in June 2013.[5] Helmsman training time had increased from one to two years, so it became no longer practical to train students as helms during the two year College (International Baccalaureate Diploma) program (two years of study).

### Heritage Continues

[edit]

St Donat's Bay

The college continues to be involved in boatbuilding, and in the mid-2010s a program of small RHIB powerboat building and operator training was introduced for students.

In 2015, Atlantic College joined a number of other organisations to campaign for the establishment of a lifeboat service in Japan, coordinated by college alumnus and current RNLI crew member Robin Jenkins.[3] Innovation continues with the introduction of a 4.3 metre RHIB powered by a 40 hp / 30 kw outboard engine with propeller guard that can fit into a standard shipping container for shipment over to Kamaishi in north eastern Japan, where the container serves as a mobile lifeboat station (equipped with crew change area, tools and maintenance mini-bay and boat storage on a launching dolly.)

Atlantic Pacific International Rescue Boats, a non-governmental organization, works with Atlantic College students to build these Hahn class rigid hull inflatable boats for humanitarian relief purposes.[6] An example is a rescue boat that was transported to Lesvos Greece under the logistical efforts of AC alumnus Richard Chamberlain, for ongoing use in supporting the migrant refugee crisis by volunteers. Soon another craft and mobile station will end up in north eastern Africa.

## Station honours

[edit]

The following are awards made at Atlantic College

* Letter of Appreciation from the Secretary of the Institution,
to the crew of IRB X7, in recognition of their services on 11 November, when four men were rescued from the wreck of the dredger Steepholm.[7]

G. Unger - 1968
W. de Vogel - 1968
P. Allen - 1968

## Atlantic College lifeboats

[edit]

In service  | Op. No.[a] | Name  | Class  | Comments

|
|
|
|

1965–1966  | D-33  | Unnamed | D-class (RFD PB16) |
1965–1966  | D-38  | Unnamed | D-class (RFD PB16) |
1966  | D-29  | Unnamed | D-class (RFD PB16) |
1973–1980 | B-508 | Unnamed | B-class (Atlantic 21) |
1980–1982  | B-505  | Major Osman Gabriel | B-class (Atlantic 21) |
1982–2000  | B-554  | American Ambassador | B-class (Atlantic 21) |
2000–2013  | B-763  | Colin James Daniel | B-class (Atlantic 75) |

1. ^ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

## See also

[edit]

* List of RNLI stations
* List of former RNLI stations
* Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "History Points: Former Atlantic College lifeboat station". Retrieved 18 March 2016.
2. ^ David Sutcliffe (2010). The RIB: The Rigid-hulled Inflatable Lifeboat. Granta Editions. ISBN 1-85757-103-7.
3. ^ a b "Lifeboats from Wales with love". 29 September 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
4. ^ "Atlantic College lifeboat sets sail for exhibition". BBC. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
5. ^ "The Welsh home of the RIB waves goodbye to its lifeboat after nearly 50 years". Wales Online. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
6. ^ "Atlantic Pacific". Retrieved 1 March 2019.
7. ^ "No. 7 Lifeboat Area" (PDF). The Lifeboat. XL (427): 594. March 1969. Retrieved 10 September 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Atlantic College
* Atlantic Pacific International Rescue Boat Project

* v
* t
* e

RNLI lifeboat stations in Wales

* Penarth
* Barry Dock
* Porthcawl
* Port Talbot
* The Mumbles
* Horton and Port Eynon
* Burry Port
* Tenby
* Angle
* Little and Broad Haven
* St Davids
* Fishguard
* Cardigan (Poppit Sands)
* New Quay
* Aberystwyth
* Borth
* Aberdovey
* Barmouth
* Criccieth
* Pwllheli
* Abersoch
* Porthdinllaen
* Trearddur Bay
* Holyhead
* Moelfre
* Beaumaris
* Conwy
* Llandudno
* Rhyl
* Flint

(Stations are ordered in clockwise order around the coast)
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