Port St Mary Lifeboat Station is located at Lime Street, in Port St Mary, a harbour town approximately south-west of Douglas, on the south coast of the Isle of Man, a British Crown Dependency.
A lifeboat station was established at Port St Mary in 1896, by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The station currently operates a All-weather lifeboat, 14-15 Henry Heys Duckworth (ON 1213), on station since 2025, and a small Inshore lifeboat, Frank Martin (D-873), on station since 2023.
History The report of the Deputy Chief Inspector of Lifeboats was read at the meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 11 April 1895, following his visit to the Isle of Man. At a subsequent meeting on 13 June 1895, it was decided to close the lifeboat station, and relocate to Port St Mary.
However, the intended closure of Port Erin lifeboat station never materialised, but a new station was established at Port St Mary in 1896. It was one of six lifeboat stations to operate on the Island, although Castletown Lifeboat Station closed in 1922, leaving the five stations that exist on the Isle of Man today.
In 1894, the RNLI was bequeathed the enormous sum of £50,000 (), from the estate of Mr James Stevens, a developer, from Edgbaston in Birmingham. This donation provided more lifeboats (20), than any other single donation received by the RNLI.
Port St Mary would receive the first one, a new 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both (10) oars, and sails, named James Stevens No.1 (ON 401), and costing £463. James Stevens No.1 was in service for 21 years, launching 22 times, and saving 55 lives.
Also in 1896, work commenced on the construction of a boat house on Lime Street costing £375, which was completed over the next two years, and which is still in use to this day.
The station received their first motor-powered lifeboat, Sir Heath Harrison (ON 785) in 1936. This was over 100 years after the founder of the RNLI, Sir William Hillary, had advocated the use of powered lifeboats.
Keen seafarers and philanthropists James and Ann Ritchie, of the Isle of Man brewing company Heron and Brearley, decided to fund a lifeboat for , which turned out to be shortly before James' death in 1970. James' widow Ann Ritchie, née Gough, decided to fund a second lifeboat, and in 1976, Port St Mary received a new lifeboat, 54-06 The Gough Ritchie (ON 1051).
After Ann Ritchie's death in 1990, the residue of her estate became the Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust. One third of its income is distributed to the RNLI, for use on the Isle of Man, and in 1998, this funded a second boat for Port St Mary, 14-26 Gough Ritchie II.
In the early hours of 6 November 2021, Port St Mary Lifeboat was alerted to a yacht requiring assistance, with tangled propellers, and dangerously close to the shore. Both the All-weather and Inshore lifeboats were launched in challenging condition, with the Gough Ritchie II providing some weather protection to the Inshore boat.
Unable to get in close with the ALB, or tow the yacht away from danger, Helm Richard Leigh and his crew of the Inshore boat were able to reach the yacht, and recovered the three crew to the All-weather boat. For this service, Richard Leigh was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal, the first medal for gallantry awarded to Port St Mary lifeboat station.
In spring 2025, relief lifeboat 14-15 Henry Heys Duckworth (ON 1213) was placed on station, replacing 14-26 Gough Ritchie II (ON 1234).
Station honours The following are awards made at Port St Mary: RNLI Bronze Medal Richard Leigh, Helm – 2022 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' Norman Quillin, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1981 Eric Quillin, crew member – 1981 William Halsall, crew member – 1981 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' Michael Kneale, Second Coxswain – 2004 Framed Letters of Appreciation signed by the Chief Executive Chris Hill, crew member – 2022 Daniel Grace, crew member – 2022 Mike Keggen, Coxswain – 2022 Sarah Keggen, Lifeboat Operations Manager – 2022 Framed Letters of Appreciation Signed by the Operations Director Gareth Watt, Mechanic – 2022 Brian Kelly, crew member – 2022 Mark Pendlebury, crew member – 2022 Laura Cordner, crew member – 2022 Robert Marshall, crew member – 2022 Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) James Michael Keggen, Coxswain – 2024NYH
Port St Mary lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments 401 1896 1896–1917 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr J. Stevens of Birmingham, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £463.Sold in 1917. Renamed Nordkapp Viking. Last reported damaged at Cobbs Quay, Poole, August 1979. 556 Marianne 1906 1917–1936 35-foot self-righting (P&S) x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Col. J. A. Hay of Cheltenham, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £823 when new.Previously at . Sold in 1936. Renamed Courageous. Last reported at Donaghadee in 1936.
Motor lifeboats ON Op.No. Name Built Class Comments 785 – Sir Heath Harrison 1936 1936–1949 35-foot 6in self-righting (motor) 674 – The Newbons 1922 1949–1950 40-foot self-righting (motor) x self-righting (motor) lifeboat, legacy of Mr R. A. Newbon, with a single 45-hp 'Tylor' petrol engine, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes, costing £8,622 when new.Previously at . Sold in 1951. Renamed Fair Lady. Last reported at Birkenhead docks, June 1980. 753 – Civil Service No.5 1932 1950–1956 45-foot 6in Watson Previously at . 930 – 1956 1956–1976 1051 The Gough Ritchie 1976 1976–1998 54-foot Arun 1234 14-26 Gough Ritchie II 1998 1998–2025 1213 14-15 Henry Heys Duckworth 1996 2025– Previously in the relief fleet. More post-service details can be found on the respective lifeboat class pages.
Inshore lifeboats Op.No. Name Class Comments D-81 1966–1972 D-209 1973 D-203 1974 D-209 1975–1976 D-209 1977–1986 D-323 Gus 1986–1994 D-462 Frances 1994–2002 D-575 Hounslow 2002–2010 2010–2023 D-873 Frank Martin 2023–
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
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