About The Lizard Lifeboat…

There have been RNLI lifeboats at The Lizard since 1859.

From 1867 until 1963 there was also a lifeboat at Cadgwith, a few miles east along the coast.

The first lifeboat station was at the most southerly point, Polpeor, and in 1885 another station was built at nearby Church Cove, a mile or so to the east. That station closed in 1899 but the Polpeor station continued right through until 1961. Meanwhile a Cadgwith station was opened in 1867 and remained in action until 1963.

When the current boathouse at Kilcobben opened in 1961, the station became known as The Lizard Cadgwith Lifeboat Station. The name was officially changed in 1987 to its present The Lizard Lifeboat Station.

A series of boats have served the stations over the years, ranging from the original £135, six-oared, 30ft Anna Maria in 1859 to the present £550,000, 47ft (14.3 metres) twin-engined
David Robinson.

Slipway-launched Tyne class David Robinson

Length 14.3 metres 47ft.
Beam 4.6 metres 15ft.
Draught 1.3 metres 4ft 2ins
Displacement 24.4 tonnes
Engines twin 425hp General Motors 6V-92 TI diesel
Maximum speed 19 knots 22mph
Radius of action 120 nautical miles
Maximum fuel consumption 40 gallons an hour.
Fuel capacity 550 gallons.
Crew of six plus doctor if needed.

The aluminium wheelhouse is watertight, and the boat self-rights in under five seconds if it is capsized.

The all-weather lifeboat is highly equipped with regularly updated electronics equipment.